From rau to sacred plants: Transfigurations of shamanic agency among the Siona Indians of Colombia
Social Compass July 18, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/0037768617713654 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | The Siona Indians of Colombia |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key points | Argues that the polysemic Siona concept "rau" is central to shamanic agency and, like Melanesian mana, should be understood as a social phenomenon whose meaning has transfigured over time and space. Contends that, unlike the globalization of new mana, Siona shamanic agency has been substituted by representations of the ritual substance yajé as the key symbol of power and knowledge amid the ethnic identity movement and the neo-shamanic network. |
Abstract
Translations of the native notion of shamanic agency of the Siona Indians of Colombia is explored throughout different historical and social contexts. The polysemic concept rau is central to the shaman’s capacity for establishing relations of exchange and negotiation with humans and non-humans. As the embodiment of his power, it fits within a semantic field that conveys the waxing and waning of life cycles. Sharing a series of qualities with the Melanesian concept of mana, rau should be understood as a social phenomenon whose use and meaning has transfigured through time and space. However, unlike the globalization of new mana, the important notion of Siona shamanic agency has been substituted by representations of the ritual substance of yajé as key symbol for power and knowledge as Siona rituals have been revitalized in their dialogue with the ethnic identity movement and the neo-shamanic network that associates sacred plants with primordial knowledge and agency.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 4
- Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014
- The Revitalization of Yajé Shamanism among the Siona: Strategies of Survival in Historical Context Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2016
- ¿La visita a la casa de los tigres?: La contextualización en narrativas sobre experiencias extraordinarias Revista Colombiana de Antropología June 13, 2013
- Ayahuasca and human destiny. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2005