1. What is the main argument of this article and what sources do they utilize to support their points?
2. How is memory defined and then used as a methodological device? Does the concept of "Uchronia" fit into this model? Why or why not?
3. How did the term "empire" become associated with the Luba Kingdom and why is it problematic for the authors? Is there another term that might be more indicative for the role the Luba?
4. What is a lukasa, how does it work, and do you think that there is a text/object relationship in them? A(hint: you will need to look at the pictures and read the captions.)
5. Is there evident to support the concept of the Lieux de memorie as valid way to describe how the Luba understand their histories? How does the body fit into the concept of place and memory?
1) The main argument of the article is that the Luba use physical objects and visual representation such as memory boards, royal staffs, and other mnemonic devices to make and remember history. History is usually interpreted and shared by oral tradition and performances. The sources utilized in the article to support this argument inlcude physical artifacts and written word.
ReplyDelete2) The article defines memory as a "cultural construction varying from one society to the next." It is said to be more effective than oral tradition in conceptualizing the post-scripted word (Jewsiewicki & Mudimbe 1993:4). The concept of Uchronia does fit into this model because history is a "problematic and incomplete reconstruction of the past" (Nora 1984:xix). History is often remembered too ideally because it is a structured world nowhere in time since the society is no longer in existence.
3) The term "empire" came to be incorrectly associated with the Luba people because of a "literal translation of the founding myth of sacred kingship and a fundamental misunderstanding of African political economy by Belgian colonial authorities." They assumed that an empire MUST have existed. Known as the "royal charter" or "genesis myth", the story was meant to enshrine the origins if the sacred kingship in an epic. This literal translation and recognition as an empire is problematic because it leads to a distorted view of how society operated during this time period. The royal court of Belgium promoted the notion of a single dynastic line ruling a Luba "empire." Conversely, The authors suggest that the Luba state was a far more flexible set of relationships than an "empire" connotes, their culture extending into the surroundings areas by virtue of influence rather than authority.
4) A "lukasa" is a memory board, the most important record of Luba royal history. The lukasa represents the Luba landscape, the royal court, human anatomy, and the emblematic royal tortiose all at once, embodying mutliple levels of information simultaneously, through the rectangular or hour-glass shape. Beads and incised or raised ideograms provide a means of associating events, places and names of the past. Lukasa do not so much symbolize thought as much as they stimulate it, allowing a multiplicity of meanings through multireferential iconography. I think that a text/object relationship is present in Lukasa because there can be multiple meanings to each one and I believe most, if not each, of them tell a history through images and patterns rather than written word. I believe the Lukasa provide hidden messages for a person to interpret.
5) Luba mnemonic devices such as memory boards, staffs, necklaces, or divination gourds are devised as Lieux de memorie to organize personages, places, objects, and relationships. It fits into the concept of place and memory because it is based on spatial paradigms, like the lukasa is. It provides a model for understanding how mnemonics generate the semantic dynamism and social construction of Luba historical thought.
1. The main argument of this article is that the Luba consider memory to be a highly valued form of intellectual activity. The Luba’s recounting of history has been very specific through the use of visual representations like the lukasa, or memory boards. The authors use sources that include actual artifacts and text/object relation.
ReplyDelete2. The article states “memory is a dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration, and outright invention that is often engendered, provoked, and promoted by visual images.” (23) It also states that memory is a cultural construction which varies from one society to the next. The past of the Luba, or memory, is studied through text/object relations, which is how texts are attached to visual representation. Uchronia is “a structured world, nowhere in time.” (27) The concept of uchronia fits into this model of memory, because it is not a reproduction. Rather, memory exists only in the minds of those who “see” and “visit” it based off of the mneomic devices which could be called Uchronia.
3. The term empire became associated with the Luba after Belgian colonial authorities developed a misunderstanding of African political economy as they believed that central leadership had to exist. This term is problematic with the authors because there is no evidence of imperial authority being used by Luba kings. They suggest that there was more flexibility in the relationships between the Luba than what the term “empire” suggests. The Heartland Luba was more of an influential force than imperial authority which is when the term Balubaises (Luba-ized) is introduced.
