1920 – 2007
Viviana Easter was born in 1920 in Genoa. In Paris she prepared a degree in literature, but the meeting she made with Marcel Griaule decided her vocation. She undertook anthropology studies at the Sorbonne and completed two years of research internships under the supervision of Leroi-Gourhan. She went on a mission to Mali and entered the C.N.R.S. in 1935, under the patronage of Griaule and the sponsorship of Lévi- Strauss. She pursued research throughout West Africa as far as Chad, then with the brotherhoods of black slaves in North Africa.
Examination of the facts led him to believe that there is no such thing as a black spiritual world. (and / or animist) in opposition to a white spiritual world (and / or muslim) but rather a single common form of thoughts dictating to all the same methods to interpret the Cosmos, understand the inner reality and determine the rules of behavior.
In 1969, to fight the skepticism of his colleagues - "As long as people haven't seen him, it doesn't exist "she said – she had two films made by Jacques Willemont : Moussem and Derdeba.
In 1971, to fully pursue his work, she built a house in Tamesloht, village where the most important Moussem for the Gnawa is held each year.
Feeling the need to develop the research method taught by Marcel Griaule, she accepted a professorship at the University of Strasbourg where she headed the Institute of Ethnology of 1968 at 1983, while continuing his research on the Gnawa. She is the author of the book “The religion of slaves”.
Bibliography:
-” Les Bambara, P.U.F. Paris, 1954
– ” The cosmic tree in popular thought and in the daily life of North West Africa, Institute of Ethnology, Paris, 1964″
– ” The occult sciences according to 16th century Italian literary documents, Institute of Ethnology, Paris, 1971″.
-” The peoples of Africa, Borders, Paris, 1974″.
-” The fisher king and the hunter king, University of Strasbourg, 1977″.
-” The religion of slaves, Moretti and Vitali, Bergamo, 1991.
participation in collective works:
– ” The other and the elsewhere, Berger-Levrault, Paris 1976.
– ” Believers outside borders, Buchet-Castel, Paris, 1975.
– ” Myths and beliefs around the world, LidisBrepols, 1985″.
– ” Trance, shamanism and possession, Tight, Paris, 1986″.
– ” Ethnological, Hermann, Paris, 1987″.
– ” History of manners, Encyclopedia of the Pleiade, Gallimard, Paris, 1991 “.