Speaker: Megan Sinnott, Georgia State University
What is the cultural significance of tree spirits in the Thai spirit pantheon? What do cultural constructions of “wildness” and “civilization” tell us about the gendering of “nature?” This talk explores the connections between cultural constructions of the wild, untamed force of the forest (and “nature” more broadly) and feminine spirits.
Tree/nature spirits are a central theme in Thai horror films, and shrines to tree spirits, usually understood as feminine, appear throughout the country, in both urban and wilderness spaces. Using concepts from the environmental humanities and monster theory, Sinnott will discuss how Thai horror films produce gendered narratives about the wild.
Cosponsors: Department of Anthropology; Center for Visual Cultures and Performance Studies; Center for Culture, History, and Environment.