NEBESKY-WOJKOWITZ, René Mario von. Velké Hoštice (Gross Hochschütz) Moravia 29.6.1923 — Vienna 9.7.1959. Czech Anthropologist and Tibetologist in Austria. Son of Gottlieb N. von W., an officer, and Emmy Lorenz. After school in Litoměřice (Leitmeritz) studied at Prague, Berlin and Vienna (Bleichsteiner) Tibetan, Mongolian and Central Asian ethnology. Ph.D. 1949 Vienna. In 1949-50 further studies in Italy (Tucci, Rock) and London. From August 1950 to 1953 fieldwork in Kalimpong on tutelary deities, now became acquainted with the Lepchas. In 1953 seven months cataloguing Tibetan manuscripts and xylographs in Leiden, 1954 again five months there studying Lepcha collections. From 1955 PD at Vienna. In 1956 visited Sikkim and Nepal, in 1958/59 again three months in Nepal, but contracted pneumonia and died after returning to Austria. Despite of economical problems he was able to achieve much and left a great number of unfinished material. Married 1958 Christine Bauer.
Publications: Diss. Schriftwesen, Papierherstellung und Buchdruck bei den Tibetern. Manuscript of 109 p. Vienna 1949.
– “Die tibetische Bön-Religion”, Archiv für Völkerkunde 2, 1947, 26-68; “Das tibetische Staatsorakel“, ibid. 3, 1948, 136-155; “Ein Beitrag zur tibetischen Ikonographie: mGon po phyag drug und seine Begleiter,” Ibid. 5, 1950, 138-158; “Tibetan Drum Divination, ‘Ngamo’”, Ethnos 17, 1952, 149-157; “Prehistoric Beads from Tibet”, Man 52, 1952, 131f.
– With G. Gorer: “The Use of the Thread-Crosses in Lepcha Lamaist Ceremonies”, Eastern Anthropologist 4, Lucknow 1950-51, 65-87.
– “Hochzeitsleider der Lepchas”, As.St./Ét.as.6, 1952, 30-40; “Ancient Funeral Ceremonies of the Lepchas”, Eastern Anthropologist 5, Lucknow 1952, 27-40; “Die Legende vom Turmbau der Lepcha”, Anthropos 48, 1953, 889-897; “Hunting and Fishing among the Lepchas”, Ethnos 18, 1953, 21-30.
– Oracles and Demons of Tibet. The cult and iconography of the Tibetan Protective Deities. 15+666 p. 20 pl. ’s-Gravenhage 1956 (transl. of German hab.diss., manuscript, Vienna 1955).
– Wo Berge Götter sind. Drei Jahre bei unerforschten Völkern des Himalaya. 267 p. ill. St. 1955, repr. with introd. by P. Kværne. Graz 1975, English transl. Where Gods are Mountains. N.Y. 1956, Dutch 1956, French 1957.
– “Tibetan Blockprints and Manuscripts in Possession of the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna”, Archiv für Völkerkunde 13, 1958, 174-209.
– ed. by C. von Fürer-Haimendorf: Tibetan Religious Dances: Tibetan Text and Annotated Translation of the ’chams yig. 319 p. 10 pl. the Hague & Paris 1976.
– A few further articles and reviews.
Sources: Bihl 172; J. W. de Jong, IIJ 3, 1959, 306-309; Kdo byl kdo – čeští a slovenští orientalisté; briefly D.B.E. 11, 2000; Stache-Rosen 1990, 245f. with poor photo; Wikipedia.
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