Abstract
This article discusses mastery relations among the Mbya Guarani. It proposes a bridge between Guarani and Amazonian ethnology by approximating certain Mbya concepts to Amerindian perspectivism. Through an investigation of the dangerous possibility of “transforming into an animal” (-jepota), hunting and the familiarization of certain animals, the article reveals how the Mbya conception of the humanity of animals is a variant of perspectivism in which mastery relations play a structuring role. Shifting from the potential prey of evil earthly beings to the pets of the gods, the Mbya are able to reposition themselves as the objects of divine love and protection.
Key-words:
Mastery; Perspectivism; Mbya Guarani