The Circle of Mountains: A Basque Shepherding Community

Ott, Sandra

ISBN 10: 0198231997 / ISBN 13: 9780198231998

Published by Oxford University Press, 1981

About this Item

Ownership inscription: Yes
Dog-earing: None
Foxing: None
Page staining: None
Annotations: None
Other damage: None

Synopsis:
Ott provides an excellent ethnography of a French Basque agrarian and sheepherding community. The commune of Sainte-Engrāce extends along a mountain valley in the southeastern corner of Soule, one of the three Basque provences in France. In The Circle of Mountains, Sandra Ott examines the importance of cooperation and reciprocity as the essential basis for the main institutions within this community. These French Basques visualize their community as a circle, and their vision of living in "the circle of mountians," rather than in a valley, reflects their perspective on the society in which they live. The first half of the book incorporates material on history, ecology and economy, and delves deeply into the domestic organization, kinship, and neighborliness of this Basque community. In the second half of the book, the author introduces the males' customary roles as shepherds and cheesemakers. Following a detailed commentary on these vocations, Ott suggests that these seemingly prosaic activities represent the male attempt at symbolic fulfillment of the female procreative and nurturing roles. In a new afterword, Ott discusses developments that have impacted life in the pastoral community of Sainte-Engrāce since the original publication of the book?including the acquisition of telephones and the construction of roads to nearly every home.The Circle of Mountains will be of interest not only to social anthropologists but also to those concerned with the Basque language and culture and to scholars and students of ethnology, international studies, and political science.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1787744409616

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Circle of Mountains: A Basque Shepherding Community
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 1981
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198231997
• ISBN 13: 9780198231998
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dimensions: 14.61W x 22.23H x 2.24D centimeters 14.61 centimeters width by 22.23 centimeters height by 2.24 centimeters depth
• Weight: 565 grams

About this title

Synopsis

The commune of Sainte-Engrace extends along a mountain valley in the southeastern corner of Soule, one of the three Basque provinces in France. In The Circle of Mountains, Sandra Ott examines the importance of cooperation and reciprocity as the essential basis for the main institutions within this community. These French Basques visualize their community as circle, and their vision of living in the "circle of mountains," rather than in a valley, reflects their perspective on the society in which they live. The first half of the book incorporates material on history, ecology, and economy, and delves deeply into the domestic organization kinship, and neighborliness of this Basque community. In the second half of the book, the author introduces the males' customary roles as shepherds and cheesemakers. Following a detailed commentary on these vocations, Ott suggests that these seemingly prosaic activities represent the male attempt at symbolic fulfillment of the female procreative and nurturing roles. In a new afterword, Ott discusses developments that have impacted life in the pastoral community of Sainte-Engrace since the original publication of this book - including the construction of roads to nearly every home and the acquisition of telephones. The Circle of Mountains will be of interest not only to social anthropologists but also to those concerned with the Basque language and culture and to scholars and students of ethnology, international studies, and political science.