Traditional Narrative Research Articles

Cosmological Relations in the Muisca Myth of Bachue

This research paper outlines possible cosmological relations in the Muisca myth of Bachue, a traditional narrative involving the sacred lake of Iguaque, located in the Colombian Andes. The research applied an interdisciplinary approach, considering archaeological, historical, ethnographic, astronomical, social and climatic perspectives. Material culture and historical sources related to the myth highlight the figure of a large animal with a curved back, thought to be associated with mountain lakes, and it is here suggested that Muiscas may have seen in the night sky a huge and humped animal whose back was the Milky Way’s bulge. This paper proposes that between 700 AD to 1000 AD, the period during which the Bachue myth is thought to have originated, the archaeological site of El Infiernito had celestial and landscape alignments involving the Sun, the Milky Way and the Pleiades. Muisca serpent-adorned cups can be interpreted as a representation of a cosmogonic/cosmological model, with concepts such as origin, opposition, duality, water and death, all present in the myth, materialised in these unique ceramic pieces.

(Jewish) Rock Stars in a Jewish Museum: Testing the Grounds for a More Inclusive Exhibition at Beit Hatfusot, Tel Aviv

AbstractThis article discusses three exhibitions that took place between 2016 and the present at Beit Hatfusot – The Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (renamed Anu – Museum of the Jewish People in 2021) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and that portrayed three internationally acclaimed (Jewish) rock stars: Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. What motivated the museum to curate these exhibitions that clearly deviate from the museum’s traditional narrative of Jewish history, diasporic communities and the establishment of the State of Israel? The article will claim that this can be answered in light of the museum’s recent renovation and new conceptual approach to the portrayal of Jewish culture and identity. The story told in the original exhibition was that Jewish diaspora emerged as a result of destruction and was redeemed with the re-gathering of the dispersed communities in Israel and the formation of the Jewish State; however, the new permanent exhibition, seeks to represent a more contemporary portrayal of Jewish identity. By showcasing internationally renowned and popular Jewish rock stars, the museum moves away from its former traditional, old-fashioned and stagnated mould to suggest a more inclusive and diverse portrayal of Judaism.

Presentation of a Video Animation with a Feminist Approach: An Exploration of Turkish Shadow Play

Istanbul-born visual artist and activist Canan Şenol-CANAN (1970-) created the video animation Ibretnüma-Exemplary (2009), which tells the story of a young girl who moves from an Anatolian village to a big city. The animation addresses themes such as marriage, motherhood, and old age, focusing on the current status of women in Turkish culture. It critiques the oppression created by marriage and family structures and highlights how the female body is reduced to a political and religious commodity in the protagonist's life. It also criticizes the orientalization of female beauty and its use for consumer exploitation, with any subjective evaluations clearly marked as such. The narrative is delivered by a narrator using the fairy-tale storytelling method, rooted in Anatolia's centuries-old oral narrative tradition. The piece dismantles patriarchal ideologies and non-verbal restrictions imposed on women during Türkiye's modernization process, merging an avant-garde and feminist approach in its representation technique. To illustrate the representation of every aspect of the female body, the video employs a varied visual range, incorporating traditional Turkish shadow play, largely sourced from original works and combined with collage elements.

Why “Trying to Keep the War Alive”?: Exploring the Shanghai Postcolonial Flâneur in J. G. Ballard’s Empire of the Sun

ABSTRACT J. G. Ballard’s novel Empire of the Sun narrates how Jim, a British boy, survives in wartime Shanghai, particularly after the 1941 Japanese invasion. Existing interpretations of this story as a “Bildungsroman” have largely neglected Jim’s abnormal inclinations to “keep the war alive” even as the Japanese army faces defeat. To unravel this paradox, this paper draws upon the concept of “postcolonial flâneur”, and proposes that as a flâneur Jim’s Shanghai life encompasses evolving forms of mobility, reflecting shifting colonial relations. On the surface, Jim’s journey may appear as a tale of personal growth, yet it exposes an underlying colonialist mentality infused with imperial chauvinism. By placing the novel within the comparative context of Western and Eastern coming-of-age narrative traditions, the study also explores why Western interpretations tend to accept this paradox as natural, while Eastern perspectives may take a more critical stance.

