From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions
This article examines shifting environmental interactions and divinity beliefs in Manang (Nepal). It shows how significant findings emerge regarding the impact of the ban on hunting. The former prominence of the local deity Dorje Legpa has been undermined due to religious and political transitions....
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebhr, |
|---|---|
| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
| Pubblicazione: |
European Bulletin of Himalayan Research
2025
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| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| id |
openedition-oai:revues.org:ebhr_2949 |
|---|---|
| record_format |
openedition |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
Nepal wildlife photography ecological dynamics Milarepa environmental humanities Népal photographie animalière dynamiques écologiques Milarepa humanités environnementales |
| spellingShingle |
Nepal wildlife photography ecological dynamics Milarepa environmental humanities Népal photographie animalière dynamiques écologiques Milarepa humanités environnementales Johnson, Théophile From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| description |
This article examines shifting environmental interactions and divinity beliefs in Manang (Nepal). It shows how significant findings emerge regarding the impact of the ban on hunting. The former prominence of the local deity Dorje Legpa has been undermined due to religious and political transitions. The research notes how former rituals, such as Paten, were uprooted by the syncretisation of local deities with Buddhist figures, paralleling a shift from community sacrifices to individual morality. This transition culminates in present-day Manang with the Syakumbre festival that promotes non-violence and assimilates the yogic ascetic Milarepa as a new figure of worship. As indigenous knowledge declines, particularly among younger generations, wildlife populations such as those of bharals and panthers proliferate and present changed behaviour. And the ban on hunting triggers certain creative cultural responses. Some young people turn to photography to both document wildlife and reimagine their community bonds with other species. The underlying narrative is a complex tapestry of cultural, religious and environmental threads where evolved Buddhist ethos, shifts in local power constructs and transformed relationships with non-human entities are interwoven. This multifaceted case illustrates how a strict hunting ban propels a community towards new forms of expression and understandings, encapsulating the broader historical trajectory of Manang’s socio-environmental relations. |
| author |
Johnson, Théophile |
| author_facet |
Johnson, Théophile |
| author_sort |
Johnson, Théophile |
| title |
From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| title_short |
From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| title_full |
From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| title_fullStr |
From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed |
From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| title_sort |
from hunting to photography. cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions |
| publisher |
European Bulletin of Himalayan Research |
| publishDate |
2025 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebhr |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/13mzw https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/ebhr/2949 |
| _version_ |
1877292092591439872 |
| spelling |
openedition-oai:revues.org:ebhr_2949 https://doi.org/10.4000/13mzw urn:doi:10.4000/13mzw en https://journals.openedition.org/ebhr/2949 2025-04-02T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/13mzw https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ From hunting to photography. Cult of territorial deities and individualistic ethics within the dynamic of environmental interactions European Bulletin of Himalayan Research Centre d’études sud-asiatiques et himalayennes (UMR8077 CNRS/EHESS) info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2823-6114 info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/0943-8254 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/ebhr Johnson, Théophile Nepal wildlife photography ecological dynamics Milarepa environmental humanities Népal photographie animalière dynamiques écologiques Milarepa humanités environnementales This article examines shifting environmental interactions and divinity beliefs in Manang (Nepal). It shows how significant findings emerge regarding the impact of the ban on hunting. The former prominence of the local deity Dorje Legpa has been undermined due to religious and political transitions. The research notes how former rituals, such as Paten, were uprooted by the syncretisation of local deities with Buddhist figures, paralleling a shift from community sacrifices to individual morality. This transition culminates in present-day Manang with the Syakumbre festival that promotes non-violence and assimilates the yogic ascetic Milarepa as a new figure of worship. As indigenous knowledge declines, particularly among younger generations, wildlife populations such as those of bharals and panthers proliferate and present changed behaviour. And the ban on hunting triggers certain creative cultural responses. Some young people turn to photography to both document wildlife and reimagine their community bonds with other species. The underlying narrative is a complex tapestry of cultural, religious and environmental threads where evolved Buddhist ethos, shifts in local power constructs and transformed relationships with non-human entities are interwoven. This multifaceted case illustrates how a strict hunting ban propels a community towards new forms of expression and understandings, encapsulating the broader historical trajectory of Manang’s socio-environmental relations. Cet article explore les transformations des interactions environnementales et des croyances liées aux divinités à Manang (Népal). Il met en lumière des découvertes significatives concernant l’impact de l’interdiction de la chasse. La place autrefois centrale de la divinité locale Dorje Legpa a été affaiblie en raison des transitions religieuses et politiques. La recherche note comment les anciens rituels, tels que le Paten, ont été supplantés par la syncrétisation des divinités locales avec des figures bouddhistes, reflétant une transition des sacrifices communautaires vers une moralité individuelle. Cette évolution aboutit aujourd’hui, à Manang, au festival de Syakumbre, qui prône une logique de « l’animal voisin » et assimile l’ascète yogique Milarepa comme nouvelle figure de culte. Tandis que les savoirs autochtones déclinent, notamment parmi les jeunes générations, les populations animales, telles que les bharals et les panthères, prolifèrent et adoptent des comportements inédits. Par ailleurs, l’interdiction de la chasse déclenche des réponses culturelles inédites : certains jeunes se tournent ainsi vers la photographie animalière pour documenter la faune et réinventer leurs liens communautaires avec les autres espèces. Ce récit sous-jacent constitue une tapisserie complexe de fils culturels, religieux et environnementaux, où l’éthique bouddhiste, les changements dans les structures de pouvoir local et les relations avec les entités non-humaines s’entrelacent. Ce cas d’ethnographie multifacette illustre comment une interdiction stricte de la chasse pousse une communauté vers de nouvelles formes d’expression et de compréhension, encapsulant la trajectoire historique plus large des relations socio-environnementales de Manang. |