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Contents List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgments ix Preface xix Note on the Texts xxxv Introduction 1 1. Choctaw Verbal Art 19 Storytelling 23 The Generic System of Choctaw Verbal Art 26 2. The Genre and Performance of Prophecy 31 Keying in to Performance 31 Types of Prophecy Based on Time 35 Types of Prophecy Based on Content 61 Validating Unful¤lled Prophecy 68 3. Interpreting Prophecy 71 Interpreting Prophecy with Prophecy 72 Interpreting Prophecy with the World 78 4. The Origin of Prophecy 111 Who Were the Prophets? 113 Who Are the Prophets? 126 Creation through Interpretation of Existing Prophecy 133 Creation through Interpretation of the World 139 5. The Future in Prophecy 156 Predictability and the Negotiation of Belief 157 Tractability and the Didactic Functions of Prophecy 159 Welcomability and a Content Analysis of Prophecy 171 The Focus of Identity 197 The Focus of Prophecy 205 Conclusion 208 Appendix: Summary of Prophecies 215 Notes 223 References Cited 243 Index 257 vi / Contents ...

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