New Books in Anthropology Audun Kjus et al., "Adventures in the Play-Ritual Continuum" (Utah State UP, 2024)
Feb 21, 2025
Audun Kjus, a folklorist and cultural historian from the Norse Volksmuseum, dives into the intriguing intersections of play and ritual. He discusses how playful experiences influence serious rituals like marriage proposals and community gatherings. Highlighting the emotional depth of seemingly trivial moments, Kjus explores the cultural significance of practices like ash scatterings and fandom celebrations. He also emphasizes the role of playfulness in museums, encouraging innovative approaches to cultural exhibitions that resonate with audiences.
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Modern Marriage Proposals
- Audun Kjus discusses how younger generations view the traditional marriage proposal as down on one knee with a ring.
- However, this is a recent phenomenon, differing from older proposal customs.
The Non-Traditional Traditional Proposal
- The traditional marriage proposal is a modern resurgence of a non-existent past, influenced by literary and cinematic clichés.
- Older proposals were often more playful and less formal.
Rural Proposals
- Older rural proposals involved formalized interactions between young men and women, often with playful dialogues and make-believe.
- However, the formal proposal itself was a serious matter conducted through a middleman.