This article aims to understand rituals for beachseine fishing among
the Tamil Hindu fishermen of Sri Lanka. In 1925 Malinowski presented
a famous thesis on the causal relationships between magic and anxiety.
He observed that in the case of lagoon fishing rituals and magical beliefs
little developed, while off-shore fishing was surrounded by various kinds
of magical practices. He attributed the difference to the fact that the
former used poison for catching fish, therefore its catch was certain, and
there was no physical danger. On the other hand, off-shore fishing was
full of danger and uncertainty. You may catch no fish, after a long and
hard trip. In addition, the weather in the open sea is sometimes rough.
In a word anxiety creates magic: it is performed to alleviate anxiety.
Since then, analyses of the fishing rituals and taboos at sea have
been conducted in order to prove Malinowski's thesis. Some argue, like
A. R. Radcliffe=l3rown, the rituals may strengthen the social ties among
the crew aboard. Furthermore, the symbolic dimension of the sea has
been pointed out, and some taboos have been interpreted from this point
of view.
This article tries to analyse fishing rituals in terms of the politicoeconomic
conflicts between beachseine owners and their labourers. A
good-natured, pious labourer is often employed as "a priest" in the
rituals. He is considered as an ideal labourer. Ideal for the net-owners,
who often suffer from heavy loss, caused by the severe shortage of
labour force. The tight control over the labourers is therefore essential
for the success in beachseine fishing. In these beachseine rituals the
labourers are always subordinated to their patrons, that is, the netowners.
The labourers chant hymns while working on the beach. It is said
that village goddesses are usually living in the sea. The sea is the realm
of goddesses, and charged with sacred power. This partly explains why
men need rituals and avoid pollution, when going for fishing.
Therefore, the labourers directly face the sacred space, while working.
Their relationships with the goddesses are direct, and are temporarily
creating a kind of "communitas" of the devotees. Here, they are not
ritually subjugated to anybody, unlike the case where they play a role of
priest, for the net-owners' sake.
漁業儀礼考 : スリランカ・タミル漁村における地曳網漁をめぐって
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