4. A lukasa is a hand-sized wooden object studded with beads and pins of different colors or covered with incised/raised ideograms. It is considered the most important record of Luba royal history. The beads on the lukasa indicate a type of alphabet that translates into a vocabulary for Luba royalty. I do believe that there is a text/object relationship in them. The Lukas provide a framework for history while permitting multiple interpretations of the past.
5. The Luba use memory arts in the mnemonic devices based on memory places that can be both seen and visited in the mind. The lieux de memorie is a valid way to describe how the Luba understand their histories. Landmarks, like mnemonic devices, is the locus of memories that allow past events to structure present memory. The body fits into the concept of place and memory because “through the lived body, place and memory are actively joined.” (35) Luba art emphasizes both place and body which offers the opportunity to explore the concept of body memory. The body, in the study of Luba history, is engendered and transformed into a leiu de memoire. The Luba even use the body’s surface as a text that can be written and read. The use this as a method to embody memory and to have it alive and enacted in the present.
1. The main arguement appears to be that the Luba highly valued history and consequently those that retold it. As part of this, physical objects are utilized as a way to record historical events. The sources for the authors are the artifacts themselves and previously published articles on the Luba.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is defined as being a social construct (usually connected in some way to visual images) that differs for every society. It is used as a methodological device in that the Luba construct is different than that of the West, as it can be changed to fit the expediencies of the moment, while also being retroactively applied to the past. The concept of Uchronia fits here because memory is not seen by the Luba as a reproduction of events that have already occurred. The Luba see memory more as existing only within the mind of one who recalls it with the assistance of something else.
3. The term empire was first used by the Belgians, who both misinterpreted the local political economy and then as part of that applied their own views and decided that an empire must have existed. The authors have a problem because this assertion is not supported by the evidence. The term "empire" suggests a powerful central government, when what really existed was more of the heartland area serving as a political and trade center, but again, there is no evidence that the Luba kings even sought "imperial" power.
4. A lukasa is a hand sized wood objet that has had beads or pins put into it, or has been engraved with ideograms. It is used for teaching, as everything on it symbolizes something. One could say that there is in fact a text/object relationship within them, as the engravings or objects on/in them are symbols for prior events, people, etc. they are used to assert authority, and in this case the carvings or beads/pins would serve to prove that the person holding it is in fact the rightful ruler.
5.Yes. The Luba utilize concrete things, such lukasas to allow them access to their memories. As previously stated, their history is able to be adapted to the needs of the moment, so it fits with the concept of things being the key to memory. The body fits into this and is used as a way to carry memories. Clothing, specifically coiffures are indicators of a person's past history and and their place in society.
1. The main argument of the article is that among other things, the Luba value the memory of the past and all things that have come before them. Memory boards, royal staffs, divination instruments, and many other objects as well as visual images have been passed down in order to keep said memories alive. The sources that they use physical artifacts and writters.
ReplyDelete2.according to the article memory is not a discrete, biologically grounded, universally shared activity. This is basically saying that memory is a fluid, ever changing collection of ideas that can be remembered one way or another depending on the source. The concept od Uchronia does not fit in this model because memory is “nowhere in time.”
3.The term empire becoming associated with the Luba kingdom stems from some of the oral tradition that was trandscribed. Early Europeans mistakenly took the oral tradition literally, bringing about the idea that a single line of rulers controlled the Luba “empire.” This is problematic because there would have been more than one ruler, so it was not necessarily that strict an empire. A term that would be more appropriate would be Balubaises, or people that have been “Luba-ized.”
4.A lukasa is a memory board, so a wooden instrument that is used to interpret certain memories with different beads on the board. The way the history is recited varies from each person and his audience. The colors, beads, and ideograms represent past important people, places, things and relationships as some of the court historians interpret it. I think there is a text/object relationship because according to the person speaking they can supply different features of the Luba history.
5.The evidence to support the Lieux de memorie is the many ways that the Luba remember history. The memory boards, divination instruments, and other objects complete with the rituals that accompany them create a collective place/memory that can be understood within the people. According to the article, the memories are bound to the body and the rest of the mind, and much of the art that is done usually represents the body.
