essay

Myth as history, history as myth: a new look at some old problems in Huichol origins

people of the peyote: huichol indian history, religion, & survivalAlbuquerque • Published In 1996 • Pages: 26-60

By: Furst, Peter T..

Abstract
This document revisits the centrality of peyote in Huichol origin mythology, religiosity, and identity. Drawing on a range of historical and ethnographic evidence, the author shows that peyote has been widely employed as a visionary sacrament and pathway to the realm of the ancestor deities. The hunt for peyote in the traditional homeland of the Huichol, Wirikúta, is a sacred obligation that the ancestor gods have passed along through the generations; reinforced through the oral and visual arts, in rituals and religious expressions, and in daily life. The author argues that the peyote cult persists as a process in which all aspects of existence, including myth and history, are harmonized through reformulation, reaffirmation or rejection. (For non-English terms see Schaefer [1996] "Glossary." For references cited see Schaefer and Furst [1996] "Bibliography.")
Subjects
Historical reconstruction
Identification
External migration
Location
Congregations
Recreational and non-therapeutic drugs
Prayers and sacrifices
Religious experience
Animism
General character of religion
Inter-ethnic relations
Missions
Acculturation and culture contact
Religious experience
Cultural identity and pride
culture
Huichol
HRAF PubDate
2016
Region
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub Region
Northern Mexico
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem
Field Date
1965-1968
Coverage Date
1530-1990
Coverage Place
southern Sierra Madre Occidental (Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango, and Zacatecas), Mexico
Notes
Peter T. Furst
for bibliographical references see document 23: [Schaefer and Furst]
LCCN
95032453
LCSH
Huichol Indians