The aim of this article is to advance our knowledge of past shamanic practices in northwestern South America through an analysis of colonial-era criminal cases of people accused of using “superstitious” healing practices. A reading of three cases from late eighteenth-century Ecuador (the colonial Audiencia of Quito) reveals details of the techniques that these healers were using. Shamans...
AbstractThe “plant turn” in anthropology, while controversial, has led to a renewed focus on how humans relate to different species of plants. In this article, I aim to contribute to our knowledge of human‐plant relationships by analyzing how historical actors used sacred plants in past ritual settings. I study criminal and civil cases involving shamans in late colonial Ecuador, with a focus on...