Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change
The article deals with the perception of trees in Tibet. It focuses on ideas on supernatural beings believed to dwell in trees, particularly klu and gnyan, which form a part of the popular or so called nameless religion. The study is based on fieldwork undertaken in the Tibetan areas of India and Ne...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2013-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/125 |
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| author | Jakub Kocurek |
| author_facet | Jakub Kocurek |
| author_sort | Jakub Kocurek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article deals with the perception of trees in Tibet. It focuses on ideas on supernatural beings believed to dwell in trees, particularly klu and gnyan, which form a part of the popular or so called nameless religion. The study is based on fieldwork undertaken in the Tibetan areas of India and Nepal (the Spiti valley and Dolpo) among people of Dolpo origin living elsewhere and Tibetans in exile from different regions of Tibet. Gathered narratives and reappearing myth patterns are presented and discussed. The findings from the fieldwork are compared with the idea of tree beings found in ritual texts studied by Western scholars. The difference between these two sources are striking: popular traditions associate trees mainly with klu, whereas the ritual texts with gnyan. To explain the possible cause of this discrepancy, contemporary theories about the ecological history of the Tibetan Plateau are employed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ef9a1ad5fa7a495385d089b2442cee21 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1736-6518 2228-0987 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-06-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef9a1ad5fa7a495385d089b2442cee212025-02-02T15:31:11ZengSciendoJournal of Ethnology and Folkloristics1736-65182228-09872013-06-0171193096Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological ChangeJakub Kocurek0Charles University in PragueThe article deals with the perception of trees in Tibet. It focuses on ideas on supernatural beings believed to dwell in trees, particularly klu and gnyan, which form a part of the popular or so called nameless religion. The study is based on fieldwork undertaken in the Tibetan areas of India and Nepal (the Spiti valley and Dolpo) among people of Dolpo origin living elsewhere and Tibetans in exile from different regions of Tibet. Gathered narratives and reappearing myth patterns are presented and discussed. The findings from the fieldwork are compared with the idea of tree beings found in ritual texts studied by Western scholars. The difference between these two sources are striking: popular traditions associate trees mainly with klu, whereas the ritual texts with gnyan. To explain the possible cause of this discrepancy, contemporary theories about the ecological history of the Tibetan Plateau are employed.https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/125Tibetreligionpopular religiontreesspiritsklugnyan |
| spellingShingle | Jakub Kocurek Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics Tibet religion popular religion trees spirits klu gnyan |
| title | Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change |
| title_full | Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change |
| title_fullStr | Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change |
| title_short | Tree Beings in Tibet: Contemporary Popular Concepts of klu and gnyan as a Result of Ecological Change |
| title_sort | tree beings in tibet contemporary popular concepts of klu and gnyan as a result of ecological change |
| topic | Tibet religion popular religion trees spirits klu gnyan |
| url | https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/125 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jakubkocurek treebeingsintibetcontemporarypopularconceptsofkluandgnyanasaresultofecologicalchange |