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[pclaus at s1.csuhayward.edu]

New Message
Date: May 13, 1996 
 
Indology List
indology at Liverpool.ac.uk
 
Dear Members
 
In response to Mikael Aktor's call for "more information /
reflection"  on hypergamy and land transfer, I had a question of
my own. Mr. Aktor went on to say: "Land is often gendered as
female, and what is fascinating about Quigley's suggestions is
that they indicate relations between the two that are more than
merely literary." 
 
In thinking about this I began to wonder if indeed land WAS
regarded as essentially female.  With all respect to Bhuudeevi, I
suspect that FIELDS (a special kind of land, and the kind in
question) and ritual space and battlegrounds might well be
regarded as male. Or at least controlled by males, cultivated by
males, transformed by males or something like that. In any case,
there seems to be something very male about some kinds of land.
At the very least, land is the PROPERTY of males and when men
give other men property it is something of themselves, and I am
not sure it is the femaleness of the thing given which is
formost.  But maybe .....  
 
What IS "land-as-field" literarily?
 
 
 
Peter J. Claus                        
fax: (510) 885-3353
pclaus at csuhayward.edu