The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death in the Amazon Jungle

473 Pages·1996·11.37 MB·English

by  Philippe Descola

T HE SPEARS
OF T W I L I G HT
L I FE A ND D E A TH IN
T HE A M A Z ON J U N G LE
Philippe Descola
Translated from the French by
Janet Lloyd
THE NEW PRESS/NEW YORK
© 1993 by Librairie PI011
English translation © 1996 by The New Press/HarperCollinsft/WisAm
Etched full-page drawings by Philippe Munch
Small drawings by Philippe Descola
Photographs by Philippe Descola and Antonino Colajanni
Maps by Ken Lewis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form,
without written permission from the publisher.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Descola, Philippe.
[Lances du crdpuscule. English]
The spears of twilight: life in the Amazon / Philippe Descola;
translated from the French by Janet Lloyd,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56584-228-6
1. Jivaran Indians—Social life and customs. 2. Amazon River
Region—Social life and customs. I. Title.
F2230.2.J58D4713 1996
98I'.ioo4983—DC20 96-12955
CJP
First published in French as Les Lances du cripuscule by Librairie Plon in 1993
Published in the United States by The New Press, New York
Distributed by WW Norton & Company, Inc., New York
Established in 1990 as a major alternative to the large commercial publishing houses,
The New Press is a full-scale, nonprofit American book publisher outside of the
university presses. The Press is operated editorially in the public interest, rather
than for private gain; it is committed to publishing, in innovative ways, works of
educational, cultural, and community value that, despite their intellectual merits,
might not normally be commercially viable. The New Press's editorial offices are
located at the City University of New York.
The New Press is deeply grateful to the French Ministry of Culture and Communication
for its generous translation support.
Production management by Kim Waymer
Printed in the United States of America
987654321
For Anne Christine
Contents
MAPS ix
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii
PROLOGUE 1
I: TAMING THE FOREST
1 Apprenticeship 33
2 Early Morning 44
3 Village Rumours 52
4 Pause 65
5 Bartering 69
6 Garden Magic 84
7 Dreams 103
8 A Hunting Expedition 120
9 Reflections in the Water 134
II: MATTERS OF AFFINITY
10 Selective Friendships 149
11 A Visit to the River People 165
12 Love in the Plural 182
13 Images from Without, Images from Within 201
14 Travelling Downstream 210
15 To Each His Due 231
16 Drinking Party 252
17 The Art of Accommodating Enemies 265
18 Scenes in a House of War 279
Ill: VISIONS
19 Paths of Revelation 299
20 The Shaman's Song 315
21 Craftsmen of the Imaginary 335
22 Holy Writ 350
23 The Dead and the Living 363
24 Denouement 384
EPILOGUE 401
Spelling 413
Glossaries 415
Bibliographical Outline 426
Postscript: Ethnological Writing 443
Index 447
MAPS
1. Jivaro country in South America
2. The Jivaro Tribes
Illustrations
BY THE AUTHOR pa#e
Chimpui stool of the master of the house 43
Pininkia bowl for drinking manioc beer 64
Muits, jar in which manioc beer is fermented 102
Oar 119
Tunta, quiver for blowpipe darts* 164
Tsukanka akitiai, masculine ornaments* 200
Cotton bracelet worn by men after they have met with arutam 314
(the zigzag pattern is known as utunmiamu)
Tuntui drum made from a hollowed-out tree-trunk 362
* The round gourd contains a supply of kapok fibre for making the wads placed at the
end of darts; the piranha jaw is used for notching the tips of the darts; and the jagged
handle is used for carrying small birds hooked on to it by their feet,
"f These arc passed through the ear lobes or attached beneath the tnwasap crown.
They are made from karis tubes tipped by a bunch of toucan feathers and a lock of
human hair.
Anku nanki winiawai, uchi, uchirua
Pee awemarata
Etsa uchirua, anku nanki winiawai
Pee awemarata
Emesaka tamawa
Ayawaitramkaimpia, uchi, uchirua
Natemkamia waitmakaimpia
Aak aak weakume
Uwi uwi upujkitia.
The spear of twilight is coming, son, my son
Quick, dodge it!
The hollow spear is coming, son, my son
My son, Sun, the spear of twilight is coming for you
Quick, dodge it!
The emesak, as it is called
Let it not lie in wait for you, son, my son
Let it not behold you with the clear vision of natem trances
As they gradually bear you away
Let each of your steps be disguised as a chonta palm.