Rituals of Respect: The Secret of Survival in the High Peruvian Andes

by Inge Bolin

Overview

In the remoteness of their mountain retreat, the herders of Chillihuani, Peru, recognize that respect for others is the central and most significant element of all thought and action, observes Inge Bolin. "Without respect, no society, no civilization, can flourish for long. Without respect, humanity is doomed and so is the earth, sustainer of all life." In this beautifully written ethnography, Bolin describes the rituals of respect that maintain harmonious relations among people, the natural world, and the realm of the gods in an isolated Andean community of llama and alpaca herders that reaches up to 16,500 feet. Bolin was the first foreigner to visit Chillihuani, and she was permitted to participate in private family rituals, as well as public ceremonies. In turn, she allows the villagers to explain the meaning of their rituals in their own words. From these first-hand experiences, Bolin offers an intimate portrait of an annual ritual cycle that dates back to Inca and pre-Inca times, including the ancient Pukllay; weddings; the Fiesta de Santiago, with its horse races on the top of the world; and Peru's Independence Day, when the Rituals of Respect for elders and young people alike are carried out within male and female hierarchies reminiscent of Inca times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780292791879
Publisher:	University of Texas Press
Publication date:	06/28/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	311
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Inge Bolin is University College Professor in Anthropology at Malaspina University College in British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Bolin received the Circle of Courage Award for her contribution to the science and practice of positive youth development.

Read an Excerpt

In the remoteness of their mountain retreat, the herders of Chillihuani, Peru, recognize that respect for others is the central and most significant element of all thought and action," observes Inge Bolin. "Without respect, no society, no civilization, can flourish for long. Without respect, humanity is doomed and so is the earth, sustainer of all life."

In this beautifully written ethnography, Bolin describes the rituals of respect that maintain harmonious relations among people, the natural world, and the realm of the gods in an isolated Andean community of llama and alpace herders that reaches up to 16,500 feet. Bolin was the first foreigner to visit Chillihuani, and she was permitted to participate in private family rituals, as well as in public ceremonies. In turn, she allows the villagers to explain the meaning of their rituals in their own words.

From these first-hand experiences, Bolin offers an intimate portrait of an annual ritual cycle that dates back to Inca and pre-Inca times, including the ancient Pukllay; weddings; the Fiesta of Santiago, with its horse races on top of the world: and Peru's Independence Day, when the Rituals of Respect for elders and young people alike are carried out within male and female hierarchies reminiscent of Inca times.

From the Backcover

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Fieldwork
Central Ideas of the Book
Chapter 1 - Ascent to the Realm of the Apus
Chapter 2 - Suyay Ch'isin - A Night of Secret Rituals
Chapter 3 - Thunder God and Sacrifice
Chapter 4 - Fertility Rites in the Muyukancha
Chapter 5 - Pukllay Martes - The Incas Invite
Chapter 6 - Survival Today and a Look into the Past
Chapter 7 - Munanakuy - Falling in Love
Chapter 8 - Rimanakuy - A Wedding Andean Style
Chapter 9 - Casarakuy
Chapter l0 - La Fiesta de Santiago
Chapter 11 - Qespisqa P'unchay - Independence Day in Tawantinsuyu
Chapter 12 - Metaphors or Reality - Visions from the Past
Chapter 13 - Waqraqocha
Chapter 14 - Tragedy and Triumph - Chillihuani will call Forever
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
1 map
5 figures
29 photos (b/w)

What People are Saying About This

Johnny Payne

Bolin makes this story accessible to a more general reader, with an almost novelistic eye for detail, and without sacrificing scholarly depth....Both experts and lay readers can be pleased with the result. (Johnny Payne, Founder and Director, Summer Intensive Program in Andean Studies in Cusco, Northwestern University)