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Mushrooms for Life among the Jotï in the Venezuelan Guayana

Author:
Egleé López Zent
Published by:
llandaburo
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Document:
Published and/or Presented at:
López Zent, E. (2008) Mushrooms for Life among the Jotï in the Venezuelan Guayana. Recuperado de: http://www.academia.edu/166911/Mushrooms_for_Life_among_the_Joti_in_the_Venezuelan_Guayanaç
Summary:
This paper explores the relevance of mushrooms in mythology and daily life among the Jotï, an indigenous group inhabiting the rain forests of the Venezuelan Guayana. It is reported here how a personal experience of the author in the field stimulated deeper research into the religious symbolism surrounding mushrooms and their role in Jotï cosmology, ritual, and life dynamics. Different categories of mushroom usage are described, including edible, medicinal, and ritual uses. Mushrooms seem to be more important to the Jotï than to most Amazonian groups. Most significantly, certain species of mushrooms are key ingredients in medicinal and ritual preparations used throughout the Jotï life cycle in ways that reflect their worldview and mythology.