Love poetry as social practice: On the function of medieval Sicilian love lyric in Arabic and Italian

AbstractThis article problematizes the traditional narrative of Le Origini, according to which the beginnings of Italian literature were based on Provençal examples. I contend that this narrative is incomplete, as it overlooks entirely the rich heritage of Sicilian Arabic poetry that predates the Sicilian romance lyric by only a few decades. Based on a comparative analysis, I aim to demonstrate how the Sicilian romance lyric is also rooted in Sicily’s Islamic past. In support of my argument, I analyze excerpts from three Arabic poems from Islamic and Norman Sicily and then read them alongside Pier della Vigna’s canzone ‘Amor da cui move tuttora e vene’ (Love, from which always come). With my comparison, I call attention to how the poets of the Scuola Siciliana, like their Arabic predecessors at the Kalbid court of Palermo, used verse to craft a code of social competence shaped by the lore and language of the love poem. My comparison opens up a re-examination of Le Origini: can the Sicilian-Arabic poems penned in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries cast new light on the rhymes of the Scuola Siciliana?

Changing European Minority Rights Standards

Abstract The Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the only comprehensive international minority rights treaty, was adopted in 1995 to counter ethnocentric exclusionary tendencies characteristic of newly emerging democracies in East-Central Europe. It has been evaluated as largely successful in developing progressive standards on minority rights, while judged less efficient in implementing them across member states. This article shows on the example of Slovakia that this traditional narrative conceals another important one: while the Framework Convention’s monitoring body, the Advisory Committee, maintains formally progressive positions, in substance it is becoming more accommodating of exclusionary practices. By comparing the Advisory Committee’s standards expressed in its periodic opinions on Slovakia to developments on the ground, the article demonstrates that the international standards are in fact deteriorating. The Advisory Committee’s recent opinions are much more favourable to the Slovak government’s policies on minority rights. Yet, a detailed analysis shows that those policies have not become more minority-friendly in practice. In fact, in several ways they have regressed. The current acceptance of practices it criticized in the past is an important shift in the Advisory Committee’s position. Yet this shift is not reflected in its formal standards, which remain progressive. The analysis shows that the Advisory Committee’s lack of transparency in its monitoring procedures leads to a misrepresentation of the situation of minority rights, which provides cover for anti-minority practices. This makes it difficult for outside observers to evaluate the true state of minority rights and the effectiveness of international standards. In closing, the article engages with the normative assumptions behind the Advisory Committee’s approach. The Framework Convention does not have a strong enforcement mechanism, therefore cooperation with governments is essential to ensure compliance. However, by accommodating exclusionary practices, the Committee also legitimizes them. While valid arguments can be raised both for and against this approach, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of this trade-off because of its clandestine nature. More transparent monitoring would give legitimacy to an objective international standard, which the current approach risks undermining.

Transcending boundaries

This study investigated the transpersonal effects of self-initiated expatriation among retirees, a phenomenon increasingly significant in today’s globalised world. The research contextualised expatriation within a broader exploration of retirees’ pursuit of a better quality of life, cultural enrichment, and personal growth, situating these motivations within the existing literature on ageing and transpersonal psychology. Employing organic inquiry, a method that captures deeply personal and transformative experiences, and looking into the experiences of four expatriate retirees, the study revealed four key themes: the initial call to expatriation, identity reformation through cultural immersion, the challenges of cultural integration, and the psychological rebirth characterised by gerotranscendence. Findings suggest that expatriation in retirement leads to profound psychological and spiritual transformations, fostering a redefined sense of self and an expanded worldview. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological and spiritual dimensions of retirement and ageing, challenging traditional narratives and offering new perspectives for scholars, policymakers, and individuals considering expatriation. The study fills a critical gap in the literature by providing a nuanced exploration of the personal and transpersonal consequences of expatriation.

Beginning the Healing Journey

Storytelling is a pathway to healing for youth, families, and communities impacted by gun violence. It allows survivors to re-story the devastation and trauma into narratives that re-member the person lost and find purpose and meaning from the painful experience. Tree of Life is a group storytelling intervention developed in Southern Africa and rooted in narrative traditions that is emerging as a powerful starting point for addressing the traumatic impact of homicide in Chicago. This case study weaves together the narrative of the first author in her work at Chicago Survivors with research on gun violence, homicide bereavement, and Tree of Life in order to make an argument for its relevance in treating survivors of community gun violence in the United States. We contend that Tree of Life has potential to work across systems levels as youth and families find purpose through the pain generated from violent loss. We encourage social work clinicians to bring narrative practices and the Tree of Life approach into their practice and challenge social work researchers to develop partnerships with community organizations such as Chicago Survivors to develop a research base for this promising approach.