1. The main argument of the text is that the Luba peoples embrace and cherish their memories through texts and objects. The Luba utilize things such as oral legends and sculptures to commemorate their past. The authors utilize sculptures and Luba legends as the sources to drive their argument home.
ReplyDelete2. The authors define memory as, "a subject of timely and far-reaching import; as post modernists query the nature of truth memory, and history." They essentially state that memory is something we hold on to that is suspended in a certain time period. The concept of "Uchronia," is rather contradictory to the authors' description of memory because Uchronia is defined as a, "non-place," instead of being trapped in history or a certain time period.
3. The term empire became associated with the Luba peoples because they were governed under similar commerce and political influence, which is easily confused with one political epicenter. The authors state that the Lubas can be more easily described as peoples who had a, "polity based around the Upemba Depression constituted a Heartland of active commerce and political influence."
4. Lukasa are memory boards utilized by Luba peoples. They "associate memories with particular loci on the board. The recitation of history facilitated by the lukasa is a performance, and will vary according to the identity of the reader." There is a relationship between the individual reader and the text on the lukasa because the reader associates his or her memories with particular images/texts on the board.
5. From what the reading conveyed, the Luba find escape through memory. Considering Lieux de mémoire is defined as the point through which someone finds release or, "ecstasy," through memories, it could easily fit into the Luba interpretation of memory.
1.) The main argument of this article is how the Luba Kingdoms history bases itself off of physical objects such as: memory boards, royal staffs, and other devices. Whereas most ancient civilizations history is through oral and written traditions.
ReplyDelete2.) Many definitions are portrayed in this article of what memory is, but one stands out stating "memory is a cultural construction varying from one society to the next." (pp.27) With the Uchronia model saying that it is "a structured world, nowhere in time." Makes it to where memory fits into the model, because it is not a physical aspect that can be recreated again.
3.) The term "empire" came to be misunderstood from the Belgian territorial administrators on the Luba kingdoms due to the concept of having a supreme leader, which was not the case. In fact the Luba people were better off described as a Heartland because the kings of the kingdom never sought out complete controlling powers over other kingdoms.
4.) A "lukasa" is roughly hand-sized wooden object studded that can consist studded bead and pins, covered with incised, or raised ideograms. This wooden object with holds Luba royal history. Also the text describes of ancient objects used within the cultures rituals as seen and described within the article.
5.) Luba civilizations use mnemonic devices to describe the memory of history that can be seen through the mind and have spiritual access to the landmarks, which describes the concept of Lieux de memoire very well. For example the lukasa memory board describe a bases of spatial paradigm, because it gives a mental description of a geographical map of where it could be and then give a visual image of what it consisted of to describe that certain idea or object.
1. This article argues that the Luba create pieces of art in order to preserve the importance and remembrance of Luba history and memories. These visual representations show that memories are a work of art. The details in the recovered pieces are evidence for this.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is defined as a cultural construction that varies from one society to the next, which could be interpreted as your society influencing the way past events are remembered. The concept of Uchronia supports this because it is "structured world, nowhere on time." It supports the memory of a structured place in time, but history has limited it to a certain memory upheld by people whohave passed it down and were never there, and therefore doesn't have an exact place in time.
3. The term "empire" has become associated wit the Luba because of the colonial views that the Luba had a "super-tribalism" based on growing urbanization. The authors disagree with this because this a misunderstanding of the African economy through the eyes of European colonizers who assumed that power-central kingdoms must have existed for these people to have survived this long. The Luba can be described as a "circle of influence" that represented the large population rather than an empire based on economics and power.
4. A lukasa is a memory board where different beads, coded by size and color, are laid out on a specifically-shaped landscape, which provides a means of associating, names, events, and places in the past. The is probably a text/object relationship in the lukasas, because people would need to be able to read how the beads are coded and what their layout means in interpreting a memory.
5. A lieux de memorie can be seen in the lukasa as a place where places and events converge to make memories. Therefore, lukasas can serve as evidence for the lieux de memorie describing how Lubas understand their histories. The string of selected events creating a memory can be seen in the lukasa. The body can serve as a spirit container like pieces of art, and as more places and events create memories in a person's life, the art displayed on a person's body expands.
