Thesis--Lund. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-190).

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Proefschrift--Amsterdam. / "Stellingen": 2 leaves laid in. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Brandeis University. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 461-466).

In this thesis I explore human-animal relations amongst the Bebelibe of the Commune of Cobly, in the northwest of the Republic of Benin, West Africa, with a focus on how they relate to their tikedimɔmɔnte (true totem(s), literally “interdict(s)-true”). I start with an historical review of totemism, the debates it generated and how these contributed to the recent ontological turn in anthropology. I then explore the theoretical ideas I use for my analysis, which include “presencing” and the “ontological penumbra” (J. Merz 2017b; J. Merz and S. Merz 2017). Presencing builds on semiotics by explaining how people make meaning present through their engagement in and with the world around them, whilst ontological penumbras are the shadowy spaces of limbo that affect our whole being and that people need to negotiate as part of making sense of their engagement with the world. As part of these theoretical frameworks, I examine the “onton”, as introduced by Johannes Merz (2017b). Ontons are experiential, agentive and relational entities that are the result of presencing processes. Ontons, however, cannot be divided into representations (signifiers) and represented (signified) as signs can. An engagement in the world between different entities in an ontonic and thus nonrepresentational sense necessitates my introducing further notions including shared “ontonity” (instead of shared humanity) and “ontonhood” (rather than personhood). I demonstrate how these theoretical ideas work with reference to human-animal relations primarily amongst the Bebelibe in the Commune of Cobly. In order to do this, I provide an in-depth, “thick description” (Geertz 1973) ethnography that explores how people perceive and relate to animals through hunting, domestication, attitudes to eating meat, animal commodification, reincarnation, shapeshifting and totemism. As part of my analysis I also examine the impact of Christianity on human-animal relations by exploring several incidents involving Christians and their tikedimɔmɔnte.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / O intento deste estudo està em identificar as prÃticas educativas nÃo-formais e informais, transcorrentes no cotidiano ritual de um terreiro de Candomblà em Fortaleza. Percebendo o instante em que o fazer religioso se funde em prÃxis educativa, e que fazem do terreiro afro-brasileiro um espaÃo construtor de saberes, legitimado pela tradiÃÃo oral e pela memÃria ancestral. Trata-se, pois, de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de abordagem etnogrÃfica que usou como instrumento de construÃÃo dos dados o estudo de caso. Assim, o estudo teve acesso aos por menores que circundam uma tradiÃÃo religiosa ritual de milÃnios. As observaÃÃes, as anotaÃÃes em caderneta de campo, os registros imagÃticos, e as interlocuÃÃes concedidas pelos sujeitos da pesquisa: Sr. Lagos, MÃe Ilesà e Ogan Ibadan minudenciam um entendimento mais depurado a respeito das concepÃÃes das prÃticas religiosas e educacionais de um templo de CandomblÃ. Os resultados apresentados nesta pesquisa: O Ritual do Orà para Exu e o ritual do Ebà aparecem em detalhes, falas e situaÃÃes. O sacrifÃcio animal para Exu aqui à pensado enquanto totemismo, numa relaÃÃo totÃmica que se estabelece no ato de oferecer os animais por meio de imolaÃÃo sagrada aos OrixÃs. E o Ritual do Ebà se mostra em toda profundidade no caso do Sr. Lagos. Deste modo, os dois rituais se situam no estudo enquanto elementos de tradiÃÃo Iorubà e, sobretudo enquanto o momento que o terreiro produz educaÃÃo nÃo-formal. Ensinando fundamentos religiosos e perpetuando uma tradiÃÃo Ãgrafa.

La quête de l'identité est au cœur des ouvrages de fiction écrits par les auteurs indiens d'Amérique du Nord au cours du XXe et du XXIe siècle. Les héros, voire anti-héros, de ces romans et de ces nouvelles tentent de reconquérir une dignité perdue et se trouvent confrontés à des épreuves, parfois absurdes, qu'ils surmontent tant bien que mal. Dans les descriptions souvent très crues du quotidien de la vie dans les réserves indiennes ou les réserves urbaines, surgit une part de magie qui s'immisce dans les situations les plus banales, habite les objets les plus inattendus, et transcende la fatalité des destins. Cette magie suscite des esprits tutélaires hybrides, entre monde occidental et traditions autochtones, qui déguisent leur présence pour fédérer les protagonistes en une sorte de clan moderne et revisité. Ce faisant, ils redonnent du sens aux errances existentielles des personnages. Ce procédé littéraire n'est pas sans rappeler le totémisme rituel, pratique animiste ancestrale que l'on croyait oubliée et qui a été largement documentée par les anthropologues dans le courant du XIXe siècle. Notre corpus se réduit à Louise Erdrich, David Treuer, Eden Robinson et Joseph Boyden qui imaginent de nouvelles figures totémiques pour aborder différemment la question identitaire. La présente thèse étudie comment cette réappropriation du totémisme par le biais de la réinvention littéraire engage un mouvement en trois temps qui permet de perpétuer, de régénérer et de (re)créer une certaine identité amérindienne. / The quest for identity is a central topic of North American contemporary Native fiction which recurrently dwells on the ontological confusion experienced by Native and bicultural protagonists and the subsequent urge to come to terms with their distinctiveness. Indeed, in many novels and short-stories the heroes, or anti-heroes, attempt to recover their lost dignity for better or worse while overcoming obstacles and enduring ordeals that sometimes prove absurd. Meanwhile, an unexpected magic pervades the crude descriptions of modern day life on Canadian reserves and American reservations and intrudes in the most trivial situations eventually transcending fate and destiny. The hybrid tutelar spirits thus staged, symbolically referring as much to the Western world as to secular indigenous traditions, disguise their presence with the aim to bring together the estranged protagonists in a reshaped modern clan. By so doing, these supernatural forces endow the characters' physical and spiritual journeys with renewed meanings. Such a process directly alludes to ritualized totemism, an array of ancient animistic practices and beliefs thoroughly documented by 19th century anthropologists. Interestingly, many contemporary Native authors, among whom Louise Erdrich, David Treuer, Eden Robinson et Joseph Boyden, contrive new totems in order to address otherwise the identity issue. This thesis aims to demonstrate how their literary reinvention of totemism engages a threefold movement, to perpetuate, rejuvenate and (re)create a specific form of Native identity.

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