A World that Disappears: Ernesto de Martino and Dragoslav Antonijević on the Last Ritual Trance in Europe
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2298/GEI2501013NKeywords:
ritual, trance, Dragoslav Antonijević, Ernesto De MartinoAbstract
This paper will be an attempt at a parallel reading of the theories and texts on ritual trance by the Serbian ethnologist Dragoslav Antonijević and the Italian historian of religion Ernesto De Martino. In other words, the paper will offer an interpretation and understanding of Antonijević’s writing on the rusaljе ritual and De Martino’s writing on tarantism as echoes of the times in which they lived, researched and wrote. This time was characterized by rapid urbanization and modernization that brought dizzying changes, and both of these scholars were aware that this world, the world they were researching, was rapidly disappearing. Although they had different approaches to understanding this world, their reflections on these phenomena are characterized by a deep sense of being on ”quicksand”. On the other hand, the mid-twentieth century opened up key issues in anthropology regarding decolonization, power relations and the very nature of ethnographic work. De Martino openly explored these issues, but they can also be traced in Antonijević’s writing. These issues have not lost their importance and urgency even today. Finally, the paper will point to the potential significance of the writings of these two researchers from the perspective of the revival of ”Mediterranean anthropology”.
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