Monks and anthropologists

[Anna Reid]

Dear Muireann,

On exiles-turned-anthropologists, your questioner could have a look at my 'The Shaman's Coat: a Native History of Siberia' (Weidenfeld, 2002). It's got lots in, both about   their actual studies and about the politics around native rights in the '20s and '30s, plus a carefully selected bibliography. The exile-ethnographer I fell most in love with was Waldemar Bogoras, whose writing on the Chukchi is absolutely wonderful (and translated!) Tell your person to go to the British Library and get out 'The Chukchee and Chukchee Mythology', vols 7 and 8 of the Publications of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition (New York, 1910-13). It's terrific - humane, empathetic, and born of intimate knowledge - and also beautifully illustrated.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Reid


On 30 Jan 2013, at 09:14, Muireann Maguire wrote:

> Dear SEELANGS colleagues,
> 
> I have recently been asked two intriguing character-archetypes-in-Russian-literature questions which I find myself unable to answer. I am copying them here in the hope that list members can respond more adequately. As neither of the questioners have access to SEELANGS, I request that you reply either directly to me at muireann.maguire at googlemail.com or, if replying on-list, please copy to me. This will make it easier for me to forward any replies to the original questioners.
> 
> Q1: I have a research interest in the popular representation of anthropologists and anthropological ideas. I recently read a paper on the anthropological fieldwork (to me, until then, completely unknown) done by imprisoned/exiled Russian activists in the 1870s and '80s: astonishingly early. Hence my query: do you, please, know of any writings in Russian (but translated) in the first half of the twentieth century which make reference to ethnographers, ethnographies, and/or anthropology?
> 
> Q2: I am working on a paper which addresses the figure of monks in Russian literature. I would like to have as many examples as possible. Currently, I am searching for some works which deals with the parodical treatment of Russian monks or some criticism of their ascetic life. I guess there is a plenty of examples in soviet prose, yet nothing comes to mind. I would be very glad if you could come up with some examples.
> 
> I draw a complete blank on Q1 and my responses to Q2 are mostly pre-Soviet (or feature a priest rather than a monk). Help gratefully received (and passed on).
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Muireann
> -- 
> Dr Muireann Maguire                 Wadham College, Oxford
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                   http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------