Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro
In this article, we explore the origins, properties, and ritual uses of a series of psychoactive substances among indigenous peoples of the Upper Rio Negro. Setting out from the mythical genesis of tobacco, coca, paricá, and caapi (ayahuasca), we examine the relationship between these substances and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Société des américanistes
2024-09-01
|
| Series: | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/22902 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832096243779633152 |
|---|---|
| author | Pedro Lolli Geraldo Andrello |
| author_facet | Pedro Lolli Geraldo Andrello |
| author_sort | Pedro Lolli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, we explore the origins, properties, and ritual uses of a series of psychoactive substances among indigenous peoples of the Upper Rio Negro. Setting out from the mythical genesis of tobacco, coca, paricá, and caapi (ayahuasca), we examine the relationship between these substances and diverse aspects of female bodies and their reproductive powers, suggesting that these psychoactives can be conceived as pharmaka in the classic sense of the term, acting both to increase a person’s vital force and/or to harm and kill. As we show, these effects relate to the practice of blown magical incantations, used to both cure and provoke diseases, a connection that allows us to explore indigenous notions of life force, speech, and breath as ways through which bodies affect each other. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7887cfbe49d349948e6cbf73b64dd46c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0037-9174 1957-7842 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Société des américanistes |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
| spelling | doaj-art-7887cfbe49d349948e6cbf73b64dd46c2025-02-05T15:55:01ZengSociété des américanistesJournal de la Société des Américanistes0037-91741957-78422024-09-011101659210.4000/12ki9Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio NegroPedro LolliGeraldo AndrelloIn this article, we explore the origins, properties, and ritual uses of a series of psychoactive substances among indigenous peoples of the Upper Rio Negro. Setting out from the mythical genesis of tobacco, coca, paricá, and caapi (ayahuasca), we examine the relationship between these substances and diverse aspects of female bodies and their reproductive powers, suggesting that these psychoactives can be conceived as pharmaka in the classic sense of the term, acting both to increase a person’s vital force and/or to harm and kill. As we show, these effects relate to the practice of blown magical incantations, used to both cure and provoke diseases, a connection that allows us to explore indigenous notions of life force, speech, and breath as ways through which bodies affect each other.https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/22902poisonTukanopsychoactivepharmakonsoul-foodYuhupdeh |
| spellingShingle | Pedro Lolli Geraldo Andrello Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro Journal de la Société des Américanistes poison Tukano psychoactive pharmakon soul-food Yuhupdeh |
| title | Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro |
| title_full | Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro |
| title_fullStr | Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro |
| title_short | Soul-foods as pharmaka: female bodies and poisons in the Upper Rio Negro |
| title_sort | soul foods as pharmaka female bodies and poisons in the upper rio negro |
| topic | poison Tukano psychoactive pharmakon soul-food Yuhupdeh |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/22902 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pedrololli soulfoodsaspharmakafemalebodiesandpoisonsintheupperrionegro AT geraldoandrello soulfoodsaspharmakafemalebodiesandpoisonsintheupperrionegro |