Shamanism, narratives and the structuring of illness

Langdon, E. Jean Matteson

doi:10.1590/S0104-71831997000200010

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Brasil

Horizontes Antropológicos

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Brasil

Español English

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Artigos • Horiz. antropol. 3 (6) • Oct 1997 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-71831997000200010 copy

Shamanism, narratives and the structuring of illness

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract:

This work examines how the narrative tradition of the Siona Indians regiments the illness experience into a structure of relevance and consequentiality as well as how it provides a model for the generation of persona/narratives. A text that can be considered a prototypical model of an illness narrative is examined. This narrative, as others of its kind, furnishes a model for interpretation and action in ongoing illness situations that defy routine and commonly known therapies. This is done in two ways. One is through narrative structure that establishes a set of certain questions and expectations as to the consequentiality of events: how they evolve, the nature of motives behind misfortunes, and strategies for resolution. The second is through provision of codes or signs that aid in the interpretation of hidden events. In this sense, the illness narratives are not predictive, but indicate what is relevant for interpreting illness and organizing a plan of action.

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia Social - IFCH-UFRGS UFRGS - Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500 - Prédio 43321, sala 205-B, 91509-900 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil, Telefone (51) 3308-7165, Fax: +55 51 3308-6638 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil
E-mail: horizontes@ufrgs.br

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bâî wa’nâ ganireya.		Siona hunters were walking.
	‘ai ganireya,		Far they walked,
	‘airu ganiko’a.		the forest walkers

ganihìni,		As they walked,
	bagï ‘âya pïkï hâ’âruna yo ‘îkobana hïhogïya.		Anaconda, at that place on the Wepi, at the canoe’s stem waited.

hïhogïna, ba wa’nâ dateya.		As he waited those ones came.
	bagïre ‘ïyama’ihì dani, bïareya.		Not seeing him as they came they sat down.

bïarena, hâ’âsíkï bagï kerï dïogïya.		They sat down; Anaconda just like that swallowed.

dïôgï, ba’teya.		He swallowed, time passed.
	ba’ihìna, bako’a bââ wa’nâ hïhoreya.		Time passed, their people downstream waited.

	hïhotoka ‘airu saisiko’a gare dama’teya.		Although they waited, those gone to the forest never returned.

dama’ihìna, se’e sani ‘ïyatoka yogu se’ga wawagïya.		They never returned, others went and saw that the canoe by itself was floating.

wawagïna, ‘ïyani, huoni, sateya.		It was floating, and seeing it, they secured it and left

bako’are kuehì sateya.		Searching for them they went.

satena, hâ’ârïbi bako’a go’teya.		They went, then, they returned.

goïko’ata’â bako’a yo ‘îko ‘îkobate gare ‘ïyama’iteya.		But upon returning, the canoe’s tail, the stern, they saw not at all.

‘ïyama’ihìni, dani bïareya.		And not seeing they came and sat down.

bïarena, hâ’ârïbi wïani beoru ñâkoni ba wa’nâre diôogïya.		They sat, then, Anaconda rose and knocking them all over, he swallowed.

dïôni, hâ’ârïbi ba’ihìna,		He swallowed, then, time passed,
	“ba bâî saisiko’a gare daima’iye bareya” kareya.		“None of the searchers has returned” the people said.

kahìna, bagï ‘ûkugï ba’kïya.		They said, and Shaman was there.

bagïni,		He was there,
	“yahe kwa’kuhï’ì, ‘ukuni, ‘ïyayu ke’aka bako’a wesïyine” kagïya.		“Cook yagé. I will drink and see why they are lost,” he said.

kagïna, bako’a yahe kwa’kureya.		He said, they cooked yagé.

‘ûkuni, ‘ïyagïya.		He drank, he saw.

