Les frontières de l’eau

Through the diversity of their approaches and of the societies studied, the papers presented in this seventh issue of the journal Frontière·s offer a broad picture that questions the research themes on the delimiting, divisive, and even restricting character of water. For both past and present communities, water represents a material or symbolic border in many aspects of their lives and environment. The territorial boundary is distinctly conceived and populations frequently use the striking elements of the landscape, notably watercourses, to mark the limits of their administrative and political holdings (C. Rhoné). Beyond the topographical boundary, access to water resources, water supply and disposal commonly reflect a social separation that highlights relations of control/mastery/regulation and power (H. Köpp-Junk; J.-B. Lebret). Finally, the spiritual, magico-religious, or even sacred dimension attached to water could mark a border between the profane and the sacred, and ensure a point of entry as well as a limit between the world of men and the divine world (M. Jaillet; E. Ndiaye).