Bokskiet, bokspring en bokjol : skuld- en vergifnisrituele in 30 nagte in Amsterdam (Etienne van Heerden)

Abstract

Skuld en vergifnis is verwikkelde konstrukte wat deur die eeue in verskillende religieuse, sosiologiese, psigologiese, wetlike en private ruimtes ontwikkel het en steeds ontwikkel. Hierdie konstrukte word gesien as deel van die menslike toestand. Verhale/fiksie is by uitstek geskik om skuld en vergifnis te vergestalt en die interpretasiemoontlikhede van die konstrukte te verbreed. Hierdie artikel lewer ’n ondersoekende blik op die rituele van skuld en vergifnis soos dit in 30 nagte in Amsterdam, ’n roman deur Etienne van Heerden (2008), vergestalt word. Ritueel word as mimetiese element gebruik om aspekte van skuld en vergifnis te beliggaam.

Guilt and forgiveness are complex constructs that have developed through the ages and in different religious, sociological, psychological, legal and private spheres. These constructs are considered part of the human condition (Arendt 1958:237) and are of intense concern to individuals and communities (Grisworld 2007:xiii). Academic literature offers a multitude of approaches and methodologies relating to the gamut of guilt and forgiveness from group to individual phenomena and allows for extensive and heated discourse on the definition, principles, constituents and application of aspects such as “the unforgivable”, conditional, unconditional and premature forgiveness.