Huichol Art
Huichol Item 319
$900.
2ft. x 2ft.
Hand-twisted yarn, archival wax on board.
2007
Tatewari - Grandfather Fire
2007
Maxugua
This narrative takes place in Tatewari, Jalisco, Mexico. This is where the Huichol fire deity of the same name resides. A shaman or mara'akame (1) has walked to Tatewari to honor this important god with sacred offerings. These objects include votive arrows (2), candles (3), a gods eye (4) and peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus (5). A gods eye or tsikuri is a rhombus of string stretched upon a cross. The candles are depicted as being decorated with colored tissue paper (6). This prayer arrow (7) is adorned with a nierika (8). A nierika symbolizes the eye of the gods. On the lower-right is a gourd-cut bowl (9) filled with maize (10), a candle (11) and a prayer arrow (12). Note that these arrows are different from those used for hunting. They are strictly used for ceremonial purpose. The exterior of bowl has designs (13) painted on to it. These objects will be deposited inside of the cave (14) located here. The living serpent (15) guards this place against those who would enter without permission. On one side is a live feline or tigre (16) who also guards this place against trespassers. The shaman stands before (17) Tatewari and offers to Him peyote (18). Peyote “ Lophophora williamsii” is known as hicuri by the Huichol people. In the other hand he holds a bovine horn (19). He uses the horn to announce his arrival to the gods residing here and will use it again upon his return to his homestead / community. The muvieri (20) in his hat is used for making ceremony. It has been temporarily placed here since his hands are fully occupied. Muvieri are “magical wands” made by attaching feathers (21) to a slender wooden shaft (22) which has yarn wrapped around it. The feathers may come from the eagle or some other sacred bird. With his muvieri, the shaman communicates with the gods, speaks to the dead, divines the future, heals the infirm and performs numerous types of blessings. His hat (23) is woven of palm fiber and is decorated with feathers (24), danglers (25) and red-cloth or yarn - depending on the community that he comes from. Over his shoulders he carries a woven rectangular bag or morral (26), a gourd tobacco pouch (27) and a bottleneck gourd (28) for drinking water. The morral was woven by a woman on a back-strap loom and until recently from hand-spun sheep wool. In the morral the shaman carries his tacuatzi and other ceremonial objects as he travels to the sacred places. Behind him is his tacuatzi (29). A tacuatzi is a rectangular basket woven from palm fiber. In it the shaman keeps his muvieri, candles and other religious paraphernalia when not in use. Around the shaman’ waist is a string of woven bags (30) or pocket belt. The scorpion (31) is a custodian-protector of this place. The living deer (32) inhabits this place. He is seen as spiritually receiving the shamans offerings of maize (33), arrows (34) and candles (35). The cane of Nakawe or “cane of the ancient ones” (36) will also be deposited into the cave dedicated to Tatewari. Nakawe is an important and one of the oldest deities within the Huichol pantheon. She is best known as having traveled with Watakame and his dog to the four cardinal points during the Great Flood. Watakame was a Huichol man who built the canoe and collected all of the seeds for this voyage, following instructions from Nakawe.The shaman will first perform a ceremony in front of the deity Tatewari before depositing his gifts. This is an offertory vessel (37) of teguino. Teguino is a beverage made with fermented corn. It may be mildly alcoholic depending on the length of fermentation. It is commonly offered to the deities. The six tortillas (38) around the vessel represent the shamans food. This bow (39) and arrow (40) are offered to Tatewari. Note that objects brought as gifts to the sacred places are miniaturized versions of the ones used on a day to day basis. All of these gifts would fit inside of the shamans morral. Another guardian serpent (41). Here is a xiriki or temple (42) constructed of stones (43) and thatch (44). The footprints (45) indicate that he visited the xiriki. He will place candles and arrows inside. Depicted on the roof is a deer head (46) and two muvieri (47). These represent objects found inside that earlier pilgrims had deposited. A vigilant scorpion (48). The ceremony depicted takes place during daylight and lasts approximately two hours. The Sun God (49) is surrounded by stars (50) while light rain (51) is falling. This represents a sacred offertory bowl (52) which the shaman is offering to Tatewari and will later deposit in the cave. Looking into the bowl, we see that a maize plant (53) has been figured using wax. Note that the actual color of the maize impression would be just the natural color of the wax. The exterior of the bowl rim (54) has a decoration. The decoration may have been applied using earth pigments or naturally occurring tar. A live eagle (55) has come to visit the ceremony. This represents the eagles life force or breath (56). Above are stars (57) and clouds (58). An offertory arrow (59). Representative of the grasses (60) and herbs found here. Tatewari must always accompany all Huichol ceremonies. He is also referred to as Grandfather Fire and is one of the oldest deities in the Huichol pantheon.