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Dossier Hertz revisité (1907-2007) : Objets et changements dans les rituels funéraires

Souvenirs des morts : techniques de gestion de la mémoire dans un village de Nouvelle-Guinée

Roger Ivar  Lohmann
p. 45-57

Abstracts

The Asabano of Papua New Guinea treat objects regarded as mementos of deceased companions in a variety of ways. Several cases are considered here, including long-term retention, immediate destruction, and decay through exposure. Which strategy survivors follow is influenced by various factors, including the pragmatic and sentimental value of the item and one’s emotional state at the time. The primary motivating factor, however, is the type of memory that the survivor wishes to retain of the former living relationship. Curation corresponds with the desire to retain a cherished memory, while destruction correlates with expunging a painful memory. The speed with which a memento is destroyed reflects the rate at which one hopes to forget and move on. These responses reflect the recognition that objects can evoke memories of past relationships, and it is useful to regard each strategy as a form of memory management.

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References

Bibliographical reference

Roger Ivar  Lohmann, “Souvenirs des morts : techniques de gestion de la mémoire dans un village de Nouvelle-Guinée”Journal de la Société des Océanistes, 124 | 2007, 45-57.

Electronic reference

Roger Ivar  Lohmann, “Souvenirs des morts : techniques de gestion de la mémoire dans un village de Nouvelle-Guinée”Journal de la Société des Océanistes [Online], 124 | Année 2007-1, Online since 01 June 2010, connection on 28 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/jso/748; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/jso.748

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About the author

Roger Ivar  Lohmann

Department of Anthropology, University of Trent, Canada, rogerlohmann@trentu.ca

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Copyright

CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

The text only may be used under licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

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