1) Their main argument is the Luba believe that memory has been a specific and highly and highly valued form of intellectual activity. The sources they use to support their argument are real-life artifacts and written words.
ReplyDelete2) Memory is defined by the authors as “a dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration, and outright invention that is often engendered, provoked, and promoted by visual images (pg. 23-24). The concept of Uchronia does fit into this model because history is a "problematic and incomplete reconstruction of what is no longer…a representation of the past" (pg. 26).
3) The Luba were associated with the term “empire” because they were being governed under similar circumstances. A term that would is more indicative would be Balubaises, meaning people that have been “Luba-ized.”
4) A lukasa is a hand-sized wooden object that is studded with beads and pins or covered with incised or raised ideograms. The lukasa is used for teaching neophytes sacred lore about culture heroes, clan migrations, and sacred rule. I believe there is a relationship in the text on the lukasa because the reader associates their memories with particular images and texts on the board.
5) Yes, there is evidence to support the concept. The Luba use items, such lukasas, to help them recall their memories. Their history is able to be adapted to the needs of the moment, so it fits with the concept of things being the key to memory. The memories are bound to the body and the rest of the mind, and much of the art that is done usually represents the body.
1. The main argument of this article is on the importance of memory in the making of history. The Luba consider memory to be a precious thing that should not be taken in a passive manner. In their eyes, “Memory is a dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration, and outright invention that is often engendered, provoked, and promoted by visual images”. To support this claim, the article discusses the connection of memory through the different aspects in which Luba Art is constructed, mythicized, methodized, and represented historically.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is considered by some to be the raw material of history and a universal function of the mind, or storage bank of data and knowledge. It is used as a methodological device to construct, transact, and negotiate data relevance and knowledge. The concept of Uchronia does not fit into this model because this thought process of Uchronia centers on the thought that memory works off “a structured world nowhere in time”, while the previous thought on memory connects time to memory.
3. The term “empire” became associated with the Luba kingdom through the perceptions that Belgian colonial powers had about the Luba past. European powers interpreted the myths of the origin of kingship literally, “thereby promoting the notion of a single dynastic line ruling a Luba “empire”. This is problematic to some authors because they suggest that ‘the Luba state was a far more flexible set of relationships extending in a wide range of influence rather than authority.” Another term that would be appropriate is polity because it connotes more of a community based structure of governing.
4. A lukasa is a “roughly hand-sized wooden object studded with beads and pins covered with incised or raised ideograms”. It is the most important record of Luba royal history because it provides multiple interpretations of past accounts of Luba landscape, royal court, human anatomy, and the accomplishments and prohibitions of sacred royalty. The codes of kingship are indicated by its colors and configurations indicate a relationship to text.
5. The evidence to support the concept of Lieux de memorie is valid in Luba culture through the use of lukasa, staffs, necklaces, objects, and relationships. All these things are connect to the body because some are shaped in the form of a body and while others bodily objects. This aspect places the body at the center of place and memory.
1. This article argues that the Luba place high value on memory for recalling their history. This is shown through the creation of art and physical objects in Luba culture to help maintain and recall memories.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is a subject of timely and far reaching import. Memory is not passive. Memory is a dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration and outright invention that is often promoted by visual images. History is produced in oral narratives and performances, therefore using memory as a methodological device helps to better understand the context of history. Uchronia is a structured world, nowhere in time. This contradicts the model of memory being a universal function of the mind where data and knowledge may be deposited.
3. The word empire was first used to describe the Luba empire in several histories formulated by Belgian administrators. An empire is defined by authors as a dynamic process through which attributes if one culture is emulated, adopted and adapted by people of another. But this is problematic because there is no evidence that Luba people were ever a empire. Instead authors think the work “imperial authority” would better describe the Luba.
4. A Lukasa is a rough hand sized wooden object studded with beads and pins or covered with incised or raised ideograms. A Lukasa is used to teach neophtes scared lore about culture heroes, migration and teach scared rule. A Lukas is the most important record of Luba royal history. I do believe that there is a text/object relationship in them. A Lukasa is left open to personal interpretation based on individual memories and past experinces.
