Rituals of Respect: The Secret of Survival in the High Peruvian Andes / Edition 1

by Inge Bolin

Overview

"In the remoteness of their mountain retreat, the herders of Chillihuani, Peru, recognize that respect for others is the central and most significant element of all thought and action," observes Inge Bolin. "Without respect, no society, no civilization, can flourish for long. Without respect, humanity is doomed and so is the earth, sustainer of all life."

In this beautifully written ethnography, Bolin describes the rituals of respect that maintain harmonious relations among people, the natural world, and the realm of the gods in an isolated Andean community of llama and alpaca herders that reaches up to 16,500 feet. Bolin was the first foreigner to visit Chillihuani, and she was permitted to participate in private family rituals, as well as public ceremonies. In turn, she allows the villagers to explain the meaning of their rituals in their own words.

From these first-hand experiences, Bolin offers an intimate portrait of an annual ritual cycle that dates back to Inca and pre-Inca times, including the ancient Pukllay; weddings; the Fiesta de Santiago, with its horse races on the top of the world; and Peru's Independence Day, when the Rituals of Respect for elders and young people alike are carried out within male and female hierarchies reminiscent of Inca times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780292708679
Publisher:	University of Texas Press
Publication date:	11/01/1998
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	311
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Inge Bolin is University College Professor in Anthropology at Malaspina University College in British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Bolin received the Circle of Courage Award for her contribution to the science and practice of positive youth development.

Read an Excerpt

In the remoteness of their mountain retreat, the herders of Chillihuani, Peru, recognize that respect for others is the central and most significant element of all thought and action," observes Inge Bolin. "Without respect, no society, no civilization, can flourish for long. Without respect, humanity is doomed and so is the earth, sustainer of all life."

In this beautifully written ethnography, Bolin describes the rituals of respect that maintain harmonious relations among people, the natural world, and the realm of the gods in an isolated Andean community of llama and alpace herders that reaches up to 16,500 feet. Bolin was the first foreigner to visit Chillihuani, and she was permitted to participate in private family rituals, as well as in public ceremonies. In turn, she allows the villagers to explain the meaning of their rituals in their own words.

From these first-hand experiences, Bolin offers an intimate portrait of an annual ritual cycle that dates back to Inca and pre-Inca times, including the ancient Pukllay; weddings; the Fiesta of Santiago, with its horse races on top of the world: and Peru's Independence Day, when the Rituals of Respect for elders and young people alike are carried out within male and female hierarchies reminiscent of Inca times.

From the Backcover

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Fieldwork
  • Central Ideas of the Book
• 1. Ascent to the Realm of the Apus
  • Walking an Ancient Trail
  • The Cave of the Ancestors
  • Chillihuani at Last
• 2. Suyay Ch'isin—a Night of Secret Rituals
  • Now We Will Begin!
  • Ruphasqa Haywa—an Offering to Burn
• 3. Thunder God and Sacrifice
  • Illapa, a Tripartite God
  • The Thunder God's Dual Forces
  • Qhaqya, Shamans, and Metaphor
  • Arpay—a Sacrifice to the Gods
  • Llamas and Alpacas between the Earth and the Sky
• 4. Fertility Rites in the Muyukancha
  • Uywa T'ikarishian—a Flourishing Herd
  • The Quest for Survival
• 5. Pukllay Martes—the Incas Invite
  • Ancient Tunes on Capillapampa
  • Taki Tusuy—Song and Dance
  • Yawar Mayu—Why Must the Blood Flow?
• 6. Survival Today and a Look into the Past
  • Tinkuy—Confirming the Rules of Life
  • Opposition or Solidarity? What Lies behind the Yawar Mayu?
• 7. Munanakuy—Falling in Love
  • The Dance of Love at Tusuna Q'asa Pata
  • Suwanakuy—a Nostalgic Tale
• 8. Rimanakuy—a Wedding Andean Style
  • Names and Kinship Rules
  • The Sharing of Tasks
  • Balance, Harmony, and Equality—Now and in the Past
• 9. Casarakuy
  • Symbolic Configurations and Ritual Transformation
  • Taking an Eternal Oath
  • A Pilgrimage of Joy and Peril
  • Hospitality on the Roof of the World
  • Secret Rituals in the Qolqa
  • Arpay and Surun Pakay—Sacrifice and Burial of the Enqaychu
  • The Third Day—a Closer Look at the Blackfaces
  • Yana Uyakuna and Ukukus—Andean Cosmology Comes to Life
• 10. La Fiesta de Santiago
  • The Day of the Horse—an Offering to the Thunder God
• 11. Qespisqa P'unchay—Independence Day in Tawantinsuyu
  • Celebrating Ancient Ways on July 28
  • A Timeless Balance—Gender Complementarity Now and in the Past
  • The Pre-Columbian Cross Comes Alive on Qespisqa P'unchay
• 12. Metaphors or Reality—Visions from the Past
  • About the Origins of Chillihuani
  • Hunger, Death, and Resurrection
  • Llaqtayoq Mach'aqway—Village of the Great Snake
• 13. Waqraqocha
  • Ascent to the Eyes of the Mountain
• 14. Tragedy and Triumph—Chillihuani Will Call Forever
• Notes
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index

What People are Saying About This

Johnny Payne

Bolin makes this story accessible to a more general reader, with an almost novelistic eye for detail, and without sacrificing scholarly depth.... Both experts and lay readers can be pleased with the result. Founder and Director, Summer Intensive Program in Andean Studies in Cusco. Northwestern University