Open AccessIndian Artistic Communities and Trance Practices: Local Traditions of Gujarat, Assam and Kerala
Author(s) -
Светлана Рыжакова,
Светлана Рыжакова
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
vestnik rossijskogo fonda fundamentalʹnyh issledovanij. gumanitarnye i obŝestvennye nauki/vestnik rffi. gumanitarnye i obŝestvennye nauki
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2587-8956
pISSN - 2587-6090
DOI - 10.22204/2587-8956-2019-095-02-170-181
Subject(s) - trance , reincarnation , ethnography , epic , drama , martial arts , visual arts , history , aesthetics , anthropology , art , sociology , literature , philosophy , epistemology
The paper provides a comprehensive comparative cultural and anthropological study of Indian artistic communities — dynasties of musicians, dancers, actors, performers of epic legends playing ritual drama, martial arts masters. A peculiar common Indian feature is the combination of three factors in their activity: artistic skills passed during regular training; religious service (most artistic activities are in one way or another devoted to certain cults and/or turn out to be part of ceremonies) and skills of controlled trance, specific psychophysical states, which in this case include on-stage reincarnation and the ability to impact spectators. The ethnographic material obtained during the expedition helps to trace the social and psychological features of some dynasties of artistic communities.