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Contribution to Andean folklore

Journal de la Société des Américanistes26Published In 1934 • Pages: 67-102 [HRAF translation ms.: 46 ]

By: Métraux, Alfred, Reynolds, Priscilla.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This monograph is on religious practices and beliefs of the Aymara in the province of Carangas, Bolivia. After four centuries of European-Indian contacts the Aymara showed Christian influence, but, according to Métraux, still retained many native religious elements. Métraux took notes in various places in Aymara territory and there may also be data on the Quechua. Data are presented on the following subjects; practices and beliefs relating to the Thunderbolt, demons and spirits, the soul and ghosts, practices related to the ancestors, the SAMIRI or sacred objects and places, magico-religious practices which accompany birth and the first haircut of the child, funeral customs, rites observed during the building of the house, 'pagan' rites celebrated on the occasion of Christmas, the Aymara magician and his functions, remedies, amulets and superstitions, sacred shrines and the festival of ALASITA taking place at one of them, the ayllus and territorial organization of the regions of Umala and Corque, and a presentation of several native melodies. The appendices are on the Quechua.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Literature
General character of religion
Religious beliefs
Religious practices
Ecclesiastical organization
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Aymara
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
1995
RegionThe area the document pertains to
South America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Central Andes
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
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1930-1931
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
not specified
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Carangas Province, Bolivia
NotesAdditional notes
Alfred Métraux
Translation of: Contribution au Folk-lore Andin. The original French text is not included
Translated from the French for the Human Relations Area Files by Pricilla Reynolds
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Aymara Indians