The Value of Ecological Wisdom in the Oral Story of the Toba Batak "Tombak Sulu Sulu": An Ethnographic Study

This research explores the values of ecological wisdom contained in Toba Batak's oral stories, especially the legend of "Tombak Sulu Sulu." The background of this research is based on the importance of environmental preservation amid the threat of ecological disasters around Lake Toba. The method used is qualitative, with an ethnographic study conducted in the Bakkara Valley. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with traditional leaders, field observations, and documentation related to the legend. The results showed that this legend contains five central values of ecological wisdom: respecting nature, living in harmony with nature, wise use of natural resources, using environmental knowledge for place naming (toponymy), and making nature a spiritual tool. These values emphasize the importance of harmonious relationships between humans and the environment that can be integrated into nature conservation and sustainable development efforts. This research offers a new perspective on how traditional narratives can build societal ecological awareness.

Critical Race Theory in Literature: In The Blood By Suzan-Lori Parks

This study seeks to explore the fundamental principles of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and to use it as an analytical tool in order to discuss Suzan-Lori Parks’s play, In The Blood. Through the key tenets of CRT such as the systematic racism, race as a social construct, intersectionality and power structures, it is framed a comprehensive theoretical background for a literary analysis. Relatedly, the primary focus of this study is to deeply analyze race, gender, power relations and socio-economic conditions with CRT through the playwright’s innovative representation of blackness. CRT clearly shows that racism is constructed through discriminative practices and sustained by law and institutions resulting in justification and accordingly normalization of oppression. In line with CRT’s main concerns, In The Blood embodies societal and ideological barriers and the dehumanization of black female bodies through social judgment, racial and gender discrimination, and motherhood. CRT essentially deals with how Parks reconstructs traditional narratives of guilt, shame, and femininity and claims that Hester is portrayed both as a victim of intersectional oppression and an individual struggling with the harsh conditions of life.

Beyond linear narratives: Complex copper ore exploitation strategies in Early Bronze Age China revealed by geochemical characterization of smelting remains

Despite decades of efforts to reconstruct the bronze production and metal distribution systems of the Shang period in Bronze Age China, there remains limited understanding of the ore choices and smelting practices of the Shang people. This study addresses this research gap by conducting a detailed investigation of Shang period copper ores and smelting remains uncovered at the Tongling site in the Middle Yangtze River valley. The results of lead isotope, copper isotope, trace element, and rare earth element (REE) pattern help to classify the slags from this site into two groups, associated with smelting sulphidic (Group A) and oxidic (Group B) copper ores, respectively. This finding not only serves as the first physical evidence of the use of sulphidic copper ores in Early Bronze Age China but also provides pivotal details of the copper resource exploitation strategies of the Shang people. It challenges the traditional narrative that the Shang people moved to this area solely for the high-grade supergene deposits. The parallel use of both supergene and hypogene ores at the same site complicates the notion of a linear, technological evolution from simpler to more advanced copper sources. Despite the presence of hypogene ores, the study reveals that the Shang people maintained labour-intensive smelting practices, including crushing slag to recover trapped metallic prills, to meet the demands of large-scale bronze casting. This nuanced approach to copper resource exploitation reflects a complex, context-dependent strategy rather than a technological revolution. By highlighting these intricate metallurgical choices, this research contributes to a broader rethinking of early technological development, underscoring the diversity and adaptability of ancient craft industries and their role in shaping Shang society.

