Autour du couple ambigu crapaud-grenouille. Essai de recherches ethnozoologiques au niveau europeen
Institution:
Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
According to the opinion of the majority of the westerners,frog and toad make a couple. The frog is considered as the female of the toad. Therefore these animals are the subject of multiple traditions,believes and uses which reflect a state of popular knowledge,especially revealing and instructive as regards the history of the mentalities,the evolution between men and animals. As they are animals living in earth, they maintain relations with the elements and always take place between dry and humid,hidden and visible. Taking place in the ceremonial cycles,which follow close the order of seasons and work,they sometimes are sought after,even though they are hunted at other times. "from cradle to grave",men are often confronted with these two amphibians. In the same way, they can be harmful or can kill,they can help and cure. Instigating attraction and repulsion in turn,these ambivalent animals still remain loaded with the mysteries of their biological evolution. So, the frog and more particulary the toad take place in an intermediate space,between the world of the dead and the one of the living. Appearing as mysterious,these two beings remain object of both respect and fear;they are admired but also feared. But the toad is invested with a supplementary dimension. Being a watch of edge, it doesn't only move around in the domain of ambivalence, but it finds a place somewhere else,beyond,in the world of ambiguity. Introduced in the domain of sacred,he has became an interceder,the receptacle of the magico-religious forces. So through his sacrality,the toad represents the concentration of what threatens and save men at the same time.
Abstract FR:
Grenouille et crapaud forment,selon l'opinion de la majorite des occi, dentaux,un couple;la grenouille etant apprehendee comme la femelle du crapaud. Ces animaux font ainsi l'objet de multiples traditions,croyances et utilisations qui refletent un etat de connaissance d'origine populaire,particulierement revelateur et instructif en ce qui concerne l'histoire des mentalites,l'evolution entre l'homme et l'animal. Animaux chtoniens,ils entretiennent des relations avec les elements et se situent toujours entre le sec et l'humide,le cache et le visible. Intervenant dans les cycles ceremoniels,qui suivent de pres l'ordre des saisons et du travail,ils sont recherches a certains moments cles,alors qu'ils sont chasses a d'autres periodes. "du berceau a la tombe",l'homme est souvent confronte a ces deux batraciens. De meme qu'ils nuisent ou qu'ils tuent,ils secourent et guerissent. Provoquant tour a tour attirance et repulsion,ces animaux ambivalents restent cependant charges des mysteres de leur evolution biologique. Ainsi,la grenouille et bien plus encore le crapaud se situent dans un espace intermediaire,entre le monde des morts et celui des vivants. Se presentant comme mysterieux, ces deux etres demeurent a la fois objet de respect et de crainte;on les admire,mais on les redoute aussi. Mais le crapaud se voit investi d'une dimension supplementaire. Etant un veilleur de marge,il n'evolue plus seulement dans le domaine de l'ambiva, lence,mais se place ailleurs,au-dela,dans le monde de l'equivoque. Introduit dans le domaine du sacre,il devient un intercesseur,le reci- pient des forces magico-religieuses. Ainsi de part sa sacralite,le crapaud represente la concentration a la fois de tout ce qui menace et sauve l'homme.