著者

佐原 みどり

出版者

名古屋大学大学院国際開発研究科

雑誌

国際開発研究フォ-ラム (ISSN:13413732)

巻号頁・発行日

no.28, pp.165-179, 2005-03

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Talking about death by way of metaphor is something inevitable in all societies for its incomprehensible nature. But in some cultures, the theme of death is emphasized more than others. Mexican popular culture of death doubtlessly belongs to this category, and has enormous variations of metaphors, phrases, and proverbs related to death. Mexican language of death has been developed through the 20th century, which experienced the Mexican revolution and the rise of nationalism in which the indigenous culture obtained new values. Through the rapid social changes in the 20th century, the metaphors of death have been newly produced and their implications in those words have changed depending on the social situation. In this article I will focus on the Mexican expressions of "to die" and by categorizing them I will try to see the connections between Mexican national identity, social problems, historical consciousness and the way they perceive death. Other than language aspect, I will also discuss self-other relationship in the way they celebrate "the days of dead", Mexican national festival in Mexico City.