Soviet Interference Influence on the Mexican Federal Security Directorate (DFS), 1947–1985

The Mexican Federal Security Directorate (DFS) was established not only to counter domestic opposition but also to address Soviet interference during the Cold War. This intervention, often overlooked by scholars, took the form of subsidies to the Communist Party, training of subversives, recruitment of agents, and other less studied covert actions. While the single-party regime shaped the presidents’ perception of threats and officers’ recruitment until the mid-1960s, it was the silent war between U.S. and Soviet intelligence that primarily influenced the DFS as an organization. Contrary to the traditional narrative, the agency resorted to extrajudicial action only when extensive surveillance and patronage failed, adopting a case-approach type of analysis, tactical products, and strong liaison with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Authenticity and Divine Accommodation in a 19 Century Māori Context

How did early 19th Century Māori assess the authenticity of the gospel narrative based on their own traditional worldview? This essay explores the thoughts of Whangataua, an ancestor of the author from the Ngāi Tahu and Rangitāne tribes of the upper Manawatū River region in the North Island of New Zealand. How might Whangataua and his contemporaries have negotiated the authenticity of the gospel narrative shared by the missionary William Colenso between 1846 and 1852? This paper explores the cultural and intellectual negotiation that took place when Māori first heard the gospel message by comparing the story of the virgin birth of Jesus from the book of Luke with the traditional narrative of Tamatea-ure-haea and his wife Iwipupu. The intersection between the virgin conception narrative and Māori tribal beliefs held by 19th Century rangatira (principal chiefs) reveals an overlapping of realities where Māori worldview could become an agent of divine accommodation and authenticity for the gospel narratives.

Между имперским и постимперским дискурсом: идеи империи и революции в оптике исследователей XXI века (Рец. на: Идея империи и идея революции в русской философии и культуре XIX–XX веков: коллективная монография / отв. ред. И.И. Евлампиев. СПб.: Изд-во РХГА, 2023. 420 с.)

The paper analyses the collective monograph: “The Idea of Empire and the Idea of Revolution in Russian Philosophy and Culture of the XIX–XX Centuries”, its content being a reflection on one of the most intellectually acute and complex contradictions of Russian history – the problem of empire and revolution. This problem invariably awakens philosophical thought, forcing it to search for an explanation of the notorious “pendulum of Russian history”, the genesis of power, the vector and track of Russian history, which are intellectual outgrowths of the fundamental problem – the problem of Russian civilizational and state identity. The content of the work is an analysis of empire and revolution – the main concepts that are in the focus of philosophical interest and reflection in Russian culture of the XIX–XX centuries. Its aim is to demonstrate the theoretical demand to continue the analysis and philosophical reflection of the concepts of empire and revolution, with the task of rethinking and reinterpreting them. The thesis is presented about the inexhaustibly traditional historical-philosophical narrative (liberalism-conservatism) and the discursively traditional nature of the range of topics, problems and questions, centred on the concepts of “empire” and “revolution”, with the same inexhaustibly traditional duality of interpretation (“us–them”, “East–West”). The result of the analysis of the sections that make up the content of the monograph is the conclusion about the epistemological and axiological value of the concepts of empire and revolution, and the heuristic productivity of the works related to their analysis in the context of the challenges faced by the Russian society and state. The latter can be used as analytical tools for works that develop and deepen the problems of empire and revolution on a modern historiographical basis. The historiographical basis of the article is the works of well-known Russian and foreign authors specializing in this field of humanities, and the methodological basis is hermeneutic analysis with the involvement of the discourse of cultural studies, political science and history.

For a discursive-linguistic approach to junction: analysis of linking mechanisms in narrative and argumentative discursive traditions

For a discursive-linguistic approach to junction: analysis of linking mechanisms in narrative and argumentative discursive traditions

Reimagining the Classics: Feminist Perspectives on Canonical Texts

This paper explores feminist perspectives on canonical texts, reimagining classical literature through the lens of gender, power, and voice. “Canonical works have traditionally reflected patriarchal norms, often marginalizing or silencing female characters. Feminist literary criticism challenges these interpretations, offering new ways to understand these texts by reclaiming the voices of women and exposing the gendered structures embedded within them. Through the examination of key themes such as the male gaze, intersectionality, and the subversion of patriarchal norms, this paper seeks to demonstrate how feminist reinterpretations transform the reader's understanding of classical works. Case studies of iconic texts highlight how female characters are redefined, shifting from passive figures to empowered agents of change. The paper also considers the intersection of race, class, and gender in feminist critiques and how modern adaptations and retellings of canonical texts continue to challenge traditional narratives. By critically engaging with feminist theory and literature, this paper argues that these reimagined readings not only provide a more inclusive understanding of classical texts but also reveal their contemporary relevance in addressing issues of gender equality, empowerment, and social justice. This study contributes to feminist literary scholarship by deepening the dialogue between classical literature and feminist thought.

