Reproduction and aggression: shamanic practices among Quichuas from Ecuador (Imbabura and Chimborazo Provinces)
Anna Przytomska
Etnografia. Praktyki, Teorie, Doświadczenia 2017 DOI: 10.4467/254395379ept.17.009.9245 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Quichua people from the Ecuadorian Andes (Imbabura and Chimborazo provinces) |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Aggression Reproduction Ecology Developmental psychology |
| Key points | Argues that Quichua shamanism in Ecuador has two complementary faces: social reproduction or construction (healing and maintaining the fertility of nature and people) and aggression (witchcraft). The author contends that these elements are central to shamanic practice and to the continuity of Quichua life and culture. |
Abstract
Reproduction and aggression: shamanic practices among Quichuas from Ecuador (Imbabura and Chimborazo Provinces) 1 Reproduction and aggression: shamanic practices… El agua no es más fuerte que yo, porque yo soy el agua.La tierra no es más grande que yo, porque yo soy la tierra.El fuego no es más fuerte que yo, porque yo soy la luz.El aire no es más grande que yo, porque yo soy el aire.Yachak from Chimborazo (Ecuador), September 2012 This paper describes the contemporary shamanism among Quichua from the Ecuadorian Andes (Imbabura and Chimborazo provinces in the Sierra region), shaman's roles and his status in local indigenous communities.Basing on the Quichua worldview, I show what the key elements of shamanic practices are and what is its importance to the continuity of Quichua life and culture.The thesis of this text is that shamanism has two complementary faces.The Quechua shamanism in Ecuador is based on social reproduction or construction (healing, maintaining the fertility of nature and people) and aggression at the same time (witchcraft).
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |