1996 00 00 Journal of American Folklore - Vol 109 No 431 - Banks

Magazine Overview

This document is a page from The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 109, Issue 431, published in the Winter of 1996 by the American Folklore Society and University of Illinois Press. It contains book reviews, with the main visible content being reviews of two books: 'Watch the Skies! A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth' by Curtis Peebles and 'Keepers of the Secret Chants: The Poetics or Ritual Power in an Amazonian Society' by Jonathan D. Hill.

Book Review: Watch the Skies! A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth

The review, written by Amanda Carson Banks of Vanderbilt University, discusses Curtis Peebles' book. Banks notes that Peebles, an aerospace historian, examines UFO sightings and the flying saucer myth as a response to societal concerns, political anxieties, and a sense of powerlessness in post-war America. The book traces the development of the myth, including the role of governmental studies, accusations of cover-ups, and the establishment of private scientific organizations. Peebles suggests that "the idea of disk-shaped alien spaceships becomes the symbol for hopes and fears about the world." The review highlights that Peebles analyzes the phenomenon by examining sightings chronologically, starting from the surge after World War II, and uses scientific research to explain probable causes. He also details how narrative elements from pulp magazines and media like film, books, and television have shaped and perpetuated the myth. While Peebles provides a historical survey and scientific explanations, the reviewer suggests he is less successful in fully associating the myth's development with changing political and social conditions. The review concludes that despite lacking full substantiation for the connection between the myth and unmet emotional needs, Peebles' work effectively elucidates how these beliefs became and remain current in American society.

Book Review: Keepers of the Secret Chants: The Poetics or Ritual Power in an Amazonian Society

This review, written by Elizabeth Higgs of Valdosta State University, focuses on Jonathan D. Hill's ethnographic study of the Wakeunai or Curripaco group of Arawak in western Venezuela Amazonia. The fieldwork, conducted in 1980-81 and 1984-85, centers on curing rituals and explores 'malikai,' a musical art involving spoken, chanted, and sung speech. Hill's research aims to preserve this performance tradition for future generations. The review explains that the Arawaken Wakeunai shaman heals by making musical journeys to retrieve a patient's lost body-soul. Shamans also use malikai chants during rituals such as spirit naming, childbirth, and initiations. Malikai is described as integrating individuals into a hierarchical system of mythic ancestors and human descendants, uniting 'musicalization' (transposing mythic speech into spoken, chanted, and sung speech) and 'mythification' (transforming powerful sounds of language music into mythic speech). The review identifies Hernan Yusrinu, the headman of the village of Gavilan, as Hill's key informant, who provided recordings of a nine-narrative myth cycle performed during male initiations. These narratives include the origin of women's menstruation, the conception and birth of Kuwai, and other myths related to Kuwai and the Wakeunai village.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue focuses on academic reviews of scholarly works, indicating an editorial stance that prioritizes critical analysis and the dissemination of research in folklore and anthropology. The journal appears to engage with studies that explore cultural phenomena, belief systems, and indigenous traditions, examining them through historical, sociological, and anthropological lenses. The reviews suggest a commitment to understanding how myths and cultural practices reflect and respond to societal contexts and human psychology.