Book

Basque violence: metaphor and sacrament

University of Nevada PressReno • Published In 1988 • Pages: xxxi, 423

By: Zulaika, Joseba.

Abstract
This monograph, based on a doctoral dissertation submitted to Princeton University in 1982, is a study of Basque political violence in the village of Itziar on the Cantabrian coast of Guipuzcoa Province, Spain. The work gives a fully contexualized cultural account of the endemic conflict engaging Basque villagers both as protagonists and as spectators and attempts to understand the conscious and unconscious presuppositions of the violence. In addition to the major theme, 'Zulaika presents various narratives to illustrate the villagers' perceptions of history as myth, war, heroism, and tragedy; he also examines radical transformations in the society's basic socio-economic institutions due to industrialization. He then turns his attention to cultural models of performance such as popular games, hunting, troubadorial singing, and traditional mythology. Zulaika argues that ritualization of action, as patterned after analogous folk models, is an essential component of the violence. Furthermore, the author examines the tension between metaphor and sacrament -- nationalist violence interpreted as myth and metaphor as opposed to violence experienced with the literalness of Catholic sacrament' (book jacket).
Subjects
Sociolinguistics
Hunting and trapping
Cooperative organization
Games
Athletic sports
Music
Ingroup antagonisms
Household
Political parties
Political movements
Offenses against life
Sacred objects and places
culture
Basques
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Europe
Sub Region
Southern Europe
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Indigenous Person
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2000
Field Date
1979-1981
Coverage Date
tenth century A.D.-1981
Coverage Place
Village of Itziar, Province of Guipuzcoa, Spain
Notes
Joseba Zulaika
Based on the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Princeton University, 1982
Includes bibliographical references (p. 381-397) and index
LCCN
87035432
LCSH
Basques