Nourrir la vie : éthique de la relation de soin chez les T’ai Dam du Nord-Laos

• Main Author: Natacha Collomb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Université de Provence 2010-10-01
• Series: Moussons
• Subjects: adoption; animals; destiny; ethic; fertility; gift of food
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/249

Abstract : The notion of liang, common to all tai languages, denotes a multiplicity of practices : feeding, raising animals and children, adopting, taking care of one’s elders, worshiping spirits. Firstly, this article proposes to explore, in the context if a rice-growing t’ai dam village of Northern Laos, the semantic field and variety of practices concerned by this notion. Whichever the beneficiary (animal, human or spirit) and whatever the action (raising, taking care or worshiping), liang always imply the initiation and the preservation of a relationship founded on the gift, real of symbolic, of food. Besides, it requires one sort of another of reciprocity. The second part of the article will be devoted to three case studies narrating difficulties encountered in the conception and raising of children. It will show that liang is all at once a given or achieved aptitude and a value essential to the reproduction and to the continuation of the life cycle.