‘ïyatoka ‘âya pïkïbi bâî wa’nâre dïösi ba’kïya.		When he saw, Anaconda had swallowed the people!

i ba’igïna, “hâ’âka ba’ito de’ohi; ba ‘âya pïkï se’ga dïôgï yï’ï bâî wa’nâre” kagï ro’tagïya.		And he had, “Alright, that is the way it is. Anaconda without motive swallowed my people” Shaman said to himself.

kani bagï ‘airuna sa’kïya.			He spoke and went to the forest.

i sani, tî’âni ba sa’ro tî’âni ‘ïyato yo ba’kïya.			And he went and arrived at that port, arriving he saw that the canoe was there.

ba’igïna, hâ’ârïbi, piru ha’o tïagïya.			It was, then, he cut a spiney chuchana leaf

tïani, hâ’âruna tâ’tagïya.			He cut and at that place he constructed.
	gâba tâ’tagïya.			A shield he constructed.

tâ’tani hâ’ârïbi ho’kani bagï ‘airu sakïya.			He constructed and, then, left and went to the forest.

sani, go’kïya.			He went and returned.

goïgïni, ‘ïyagïna, ‘âya pïkï ya’asikïbi wawagïya.			Upon returning he saw; Anaconda, mouth yawning wide, floated.

wawagïna, ‘ïyagïya			He floated and Shaman saw.
	“de’ohi, yureta’a yï’ï dau yo’ozaniyï” ro’tagïya.			“Good, right now my dau I will work” he thought.

kani bagï dau ka’ïni, dau’ïni,			He said, and twining his dau, he formed it,
	bagï ‘âya pïkï daure bagïya			Anaconda’s dau he possessed,
		bagïga			that Shaman.

ba’igïbi, hâ’â ka’ïni dau’ïni ‘âya pïkï yi’obona sêhôni ‘ayagïya.			He did, he twisted and formed that dau and to Anaconda’s mouth he aimed.

sêhôni, ‘ayagïna, hâ’âriBI ‘âya pïkï gwina’ru bagï daure dau’gïya.			He aimed and landed it inside, then! Anaconda likewise his dau formed.

dauni bagï tâ’âbana hâ’âruna			He formed, and in Shaman’s shield, that place,
	we dakïya,			it became entangled,
	ba dau			that dau.

wê dakïna, hâ’âribi bagï beoru ‘âya pïkï dause’e dau chiagïya.			It became entangled, then, Shaman gathered all the dau made by Anaconda.

chiani hâ’âribi te’e garabïna sî’sogïya.			He gathered, then, into one bundle he whittled.

sî’soni hâ’âribi bagï yakawïna sêhôni ‘ayagïya.			He whittled, then, into Anaconda’s insides he sent.

sêhôni, ‘ayagïna, hâ’âribi			He sent it inside, and then,
ba ‘achogïya.			it sounded
	*“tuuuuuuh”*			*“Tuuuuuuh”*
	‘achogïya.			it sounded

‘achogïna,			When sounding,
	“de’ohi” ro’tagïya.			“Good” Shaman thought.

kani, ‘âya pïkï’ga hâ’âribi kagïya,			He spoke, Anaconda then spoke,
bagï kokabi.			in his language.
	“mï’ï yï’ïre do yo’ogïni, yï’ïre dau yo’owï mï’ï			“You worked against me for no reason, to me you worked evil”
	kagïya.			he said.

kagïna, ‘achagïya			He said, and the other listened.
	bagï.			Shaman

‘achani, hâ’âribi, ba’igï ‘âya pïkï ziaya sa’nawïrebana bïa megï,			He listened, then, Anaconda sank into the depths of the river and remained,
	*“TUUUUUUNHH”*			*“TUUUUUUNHH”*
	‘achoyerureba bïa mekïya.			with a loud noise he sank to the bottom.

bia mekïna gare hâ’âiribi bagï go’kïya.		He sank to the bottom, then Shaman returned.

goïni, kïagïya bâî		He returned and informed his people
	yï’ï hâ’âka ‘âya pïkïre dau		“I thus worked evil to Anaconda,
	yo’owï bagïbi hû’î hû’îhagï’ kagïya.		he, a dead person will be” he said.

“bâî wa’nâre diôsikï ba’i (bâî) mehagïbi” kagïya.		“The one who swallowed the people will descend downstream” he said.

kani, gahese’ga ‘umuguseyâ hïhoreya.		He said and four days they waited.

gahe cîko diabi bagï’gare wawa mïkïya,		On the fifth day Anaconda entirely emerged floating.

wawa mïni We’ebi sâsana he’eye tïkabï wawagïya bagï.		He emerged floating, in front of the mouth of Wepi he floated.

wawani, hâ’âribi pû’cagï ba’kïya.		he floated, thus a rotten being he was.