5. Lieux de Memorie is seen in Luba culture as where places or concrete things come together to form memories. An example of this concept is a Lukasa. A Lukasa allows for personal memories to be recalled and remembered. Memories are bound to someone’s individual body and experiences.
1. The main argument of this article is about how visual art affect the formation, development, and remembrance of Luba kingdom through memory. They utilize the memory boards, royal staffs, divination instrument, and other mnemonic devices as resource to support their argument.
ReplyDelete2. “Memory is a cultural construction varying from one society to the next.”(173) the concept of "Uchronia" fits methodological device because it is a structured world which is ideal and nowhere in time. It is similar as memory that is a universal mind and storage bank.
3. "Empire" becomes associated with the Luba Kingdom when Luba enshrine the origins of sacred kingship in an epic after Belgian colonial authorities. It is problematic for the authors because there are numerous versions of long oral narrative have been transcribed referred to the genesis myth or royal charter. (171) there isn’t another term that might be more indicative for the role the Luba.
4. “Lukasa is a roughly hand-sized wooden object studded with beads and pins or covered with incised or raised ideograms.”(177) it is used to teach culture heroes, clan migrations, scared rule, and contact with earth spirits. It provides a framework for history while permitting multiple interpretations of the past like the memory board showed in picture 5.
5. Lieux de memorie places or concrete things bounded by secular history, and it can attract people to know about the memory of Uchronia. The memory board in page 173 is a great example to designate 5. Lieux de memorie. The body fit into the concept of place and memory because it provide a great example to show that memory is the main place for culture existing.
ReplyDelete1. The article is arguing that the primary movement among Luba peoples in remembering their history has been tying this “memory” to physical objects, art, and performances. To demonstrate this, the authors provide numerous illustrations of artwork and Luba performances.
2. Memory is socially constructed and varies in detail from one period to another. The article ues this definition as a way to view Luba history, by assessing individual works of art or performances as a representation of a specific period. As such, Uchronia does fit into this model, because “the past is represented and assigned value according to its purposes for group identity and political identity in the present.” (172) In other words, the concept of memory needs to be viewed as a historical construction that exists in the present.
3. The word “empire” first became associated with the Luba through misinterpretations by European observers, first with the Belgians Edmond Verhulpen. The term empire is problematic because it suggests a strong, centralized government when in reality, Luba society was based around a nucleus of commerce in the Upemba Depression that then extended outward from this loosely defined center.
4. A lukasa is a wooden “memory board” which has carved striations and is studded with beads. The Luba believe that it stores the history of a king in the same way that a tortoise shell evidences the life of the animal. (172)
5. The Lieux de memoire is a valid to describe the Luba understanding of history because it describes the association of memory to a spatial region or a specific location. A valid use of this term would be in the interpretation of a lukasa which, as a record of a kingship or of court life, is a physical medium for the interpretation of a spatial environment.
1. The major overlying theme is that the Luba really embraced memories and memoirs, by proxy, of their past experiences. They were able to keep these memories alive through the usage of sacred relics, performance, oral tradition, and many other forms of culture.
ReplyDelete2. Memory, in this article, is defined as a construction that has different meaning to each and every sect of people. The luba see the concept of memory not as a way to replicate the past but more of a way that people experience a phenomenon different. Each person had a particular reaction that is upheaved by the presence of an object that contains the memories of the past. In this case it is different than the way that americans perceive memory, because it follows the ideals more of a spiritual journey of the past.
3. The terminology of empire was brought about by the people of Belgium. This however truly implied that the people were ruled over by one power overwhelming the other powers. This didn't fit the Luba people because the luba believed that their society was more of a "heartland." This is opposed to the idea of one imperialist ruler over the society, it was more of a collaboration of peoples efforts combined together.
4. A Lukasa is the main way that people were able to keep this concept of memory alive. It was bound to a physical form of wood and beads, however, this item was able to bring different meanings to every person individually. Just like the concept of memory, the lukasa brought memories to life through the viewpoint of stranger and kin alike.