Plot-Motivational Parallels in Heroic Epics of Yakuts, Karachays, and Balkars: Trials of Epic Hero

This article explores the plot and motivational parallels present in the heroic epics of the Karachay-Balkar and Yakut traditions. It focuses on a central theme that is vital to the genre: the trials faced by the epic hero. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the unique features of overlapping plot motifs within these two Turkic narrative traditions, thereby illuminating their thematic and poetic characteristics. The research draws on a representative corpus of heroic epic recordings from the Yakuts, Karachays, and Balkars, collected throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as narratives from other Turkic and Mongolicspeaking communities. Despite the significant geographical and temporal distances between these traditions, the analysis reveals a noteworthy number of coinciding plot situations and motifs. This study delves into the nuances of their representation and variation, tracing potential folkloric connections and origins. Particular attention is given to specific plots, such as “shooting at a distant celestial object,” “the hero’s temptation by a group of antagonists,” and “the stone that crumbles beneath the feet of the true hero.” The textual analysis concludes that there is a remarkable similarity in the concept of the epic hero across these traditions, alongside a rich variety of plots and motifs that likely trace back to a common source in Central Asia.

“Carlos Trilnick: an electronic image-processing pioneer from Argentina”

Abstract The author analyzes three 1980s video works by Argentinian pioneer artist Carlos Trilnick (1957-2020), whose insubordinate interventions with image-processing tools served the purpose of a reflection upon time, challenging traditional narratives of sequentiality, segmentation, and cause-effect linearity. These video works display a virtuous interconnection of art and technology, built upon a solid political perspective on audiovisual representation, art history, and territorial disputes. Acknowledging the work of this artist contributes to the expansion of global dialogues about the use of image-processing tools, incorporating Latin America into traditional narratives dominated by Europe-US exchanges.

Big administration reforms against Catholic reformist traditions: fusion of state and church mid-level school administrations in early nineteenth-century Prussian Silesia

ABSTRACT In what are often described as modern Western school systems, the supervision of elementary schools generally shifted from the hands of clerical administrators to genuine state officials during the nineteenth century. The Prussian state, like other predominantly Protestant states, relied on clerical personnel and church supervision structures to establish its school supervision administration. Yet, this was also true for the more Catholic parts of the Prussian monarchy, where integration of church structures into state administration caused friction between state and church authorities. Hence, this contribution focuses on appointments of school inspectors in early nineteenth-century Prussian Silesia, when friction arose between the state and the prince-bishop concerning appointment rights. These frictions are reflected in the process of newly introduced mid-level state school administrations taking over episcopal appointment rights, which has been described as a nationalisation or secularisation of Silesian school administration. The article proposes a more nuanced approach to the restructuring of Silesian school administration, driven by consecutive administration reforms resulting in a fusion of church and state administration, rather than a traditional secularisation narrative. It traces the subtle ties between the Prussian state, episcopal administration, and clerical inspection personnel that led to the gradual assertion of state over ecclesiastical structures.

COMMUNICATION PATTERNS OF WAYANG GOLEK PUPPETEERS IN PROVIDING SOCIAL CRITICISM MESSAGES TO THEIR AUDIENCES IN BANDUNG REGENCY

This study aims to investigate the communication patterns of wayang golek puppeteers in Bandung Regency as they deliver social criticism messages to their audiences. The primary objective is to understand how traditional wayang golek performances can address contemporary social issues while engaging audiences in meaningful dialogue. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study utilized direct observations and in-depth interviews with key participants, including wayang golek puppeteers and audience members. The data collection involved attending live performances, analyzing the content and delivery of social critiques, and conducting interviews to gain insights into the effectiveness and reception of these performances. The findings reveal that Wayang Golek puppeteers employ interactive techniques to engage their audiences, incorporating contemporary issues into traditional narratives to provoke thought and reflection. The performances demonstrate a successful adaptation of cultural practices to address modern societal challenges, fostering a participatory dialogue between the puppeteers and their audiences. The study highlights the role of cultural symbols and allegories in bridging traditional values with contemporary social critiques and underscores the importance of maintaining cultural heritage while addressing current issues. The results contribute to the broader discourse on participatory communication and the role of traditional art forms in societal change.