Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich

The unique body of materials collected by the Soviet ethnographer and the North scholar I.S. Gurvich (1919–1992) in places of compact residence of the indigenous peoples of Yakutia (the Yukagir expedition of 1959) for the first time determined scientific interest in the problem of medical anthropol...

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Main Authors: Romanova E.N., Stepanova L.B.
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RA 2021-08-01
Series:Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ipdn.ru/_private/a54/218-230.pdf
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spelling doaj-7c18cf6494e7435fb233a6c4780ed9c02021-09-23T11:22:27ZrusTyumen Scientific Centre SB RAВестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии1811-74652071-04372021-08-013(54)21823010.20874/2071-0437-2021-54-3-18 Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich Romanova E.N. 0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6973-0608Stepanova L.B.1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2826-6295Institute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the RASInstitute for Humanities Research and Indigenous Studies of the North of Siberian branch of the RAS The unique body of materials collected by the Soviet ethnographer and the North scholar I.S. Gurvich (1919–1992) in places of compact residence of the indigenous peoples of Yakutia (the Yukagir expedition of 1959) for the first time determined scientific interest in the problem of medical anthropology, which reflected original ideas about diseases and health as a vital unity (body and soul), as well as symbolic “charging” of medical practices. The purpose of this research is an attempt to understand the spiritual experience of the peoples of Yakutia in the context of social, epidemiological, and climatic disasters. An interpretation of the visual image of epidemics in the traditional worldview of the indigenous peoples of Yakutia is given. The main object of this research, which reconciles the past and present, is the traditional world of long-lasting “perception” and “experience” of mass epidemics by indigenous people of the North. The methodological innovation of the paper is the study of colonial diseases in the framework of social and cognitive anthropology. With the example of local ideas about diseases and treatment in different ethnic communities of North Asia (the Yakuts, Evens, and Yukagirs), we analyze a complex socio-cultural phenomenon that emerged in the 17th century from the historical contacts between local and foreign origin cultures. The cultural dimension of the epidemic diseases within the borders of the Arctic circle, based on the historical and ethnographic sources of the Northern expeditions of the Soviet ethnologist I.S. Gurvich, is the first attempt of the cognitive analysis, the image of the disease and symbolic strategies for its prevention. A broad semiotic analysis of the concept of disease in the indigenous peoples of the Arctic at the level of linguistic, historical, mythological, folklore and ritual texts allowed us to identify the original layer of demonological representations associated with mass epidemics and symbolic strategies for their prevention. Cultural codes of the demonic character-disease (space, color, object, action, ritual) are identified. Sacred practices of influencing the disease were expressed in the following ways: foresight; conciliation; gifting/redemption; deception techniques; and deliverance. Diseases are personified and encoded using certain characters. Obviously, the semiotic system serving the image of disease in the framework of the local ethno-cultural traditions reflected the local specifics.http://www.ipdn.ru/_private/a54/218-230.pdfhistory of epidemicsmedical anthropologyindigenous ethnic groups of the north-east of russiathe population of the pastthe anthropology of the diseasehealth-saving folk practicesthe character and image of the diseasethe language picture and the ritual context
collection DOAJ
language Russian
format Article
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author Romanova E.N.
Stepanova L.B.
spellingShingle Romanova E.N.
Stepanova L.B.
Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
history of epidemics
medical anthropology
indigenous ethnic groups of the north-east of russia
the population of the past
the anthropology of the disease
health-saving folk practices
the character and image of the disease
the language picture and the ritual context
author_facet Romanova E.N.
Stepanova L.B.
author_sort Romanova E.N.
title Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
title_short Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
title_full Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
title_fullStr Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
title_full_unstemmed Anthropology of disease. In the wake of the Arctic Circle epidemics: field materials of I.S. Gurvich
title_sort anthropology of disease. in the wake of the arctic circle epidemics: field materials of i.s. gurvich
publisher Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RA
series Вестник археологии, антропологии и этнографии
issn 1811-7465
2071-0437
publishDate 2021-08-01
description The unique body of materials collected by the Soviet ethnographer and the North scholar I.S. Gurvich (1919–1992) in places of compact residence of the indigenous peoples of Yakutia (the Yukagir expedition of 1959) for the first time determined scientific interest in the problem of medical anthropology, which reflected original ideas about diseases and health as a vital unity (body and soul), as well as symbolic “charging” of medical practices. The purpose of this research is an attempt to understand the spiritual experience of the peoples of Yakutia in the context of social, epidemiological, and climatic disasters. An interpretation of the visual image of epidemics in the traditional worldview of the indigenous peoples of Yakutia is given. The main object of this research, which reconciles the past and present, is the traditional world of long-lasting “perception” and “experience” of mass epidemics by indigenous people of the North. The methodological innovation of the paper is the study of colonial diseases in the framework of social and cognitive anthropology. With the example of local ideas about diseases and treatment in different ethnic communities of North Asia (the Yakuts, Evens, and Yukagirs), we analyze a complex socio-cultural phenomenon that emerged in the 17th century from the historical contacts between local and foreign origin cultures. The cultural dimension of the epidemic diseases within the borders of the Arctic circle, based on the historical and ethnographic sources of the Northern expeditions of the Soviet ethnologist I.S. Gurvich, is the first attempt of the cognitive analysis, the image of the disease and symbolic strategies for its prevention. A broad semiotic analysis of the concept of disease in the indigenous peoples of the Arctic at the level of linguistic, historical, mythological, folklore and ritual texts allowed us to identify the original layer of demonological representations associated with mass epidemics and symbolic strategies for their prevention. Cultural codes of the demonic character-disease (space, color, object, action, ritual) are identified. Sacred practices of influencing the disease were expressed in the following ways: foresight; conciliation; gifting/redemption; deception techniques; and deliverance. Diseases are personified and encoded using certain characters. Obviously, the semiotic system serving the image of disease in the framework of the local ethno-cultural traditions reflected the local specifics.
topic history of epidemics
medical anthropology
indigenous ethnic groups of the north-east of russia
the population of the past
the anthropology of the disease
health-saving folk practices
the character and image of the disease
the language picture and the ritual context
url http://www.ipdn.ru/_private/a54/218-230.pdf
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