Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey
by Philip Lutgendorf
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Book Summary Information
Author: Philip LutgendorfEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-11
ISBN: 0195309227
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey
Book Review: Lutgendorf, Philip: Hanuman's Tale. The Messages of a Divine Monkey (review)
Summary: 5 Stars
LUTGENDORF, Philip: Hanuman's Tale. The Messages of a Divine Monkey. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 434 pp. ISBN 0-19-530922-7
...This long-awaited monograph by Philip Lutgendorf, a Professor of Hindi and Modern Indian Studies at the University of Iowa, is a result of more than a decade of focused research by one of the leading American scholars in the field. It capitalizes on a series of papers he published between 1994 and 2004, recasting them into a seamless body that has all the prerequisites to become `The Book' on Hanuman in English (although the author disclaims such adoration right from the beginning).
...Hanuman, a simian aide-de-camp to Rama, the main human hero of the epic Ramayana, has evolved into one of the most popular Hindu folk-deities. In the experience and practice of Indian people, particularly in the north, he is the most endearing character, a preeminent "deity-of-choice of the kali yuga". However, in spite of the fact that nowadays one can find in India far more shrines dedicated to him than to Rama, this Hanuman's rise to prominence is a relatively recent phenomenon.
....The "popular" nature of the Hanuman-cult spread largely by the word of mouth requires one to look far beyond the ancient authoritative text and elite practices. Lutgendorf examines Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography as well as popular mass culture, and complements this theoretical research by extensive fieldwork and interviews. He applies deconstructive and gender-conscious approach combined with critique of Orientalism to arrive at many a thought-provoking conclusion.
...The author's investigation is interwoven with a very fundamental question: Why would human beings adore a "lower" species? What does the divine monkey convey to devotees about the world, the gods, and about themselves? The answer is rather complex but Lutgendorf patiently deciphers Hanuman's messages one by one in eight chapters of his book.
...First, Hanuman's carreer is examined along with some of the theories regarding his origin and expanding popularity. The divine monkey first appeared in Valmiki's Ramayana in 2nd half of the 1st millennium B.C.E., however, the cult of his worshipping did not begin before 1000 C.E. After Moslim occupation of India, this cult was on the rise as a response to increasing self-awareness of Hindus. Vernacular Ramayanas that started appearing in India from 12th c. already express Hanuman's profound emotional attachment to Rama. This elevation of a simian - a creature placed in between animal and human realms - to a high spiritual status, is as a profoundly significant fact. The divine monkey thus arises as a servant of deity that preserves the order of the cosmos, but also as a self-assertive champion who inspires the less privileged.
...From 19th c. onwards, India saw acceleration of the Hanuman-cult propagation. (It is important to realize the meaning that Indians have traditionally ascribed to Word - words were seen as reified and eternal, and as such had the Power.) At the time Tulsidas, who is supposed to be the founding father of the worship, produced a retelling of the Rama-story in which Hanuman become the main hero and the narrative spotlight shifts from the more distant Rama to the more accessible monkey-hero.
...After surveying popular literature devoted to Hanuman, examining its genres and evolutionary trends, Lutgendorf proceeds to address the content of this literature. Chapters 4 and 5 represent an exciting attempt at constructing a Hanumayana, a divine biography of the monkey hero, and as such constitute the core of the book. The author presents to English-speaking readers a representative sample of the many stories about Hanuman that circulate in India, particularly those that were not included in the "canonical" Ramayana texts (e.g., Valmiki, Kamban, Tulsidas). He puts forth synopses of 40 representative tales that recur with only minor variations in multiple regional traditions or storytellers' repertoires.
...The very interesting last chapter revolves around the theme of `mediation'. The cult of Hanuman is seen as but one subspecies of the broader human preoccupation with simians that represent mediation, similarity, and difference. Lutgendorf interrogates here the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings, exemplifying the Other and thus permitting the articulation and demarcation of the Self. In the section about the famous Chinese monkey-king Sun Wukong the author looks for parallels between the Indian and Chinese literary and religious tradition, and subscribes to the theory of the Ramayana-influence on the 16th-century Chinese novel along the southern maritime route.
...As regards the style of this monograph, one could characterize it as `demanding but friendly' approach of an erudite author in a constant dialog with the reader. As an anonymous reviewer at Amazon.com pointed out, the author is "equipped with great humility and respect which is necessary for a Western scholar in order to probe into the core of Hanuman worship". As to Lutgendorf's linguistic competence, he relies mainly on his proficiency in Hindi and Sanskrit while duly pointing at areas that lie beyond his reach, quite in accord with the ancient Taoist saying: `To know what one does not know is the highest wisdom.' (After all, it is impossible for any scholar to cover linguistically the whole area of India with its many languages and regional dialects.) One little point to make in this respect is, however, the author's occasional `smuggling' of Hindi terms into the text that are not included in the Glossary, which makes it rather unintelligible for a reader not proficient in the language; also, it would be useful for a reader to have Hindi titles in Bibliography translated into English, not just transliterated.
...Finally, this comprehensive and well-researched work cannot be more warmly recommended not just as an excellent source of knowledge on Sri Hanuman to the students of Indian and South-East Asian religion and culture, but also to all inquisitive minds fascinated with the philosophical legacy of India.
Summary of Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey
Hanuman, the devoted monkey helper of Rama and Sita, has long been recognized as a popular character in India's ancient Ramayana epic. But more recently he has also become one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon - enshrined in majestic new temples, but equally present in poster art, advertising, and mass media. Drawing on Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography and modern TV serials, and extensive fieldwork and interviews, Philip Lutgendorf challenges the academic clich� of Hanuman as a "minor" or "folk" deity by exploring his complex and growing role in South Asian religion and culture. This wide-ranging study examines the historical evolution of Hanuman's worship, his close association with Shiva and goddesses, his invocation in tantric ritual, his physical immortality and enduring presence in sacred sites, and his appeal to devotees who include scholars, wrestlers, healers, politicians, and middle-class urbanites.Lutgendorf also offers a rich array of entertaining stories not previously available in English: an expanding epic cycle that he christens the "Hanumayana." Arguing that Hanuman's role as cosmic "middle man" is intimately linked to his embodiment in a charming and provocative simian form, Lutgendorf moves beyond the Indian subcontinent to interrogate the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings and as potent signifiers of both Self and Other.
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