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Sacred, Alive, Dangerous, and Endangered: Humans, Non-humans, and Landscape in the Himalayas

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Dealing with Disasters

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Disaster Anthropology ((PSDA))

Abstract

This chapter aims to highlight a recurring set of topics, themes, and beliefs widely shared by several Himalayan cultures. In particular, the notions related to the web of relations entangling human and other-than-human communities, which constitute the epistemological framework to understand, explore, and discuss ideas, ideologies, and worldviews about the environment. In the Himalayas, in fact, the cosmos is thought to be parceled among several entities interacting with each other on a regular basis, each of them in charge of a specific sphere of influence. Landscape itself, moreover, could be sometimes represented as a living field of forces or a distinct, powerful entity.

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Torri, D. (2021). Sacred, Alive, Dangerous, and Endangered: Humans, Non-humans, and Landscape in the Himalayas. In: Riboli, D., Stewart, P.J., Strathern, A.J., Torri, D. (eds) Dealing with Disasters. Palgrave Studies in Disaster Anthropology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56104-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56104-8_8

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