The Book of Black Hearts: Readdressing the Meaning and Relevance of Supernatural Materials

This paper considers some of the meanings and the relevance of a group of supernatural stories from Labrador which concern a Book of Black Hearts, a mistress of the game, food shortages, and land guardianship. A comparison of these Labradorian Settler texts to related Native texts and an examination of the stories in light of their past and present social contexts provide the basts for my consideration of their central meanings and lessons and their more or less marginal role in modern, local social-political discourse and debate.

Cet article étudie la signification d’un cycle de récits labradoriens concernant le <Book of Black Hearts>. Une comparaison des textes provenant des immigrants européens et autochtones et l’analyse diachronique et synchronique de ces récits fournissent la base de ma considération de leur importance dans des débats locaux sociopolitiques.