article
Shamanistic symptoms or symbols?: a case of indetermination (the body of the Guajiro shaman)
Anthropos • 82 • Published In 1987 • Pages: 567-580
By: Perrin, Michel.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The way the Guajiro or their shamans describe the signs of a shamanistic calling and function suggests to a Western observer that these signs are symptoms of mental disorders, more precisely of hysteria. In Guajiro thinking, however, these signs, which leave imprints on the shaman's physical constitution, are true symbols. Their designation and their underlying meaning attest to a specific representation in which the future shamans are persons singled out by 'the other world' - that hidden and powerful other face of this world - with which they have to communicate at will. Any Guajiro, normal or abnormal, who wants to become a shaman, has to fit in this cultural model suggesting hysteria. Logically then it is impossible to settle the much-debated question of whether or not the shaman is normal. Moreover, the Guajiro have their own descriptions of what an abnormal shaman is. And, furthermore, the anthropologist can pinpoint marginal uses of a 'bent for shamanism' to try to resolve psychological problems (p. 579).
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Shamans and psychotherapists
- Magical and mental therapy
- Theory of disease
- Spirits and gods
- Theory of disease
- Sexuality
- Recreational and non-therapeutic drugs
- Personality disorders
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Goajiro
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2012
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- South America
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Northwestern South America
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- John Beierle; 2011
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1969-1985
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1969-1985
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Venezuela and Columbia, South America
- NotesAdditional notes
- Michel Perrin
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 579-580)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 07021775
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Goajiro Indians