Religion: An Overview of Quechua People's Beliefs and Ritualistic Traditions
The
Quechua peoples of the Upper Amazonian rain forest share not only
many core beliefs but also its variants of beliefs. The
Quechua religion consolidates both pre-Columbian and Catholic
components. The most critical pre-Columbian impact that continues is
the conviction that powerful entities oversee daily occasions, for
example, climate and ailment. This belief serves a utilitarian
purpose to the farming Quechua. By making offerings to the forces
that control common strengths, the Quechua feel they can manipulate
events and not only be vulnerable notwithstanding awful climate or
malady. At the point when drinking liquor, for instance, it is
standard to first offer a beverage to Mother Earth or the Godess, Pachamama.
This
religious Andean world is populated by divine beings who have human
characteristics. In some cases they cherish one another and different
times they abhor and battle one another. Thus, the Andean religion
has two measurements in the lives of the individuals. To start with,
in human terms it advances social attachment, and second, in
supernatural terms it interfaces divine beings and people. The
Quechua have incorporated Christianity into their indigenous beliefs.
Major
life transitions, such as birth, puberty, and death, are marked by
rituals and celebrations that combine Catholic and indigenous
traditions. Example of such can be observed at the annual two-day La
Virgen de las Mercedes festival
(known locally as the Fiesta
de la Mamá Negra)
in Latacunga, Ecuador. Officially a Roman Catholic religious
celebration, during the first night of the festival, the alcohol bars
are closed. The second day starts with a very roman inspired
traditional mass. Following the mass, statue of the Holy Virgin is
carried through the streets. Festoons are thrown by the people at the
statue in hopes of receiving blessing and good favor followed by
masked-costume, cross-gender dressing and street dancing form the
bulk of the activities. A public parade demonstrating sacrificed,
butchered pigs, ornated with accompanying other dead animals,
cigarettes and wine bottles and liquor are also to be seen. "Men
wear these ritual, pagan offerings to the spirits like a backpack as
they accompany the dancers and musicians through the streets".
This festival is considered as one of the most significant Quechuan
celebrations;
References:
Whitten,
Norman E
King,
Kendall
A.
(2001)
"Countries
and Their Cultures." Quechua.
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Quechua.html.
Accessed
March 26, 2015.
Urton,
Gary
(1997)
The
Social Life of Numbers: A Quechua Ontology of Numbers and Philosophy
of Arithmetic.
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2589701?sid=21105922309831&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&uid=3739600
Accessed
March 26, 2015.
Waddington,
R.
2003
The Quichua People. The Peoples of the World
Foundation., http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Quichua.
Accessed
April 18, 2013.
(1976)
Sacha
Runa: Ethnicity and Adaptation of Ecuadorian Jungle Quichua.
Retrieved March 24, 2015
Being previously exposed to similar religious conviction and traditions associated with that of the Quechua people, these articles caught my attention. As mentioned in the articles, the Quechua Indians of the central Andes practice a combination of pre-Columbian and Roman Catholic religion. Such diffused religion is also observed in the country where I come from.
ReplyDeleteAs a Sunni muslim, our religious ceremonies does not involve the gothic inspired practices (such as butchered pigs, and public demonstration of intoxication, etc. ) of the Quechua which are rather considered "superstitious and offensive" by many of my country's locals. However, in many places of the muslim world, including Bangladesh, one of the two denominations of Islam- the Shia, is seen to demonstrate religious ritualistic customs similar to the Quechua that is quite unorthodox to the Sunni's or the majority's views despite originating from the same religious group. Even though the Shia population is significantly less than the Sunni, their ritualistic demonstration of the ceremony is seen during specific times of the year. Their interaction and devotion to the higher power or God is demonstrated through ritualistic performances, which is sometimes violent in nature, accompanied with traditional loud percussive instruments- all of which is done with an expectation of getting something in return from the higher entity. Also, the state of liminiality is observed to be attained in a similar way the Quechua peoples do. Apart from the ceremonial aspects, both the denominations of my religion believe in a higher power and during times of distress (or not) we pray and participate in religious observances in hopes of better times. These aspects are similar to the Quechua's religious beliefs and the fact that both of these religions have some elements of Christianity in common plays a role.
I would explain such development of Quechua religion as- The diffusion of the Catholic and tribal religious characteristics may have been a result of acculturation through Direct diffusion of the expanding and migrating Christianized Quechua groups influenced by Roman Catholicism that predates.