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Sacred Movement: Connecting with the Divine Kathak as Axis Mundi

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Abstract

Mircea Eliade has contributed immense scholarship to the study of religion. His theories have been analyzed, utilized, and critiqued by many. This paper will apply Eliade’s concept of axis mundi in an interpretation of the North Indian classical dance form of Kathak. A foundational understanding of axis mundi will be established before applying the theory in interpreting Kathak. The foundation will be built by defining terms and ideas integral in Eliade’s writings and by examining his interpretation of Barabudur as an axis mundi. By discussing the consecration of space, the positioning of the body, the intention of the performer, and the role of the art form in society, this paper will argue that a Kathak dancer also functions as an axis mundi—a point of communication between the profane and the Divine. While acknowledging various critiques of Eliade’s approach, this paper will also address the need for practitioner perspectives in developing a multi-faceted interpretation of religious phenomena.

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Notes

  1. Green (1977) Green’s article is a strong example of the breadth of possibilities in applying Eliade’s theories to religious phenomena. Further extrapolation of Green’s use of axis mundi is beyond the scope of this paper.

  2. Narayan (1998), p. 29, 9.

  3. Chakravorty (2009), p. 26.

  4. Srivastava (2004), p. xi.

  5. In this paper, the flaws of an archetypal approach and specifically Eliade’s theories are not discussed in depth. For further information, reference J.Z. Smith’s Relating Religion, Guilford Dudley III’s Religion on Trial: Mircea Eliade & His Critics.

  6. Buswell and Lopez (2013), p. 286–287.

  7. Eliade (1958), p. 138.

  8. Ibid., p. 134.

  9. Ibid., p. 137.

  10. Eliade (1958), p. 139.

  11. Allen (1982), p. 78.

  12. Srivastava (2004), p. 69.

  13. Eliade (1958), p. 382.

  14. Chakravorty (2009), p. 139.

  15. Srivastava (2004), p. 25.

  16. Eliade (1958), p. 11.

  17. Narayan (1998), p. 29 and 46–47.

  18. Johnson (2009).

  19. Ramachandra Rao (1983), p. ii.

  20. Srivastava (2004), p. 96.

  21. Schwartz (2004), p. 55–56.

  22. Eliade (1958), p. 13.

  23. Chakravorty (2009), p. 110.

  24. Vatsyayan (1968), p. 10.

  25. Dubuisson and Cunningham (2014), p. 190 and 196; Smith (1972), p. 137.

  26. Studstill (2000), p. 181.

  27. Biernacki (2011), p. 265.

  28. Smith (1982), p. 23.

  29. Douglas (1982), p. 74.

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  1. Department of Religion, University of Hawai‘i, Sakamaki Hall A311, 2530 Dole St., Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Hannah Stoltenberg

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Stoltenberg, H. Sacred Movement: Connecting with the Divine Kathak as Axis Mundi. DHARM 1, 303–312 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42240-019-00025-2

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