Predation

Predation
   A significant theme of many Amazonian cultures is that there are basically two kinds of beings—predators and prey— each of which is divided into three major groups: spirits, people, and animals. However, all living beings (and in these animist cultures that might mean all beings) see themselves as humans. Thus, a spirit (as seen from a human perspective) might see itself as a human preying on animals, while an animal (again as seen from a human perspective) might see itself as a human preyed on by spirits; people (from a human perspective) see themselves as humans preyed on by spirits and predatory animals. A shaman’s job therefore includes achieving the perspective of others—“seeing as they see”—and making use of the resulting knowledge to achieve particular goals. Similar cosmological, social, and relational understandings (of importance for resource management and mediation) are discussed in relation to Siberian peoples by Roberte Hamayon and Ioan Lewis.

Historical dictionary of shamanism. . 2007.

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  • PRÉDATION — La prédation, activité qu’il ne faut pas confondre avec l’agression, met en jeu des comportements très complexes et très différents suivant les espèces. Elle pose de graves problèmes aussi bien à l’éthologie qu’à la science de l’évolution. Les… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Predation — Pre*da tion, n. [L. praedatio, fr. praedari to plunder.] The act of pillaging. E. Hall. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • predation — (n.) late 15c., act of plundering or pillaging, from L. praedationem (nom. praedatio) a plundering, act of taking booty, from praedari to rob, to plunder, from praeda plunder, booty, prey (see PREY (Cf. prey)). Zoological sense recorded from 1932 …   Etymology dictionary

  • predation — [prē dā′shən, pridā′shən] n. [L praedatio < praedatus, pp. of praedari, to plunder < praeda, PREY] 1. the act of plundering or preying 2. the method of existence of predatory animals …   English World dictionary

  • Predation — For alternative meanings of predator and prey, see Predator (disambiguation) and Prey (disambiguation). Predating can also mean dating earlier than : see wiktionary:predate. Indian Python swallowing a small Chital deer at Mudumalai National Park …   Wikipedia

  • Prédation — Prédateur Pour les articles homonymes, voir Prédateur (homonymie). Les grands prédateurs carnivores jouent un rôle …   Wikipédia en Français

  • predation — /pri day sheuhn/, n. 1. depredation; plundering. 2. act of plundering or robbing. 3. predatory behavior. 4. a relation between animals in which one organism captures and feeds on others. [1425 75; late ME < L praedation (s. of praedatio) a taking …   Universalium

  • Predation — Der nordamerikanische Rotschwanzbussard (Buteo jamaicensis) ernährt sich von Kleinsäugern, hier von einer Kalifornischen Feldmaus (Microtus californicus). Als Prädator (engl. predator „Räuber“) wird in der Ökologie ein Organismus bezeichnet, der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Predation (finance) — Predation is a controversial practise in finance where an institution or organization may initiate or act as a catalyst for the collapse of another institution or organization in the hopes of purchasing that organization at reduced cost.… …   Wikipedia

  • Prédation intraguilde — La prédation intraguilde est un type d interaction biologique à mi chemin entre la compétition ( ) et la prédation (+ ) dans lequel une espèce tue ou dévore une autre espèce qui consomme des ressources similaires aux siennes et souvent limitées.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • predation pressure — noun : the effects of predation on a natural community especially with respect to the survival of species preyed upon * * * Ecol. the effect of predation upon a population, resulting in the decrease in size of that population. [1940 45] * * *… …   Useful english dictionary

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