"Wild Games reveals the intricate customs, prohibitions, and
symbolic meanings that surround taking animal life for Finns,
Basques, Native Americans, Kazakhs, and other contemporary
cultures. Writings on the hunt that ignore these practices, and the
ways in which they are tied to both individual and collective
identity, will now risk being woefully simplistic."
--Boria Sax
Humans understand at least some of what it means to be human, both
literally and figuratively, in reference to wild animals. Our
relationships with wildlife have traditionally been expressed in
terms of hunting; more recently, these relationships have also been
manifest as efforts to prevent hunting. Hunting and fishing
traditions are, in fact, under fire by critics at the same time
that they are receding of their own accord--perhaps becoming even
more endangered than any of the pursued animals. These traditions
form the major focus of Wild Games, a new collection of essays that
looks at the folklore and culture of various hunting and fishing
practices, documenting the central importance of hunting to many
rural societies, even in modern times.
Editors Dennis Cutchins and Eric Eliason contend that hunters often
don't perceive of themselves as separate from the wild but, rather,
identify strongly with a natural order--integrated with, rather
than standing apart from, the fluctuation of ecosystems. And they
frequently don't see wild animals as "set apart" but understand
them as food sources, competitors, friendly rivals, and even
equals.
Featuring contributions from a variety of distinguished scholars
and writers--including an essay by the noted folklorist Simon
Bronner on the culture of the deer camp, a fascinating account of
coyote tracking by Eric Eliason, and an examination of the role of
gender in outdoor life by Diane Humphrey Lueck--this book shows how
the traditions of hunting and fishing tend to bind hunter and prey
into ancient patterns that often defy contemporary culture.
Dennis Cutchins is associate professor of English at Brigham Young
University. His articles have appeared in Western Folklore,
Literature/Film Quarterly, Journal of American Culture, and Florida
Anthropological Quarterly and he is the coeditor of two upcoming
books on adaptation studies.
Eric A. Eliason is associate professor of English at Brigham Young
University. He is the editor of Mormons and Mormonism: An
Introduction to an American World Religion and author of the
forthcoming Black Velvet Painting: Understanding the World's Most
Maligned Art.
General
Imprint: |
University of Tennessee Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
November 2009 |
First published: |
November 2009 |
Editors: |
Dennis Cutchins
• Eric Eliason
|
Dimensions: |
162 x 236 x 24mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards / With dust jacket
|
Pages: |
277 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-57233-670-4 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-57233-670-6 |
Barcode: |
9781572336704 |
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