Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center
Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center
the Moche shaman (Figures 54-62). Modern inhabj. tants 0.F the townnf Moche believe that when a c~rring shaman journeys to thcr!otherworld he w i l l be in conflict with the bad shaman or spiritresponsible for the illness.Caminn ~alderon in 1752 and Gillinin 1?47 both witness Moche +haman assistants pick up a ct?remonialbife 0f.f: the filesa de BruJo and flash it at invisible spiritstrying to disrupt the ritual (0illin 1Y47; 127-129). Modern Naicashamans have swords as part of their Nesa:? for the samepurpose(Hadingham 1987;174).The Wamani~, or spirits, theysummon are both feared and revered., They are gensrot.[s andde~trtrctj.ve (l-.lmcfirighc7m 19137; 240) . The Jivaro ~~1.1 ture o::ample anclthe 1527 island account already discussed both seem to ctmriecta.shamanic practices with severed heads. Possibly the mostconvincing hit of evidence that the Decapitator- scener, may bedc?picting shamans cnmes from the Nazca/Paracms art. 1.6, aspropozed earlisr and si.!pportcd by the worl.: of iladingham, theritandard inclivid~.tal depicrted on Paracas ~ecrnpol is te:.:ti leci c:a17be identified as a stlamarl, then ~~sversd heads is a majorc:ompnnent of F'aracas shamani. sm.Similar to the Ji varo shaman%,the acq!.iisiti on of sevc:rmd heat.]% m ay have boen essEnn'tia:l. to..gai.ning pc!wer- in the spirit:. world. :Tt seems e:jpeci;~ll.y pla~.[sit~:le2000 years. The Pl'loche Wi:?c;.~pitatnr scenes are purpnrsecl toi l:..c!z,kra%e trio same bt?l ief s.ILcmking once agaj.r? to Donnet? 'r,r:::c!r.ltr-a1 e::iamp.l e i mage (Fi g~..~rc 43) , the 1 ower registar incl~.[cle.j
scenes of prisoners in the process of losing their heads as wellas severed h~iman heads hanging from a kitty.+Gs a final point of ethnographic evidence from the Mochearea itself, in the June 1990 ~ational t so graphic a Moche shamanhis shnwn blowing wat'r-and perfume on a skul ;l .from a pre-hispanicruin.The article explains that he does so to release thespirits from the skull to protect those involved in theceremony (Long 1990j46).This incredible example demonstrateseven today in the Moche areii shamans use human heads as portalsthrough which spirits may enter our world, over 1000 years afterMoche artists painted the Decapitator on their ceremonialvessel s.Ih-ee.2%-umzxA recurrent character in Ploche art related to shamanism is ap~..~ppy. He is usually asrjnciated with men who wear the jaguarheaddress or Lhe Fanged Deity whom tk{ey imp&-sanate (figures 63-65). Figr..ir-e 56 is apparently an effigy vessel made to honor thepuppy,The puppy is also included in both examples of Donnan'sPresentation Ceremony included in this paper(Figures 40 and 49).. ..but decided it: was a punla nr jaguarnotes the puppy 's presence in bothth@ Pree~nta Lr-' ion theme c;lr~d the Burial theme but re+ars to them asdogs.In most depictions it is clearly a p~lppy and in one imageit is even shown chasing its tail (Figure 49).
- Page 1: &RH 395Spring 1994
- Page 7 and 8: that Elizabeth Nenson called the Fa
- Page 9 and 10: connected to shamanism and the call
- Page 12 and 13: individuals as the individ~~als on
- Page 15: At 10,200.Ft, the site of Chavin de
- Page 21: other indicators.Henson notes that
- Page 25 and 26: skeletal death figures(Henson 19723
- Page 27 and 28: depicted in association with shaman
- Page 29 and 30: that part of the coast.he sacrednes
- Page 31: caught in the head.Once trapped, th
- Page 35 and 36: 1947 -- Moche - A Pert-~vian Coasta
scenes of prisoners <strong>in</strong> the process of los<strong>in</strong>g their heads as wellas severed h~iman heads hang<strong>in</strong>g from a kitty.+Gs a f<strong>in</strong>al po<strong>in</strong>t of ethnographic evidence from the <strong>Moche</strong>area itself, <strong>in</strong> the June 1990 ~ational t so graphic a <strong>Moche</strong> shamanhis shnwn blow<strong>in</strong>g wat'r-<strong>and</strong> perfume on a skul ;l .from a pre-hispanicru<strong>in</strong>.The article expla<strong>in</strong>s that he does so to release thespirits from the skull to protect those <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> theceremony (Long 1990j46).This <strong>in</strong>credible example demonstrateseven today <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Moche</strong> areii shamans use human heads as portalsthrough which spirits may enter our world, over 1000 years after<strong>Moche</strong> artists pa<strong>in</strong>ted the Decapitator on their ceremonialvessel s.Ih-ee.2%-umzxA recurrent character <strong>in</strong> Ploche art related to shamanism is ap~..~ppy. He is usually asrjnciated with men who wear the jaguarheaddress or Lhe Fanged Deity whom tk{ey imp&-sanate (figures 63-65). Figr..ir-e 56 is apparently an effigy vessel made to honor thepuppy,The puppy is also <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> both examples of Donnan'sPresentation Ceremony <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> this paper(Figures 40 <strong>and</strong> 49).. ..but decided it: was a punla nr jaguarnotes the puppy 's presence <strong>in</strong> bothth@ Pree~nta Lr-' ion theme c;lr~d the Burial theme but re+ars to them asdogs.In most depictions it is clearly a p~lppy <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> one imageit is even shown chas<strong>in</strong>g its tail (Figure 49).
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