[Aztlan] CAution: southeast /mesoamerican contacts

[Karrie Porter Brace]

Comparison of stories in multiple cultures can yield some interesting information, but let's be cautious.  If we follow the route of Mircea Eliade or Claude Levi Strauss we tend to "cherry pick" those characters, events or traits that seem to be similar and support our thesis/argument while glossing over the details or differences that really make these things unique in their own culture histories.  We perceive these archetypal themes because they make sense to us, they are relevant in our culture.  These may not have been so relevant when comparing these cultures in their own contexts in the past.

There are some strong suggestive similarities among those things being duscussed.  The data really require close examination to be determine what we're comparing are apples to apples, not apples to oranges. Time and contact change things too. It is difficult to determine the original meanings  of components in stories and mythic themes from archaeological contexts or oral histories passed down through generations.

Karrie Porter Brace, La Pelirroja Peligrosa 
While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats.  --Mark Twain
Redheads are children of the moon, thwarted by the sun and addicted to sex and sugar. --Tom Robbins

 



> Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:59:02 -0700
> From: teshunka at yahoo.com
> To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org
> Subject: [Aztlan] southeast  /mesoamerican contacts
> 
> Hello listeros,
> 
> A very interesting discussion, but I think some of the argument is a bit backward. Reference to Brer Rabbit, for instance. African scholars find very few parallels, but the tales clearly parallel Indian stories, as Mooney himself noted. For instance, the mosquito story, where Brer Rabbit has to show his worthiness as a suitor by enduring swarms of mosquitos. This is a Hopi legend, isn't it?
> 
> Likewise, Iroquois parallels to mesoamerican would seem an obvious companion to spread of corn cultivation. Falling sky woman and hero twins ring any bells?
> 
> South to north transmission in comparatively recent past is less mystical than circum-polar culture, but more plausible.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Jim Adams
> 
> 
> 
> 
>       
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