L’expérience de l’hybride. Cultures céréalières et croisements spirituels

Abstract

Starting from a historical reflection on the concept of hybridization, and in particular on its circulation between natural and social sciences, this contribution attempts to identify some of the processes by which cereal rituals are reformulated when the relevance of associated representations and practices is eroded. Among other examples, it mobilizes the case of millet rituals in Taiwan, modified by the introduction of rice cultivation and then by Christianization. The last section revisits the concepts and approaches used in the field so as to better balance theoretical rigor and imagination in the study of the transformations that continue to affect the meaning given to cultivation and food practices.