ABSTRACT
The debate centered on how islanders interpreted and represented dynamite: as a well-worn Kalymnian custom with considerable historical significance, or as a "folly," a barbarous practice by a group of irrational fellow islanders. A key feature of discussions about the present-day practice of dynamite throwing is the debate over whether it is indeed a custom. Dynamite throwing provides a "trope" in the Comaroffs' sense, by which Kalymnians discuss and debate their identity in a changing world. Dynamite is closely connected to the Kalymnian orientation towards the sea and sponge-diving. Kalymnians have long practised dynamite fishing, in which a bomb is exploded in the water, killing ail the fish in the area, which the fisherman can then collect at his leisure when they float to the surface. Recreational dynamite throwing is a different matter, Kalymnian skies are punctuated by occasional bursts of dynamite throughout the year.
