The PoeTic Power of Place comparative perspectives on austronesian ideas of locality The PoeTic Power of Place comparative perspectives on austronesian ideas of locality edited by James J. fox a publication of the department of anthropology as part of the comparative austronesian project, research school of pacific studies the australian national university canberra ACT australia Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email:
[email protected] Web: http://epress.anu.edu.au Previously published in Australia by the Department of Anthropology in association Australian National University, Canberra 1997. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry The poetic power of place: comparative perspectives on Austronesian ideas of locality. Bibliography. Includes Indeex ISBN 0 7315 2841 7 (print) ISBN 1 920942 86 6 (online) 1. Place (Philosophy). 2. Sacredspace - Madagascar. 3. Sacred space - Indonesia. 4. Sacred space - Papua New Guinea. I. Fox, James J., 1940-. II. Australian National University. Dept. of Anthropology. III. Comparative Austronesian Project. 291.35 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Typesetting by Margaret Tyrie/Norma Chin, maps and drawings by Keith Mitchell/Kay Dancey Printed at National Capital Printing, Canberra © The several authors, each in respect of the paper presented, 1997 This edition © 2006 ANU E Press Inside Austronesian Houses Table of Contents Acknowledgements ix Chapter 1. Place and Landscape in Comparative Austronesian Perspective James J. Fox 1 Introduction 1 Current Interest in Place and Landscape 2 Distinguishing and Valorizing Austronesian Spaces 4 Situating Place in a Narrated Landscape 6 Topogeny: Social Knowledge in an Ordering of Places 8 Varieties, Forms and Functions of Topogeny 12 Ambiguities and Indeterminacy of Place 15 References 17 Chapter 2.