5. lieux de mémoire is a way that the people are able to reach an existential way that the Luba are able to find harmony within their physical world. They are able to take a personal view into the past histories of their ancestors to provide themselves with a meaning and purpose for their lives. The body however, only plays a role in this process by the fact that it is a way to experience these concepts of the past and by proxy, be able to produce a new set of memories for the next generation to experience through this phenomenon.
1) The argument made is that the Luba had a various number of physical artifacts used to remember to record history. One of the big objects they had were memory boards.
ReplyDelete2) Uchronia doesn't apply well in this model because it is difined as "nowhere in time" while this model connects both time and memory. Essentially, this article states the opposite of what Uchronia applies.
3)"Empire" became associated with the Luba kingdom due to the fact that society was ruled similar to those that were governed by one political leader. Polity would be the best way to describe the Luba kingdom because it seemed to be more based on a community or state government.
4) A lukasa is simply a memory board with beads and pins that symbolized the royal court, human anatomy, and the emblematic royal tortiose. It was said to be one of the most important record due to the fact that it left for individuals to interpret memories.
5)The Lukasa is a concrete item used to access memories, so yes there is evidence to support the Lieux de memorie as valid way to describe how the Luba understand their histories. Memory was a way to access historical events. With this being said, history is applicable to the concept of key to memory.
1. The main argument of this article states that memory kept the Luba Art and history alive. Memory is more than just thinking and pondering, it is a “dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration, and outright invention…” (p. 168). This article utilize the source of the Luba Art and the Making of History book as their evidence.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is defined as “a cultural construction varying from one society to the next.” (p.173) Memory is used as a methodological device through the texts, quotes, and object pictures. The concept of Uchronia, which is a structured world nowhere in time, does not fit the concept; it contradicts the memory concept. Uchronia contradicts the memory concept because memory is seen as a universal function of the mind. When you think back on something, you are going somewhere in time.
3. The word “empire” first became associated with the Luba Kingdom because some Belgian colonists believed that some kingdoms must have existed, even when evidence proved otherwise. The word “empire” first appeared in several histories by the Belgians. The word “empire” is problematic for the authors because they believe that the Luba state was far more complex and flexible dealing with a set of relationships, so dealing with other communities, not just one empire. Another term that might be indicative for the Luba would be nation. A nation consists of many different people, ethnicities, cities and cultures.
4. A lukasa is hand-sized wooden object studded with beads and pins or covered with incised or raised ideograms, which is one of the most important records of Luba royal history. The Lukasa works by determining Luba royalty. Colored beads identify culture heroes and the beads create a vocabulary for the heroes.
5. The Lieux de Memoire, which is a landmark around which past events structure present memory, is a valid way to describe how the Luba understand their histories. The evidence that proves this is when “ancient orators would remember their speeches by imagining buildings and assigned topics to the ‘rooms’ they would mentally ‘walk’ through as they delivered their talks.” (p.178) After viewing architecture that left people with powerful effects, people would “house” their memories. The Lieux de Memoire deals with thinking of the past to get retrieve memories, which is the foundation of the Luba Art and Memories.
1. The main argument is that recounting history is highly valued and viewed as an important form of intellectual activity through memories. Art has been the primary vehicle for making these memories and representing the history of the Luba people in their politics and kingships. They use the art itself, myths, and written word from the Luba people.
ReplyDelete2. Memory is defined as a dynamic social process of recuperation, reconfiguration, and invention of events, experiences, and interactions in history. The semantic structures of the Luba people allow for their creative construction of memories. Uchronia is “a structured world, nowhere in time.” It fits into this model, because their history is in memories. Memories are created, accumulated and stored throughout time, and don’t have a specific time stamp, because there are so many. Memory is active and always in the present
3. The term empire first appeared in Belgian histories. Edmond Verhulpen asserted that there were two Luba empires, the first-Nkongolo. There is no credible evidence to suggest that there was a central authority. Their art and contemporary oral testimonies indicate that there was no single dynastic line of kings or one single center.
4. Lukasa is a roughly hand-sized wooden object studded with beads and pins or covered with incised or raised ideograms. It is used to teach neophytes sacred lore about culture.