Cry for luck: sacred song and speech among the Yurok, Hupa, and Karok Indians of northwestern California

Keeling, Richard

Book

Cry for luck: sacred song and speech among the Yurok, Hupa, and Karok Indians of northwestern California

Unversity of California Press • Berkeley • Published In 1992 • Pages:

By: Keeling, Richard.

Abstract
In overall context this monograph describes a living musical tradition among the Yurok and other closely related groups, largely in relation to earlier beliefs and practices as documented by recordings and narratives that were collected between 1900 and 1942. The document is divided into four major parts. Part 1, deals with aboriginal religion and provides an introduction to beliefs and institutions of the precontact period. Part 11, 'ceremonial singing', considers the major group rituals performed by the Yurok and others, in reference to the musical styles associated with each. Part 111, entitled 'individual use of songs and formulas', examines personal medicine rituals in a wide range of different contexts. The final section of this book, 'interpretations', explores the significance of the musical tradition on two different levels: the general characteristics of the music and its place in the overall picture of North American Indian music, and what the music expresses within its own cultural context.

Shamans and psychotherapists

Organized ceremonial

Classes

Comparative evidence

Prayers and sacrifices

Sexual stimulation