Auteur du chapitre : Samuel Thévoz

Éditeur : Bloomsbury Publishing

In this chapter, I focus on the translation of Tibetan magic into European (scholarly, esotericist, popular) categories, based on Alexandra David-Neel’s trajectory and work. Widely acclaimed for her book Magic and Mystery in Tibet published in 1929, the author stands out as a unique and pioneering witness of magic in Tibet, as well as an instrumental translator of such practices and theories in her talks, papers and books. Her publications from 1925 onward have reached out to an international and significantly diverse audience/readership. Some of them are still bestsellers today and have remained a reference point in Tibetan studies, even though they have fueled many debates regarding their authoritative value. Some other have long been forgotten and may deserve closer scrutiny. In order to highlight David-Neel’s understanding of Tibetan magic and its pivotal role in her literary and scholarly agenda, I examine the aforementioned published material, ranging from travel narratives to fiction novels as well as specialized publications, against the backdrop of unpublished book projects, field notebooks and Tibetan sources held in her personal archive collection. While giving new insights into the “making of “Tibetan magic” and contextualizing David-Neel’s inception and conception of what she calls “Tibetan Secret Lore,” I analyze her remarkably systematic selection, exposition and use of magical features throughout her work. In doing so, I demonstrate how these publications can be read as a narratized catalog of Tibetan magic. From a more general standpoint, I reflect on the reception of Tibetan magic in European literature and scholarship: how was first-hand material selected and handled with? Which aspects were emphasized? What methodologies were at play? What were the epistemological effects and twists brought by David-Neel’s work onto scholars/intellectuals’ approaches to magic and Tibetan culture?

Mis à jour le 07/03/2024