Page 14 - aruba-today-20190430

A14 LOCAL
Tuesday 30 april 2019

Circum-Caribbean Shamans and their substances

Episode XIV Each week we share the most interesting and revealing

Yopo or Cohoba and the Toad poison articles regarding Aruba, a destination to be explored,we
can find,and so doing uncover amazing and informative
stories along the way.

The practice of using Yopo or toad poison was always dangerous for those experi-
menting, and did not always help the participant achieve wisdom. Still, it was a very
important religious practice which has its roots in Caquetian spiritualism. It is believed
that the cult dedicated to nature spirits was practiced along with their mythological
believes. Given the heterogeneity of language and culture, it is impossible to char-
acterize a single indigenous “shamanism” or “shaman” for South American lowland
and Caribbean Amerindian groups. A great variety of shamanic specialists perform-
ing rituals and administer substances for beneficial purposes has been observed; an
equal number of individuals are recognized for their potential to send harm to others.
The acquisition of knowledge and practices vary considerably between groups. In
some, shamanic knowledge is acquired through dreams, without a formal appren-
ticeship, and all people share a bit of shamanic power. Others have formal appren-
ticeships with masters. In some cases the aggressor may be the same person who
heals. Among the Arawakans of the Rio Negro and Guyana regions, there is a plural-
ity of specialists who are classified by intention and by techniques. The poison owners
cause harm or healing by the use of plant knowledge. Anyone who knows the right Cane toad or Dori maco
chants can cause harm. There are a variety of healers, who are distinguished by their
secret knowledge and the substances and therapeutic techniques
quen ta dera” “Toad Mako of South America, Brazil
if I die who will burry my ca- and Paraguay. It reaches
Thus, indigenous terms for the anthropo- daver?” 60 feet high and approx. a
logical category of shamans are culturally foot of diameter in its trunk.
specific and the characteristics of these Ana denantera preregrina: Its leaves are 9 inches long
specialists are so varied, including the ac- angico-cohoba-vilca-yo- and each contains thou-
quisition of knowledge and techniques, po Botanical name of the sands of small leaves. The
that it is impossible to identify a universal plant which we refer to as buds measure one half
shamanic role in the face of this diversity. cohoba or yopo has been of an inch and their fruits,
Historically it has been the anthropologists dispersed all through the with the shape of a bali-
who identify certain figures as “shamans” Caribbean, Central and ña, about 8 inches, which
or pajés, or which doctors, as they are Southamerica greatly by when opened, release
called in the modern literature, and not by the hand of man. more or less ten seeds. The
the natives. The use of a single gloss is a sci- tree is In bloom from au-
entific interpretation of language and cul- It is a tree that grows in Es- tumn to spring, its fruits are
ture, it is impossible to characterize a single agricultural purposes, especially for yuc- pañola, Puerto Rico, Lesser the product of the flower-
indigenous “shamanism” or “shamanistic ca, corn beans and squashes. Antilles and northern part ing of the previous spring.q
teaching practices” for South American Aboriginal tribes of the Caribbean, Cen-
lowland groups. We must consider that a tral and South America, including the Ca-
great variety of shamanic specialists are quetioan groups of our islands, used to
performing rituals and administer sub- ground the seeds of a plant called *Ana
stances for beneficial purposes; an equal denantera preregrina together with other
number of individuals are recognized for herbs and also with snails or shells, whch
their potential to send harm to others. The they burn and then add the mixture into
acquisition of knowledge and practices a container for its elaboration through the
vary considerably between groups. Sha- sacred fire. In that way they obtained a
manism among the ancient Caquetios fine powder, essentially hallucinogenic,
was expressed mainly during the Cohoba that was inhaled or blown in the nose of
and the Maco ceremonies, when sha- the companion either as a remedy or for
mans and important men in the commu- spiritual trance, a hecura for the Yano-
nity inhaled psychoactive powders or the mamis of the Amazon region. A trance
liking of poisonous toads. Seated on a rock that facilitates the interpretation of mes-
or on a wooden stool, they first pushed a sages, trowing effective spells and the of-
spatula down their throats, purging the fering of blessings through open portals of
stomach and purifying it to receive the sa- eathly power.
cred hallucinogenic powders. The active component of these seeds is
similar to an “isolated” part of the poison-
The cohoba ritual aimed to help its prac- ous glands of the common cane toad also
titioners to contact the deities or spirits to known as Maco, Spc. Rhinella Marinus,
diagnose illnesses and predict the future. which the excreted substance of its poison
On the other hand it has been interpret- grands on it back is used as an entheogen
ed to empower to practitioner to transmit for it hallucinogenic quality. Despite all pre-
and as propitiatory to ceramic effigies and caution deadly overdoses still occures. In
Zemi`s that were buried in Cunuco`s that Aruba there is an ancient Shamanic chant
on their hand transmit fertility powers for which goes as follow “Dori maco si mi muri