Huichol Art

Huichol Art

Huichol Art Item 069

24 x 48 inches

Unavailable

Narrative

A mother once had a very sick child. He was born sick and suffered endless bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. By the time the boy reached seven years of age his body was still the same size as that of a recently born baby. His mother eventually abandoned the child telling him," I have spent all my money, sold all of my jewelry, property and livestock to pay the maraakame or shaman to cure you. " However, the shaman told the mother that he could not cure the child. "The child's destiny is to become a god and his powers are greater than mine. I am powerless to cure him". The mother did not believe the maraakame and out of desperation, abandoned the child next to the family calihuey or ceremonial temple which is depicted here at the bottom left with a deer head hanging off the roof. The two prayer arrows seen in front of the calihuey represents the religious articles stored inside. The figure lying on its back to the right of the calihuey shows Wrikuacami after he was abandoned by his mother. The deer antlers and yellow zigzag lines radiating from his forearms symbolize his destiny to become a god and future divine powers. However, these were invisible to the shaman and his mother. Continuing on the right, the three remaining supine figures of Wrikuacami represent his "crawling like a baby" to Wirikuta, the fabled land of the peyote and most holy site for the Huichol. The footprints above also represent this journey. Next we see him in the upper right hand corner after he has arrived in Wirikuta, San Luis Potosi. He is able to stand upright for the first time in his life and has been miraculously cured of all his childhood illnesses. He has not yet attained the status of a god but now has powers that no ordinary human or shaman possesses. Later in the evening the boys mother went to find him - but he was long gone. She sent her eldest son to find Wrikuacami. He eventually located his brother in Wirikuta by following the path of "pulled up flowers and grasses" that Wrikuacami had done on his trek to Wirikuta. He asked his younger brother to come home telling him that "Your mother realizes the mistake she made in abandoning you and is repentant. She wants you to come home". Wrikuacami responded by saying that he was abandoned by his mother and will now stay in Wirikuta. The older brother went home with a message from Wrikuacami for his mother. "If you want me to return, I will return in 5 days. But I will arrive in a different form. I will arrive as rain, wind and lightening." In the upper right quadrant we see Wrikuacami telling his brother that he will return home as rain, wind and lightening. His brother hold a string with five knots which represent the five days until the return of Wrikuacami to his birthplace and family settlement. Between the brothers is a representation of a sacred body of water called Tatei Matinieri. It is at this place in Wirikuta where the brothers meet. Around the "lagoon" are seen prayer arrows and muvieri which have been brought to this place by the faithful. Muvieri are slim wooden shafts with feathers attached. A shaman uses these to communicate with the gods, speak with the dead, cure the infirm and perform blessings of all kinds. They are the shamans most important tool and are often brought as gifts for the gods. The bolt leaving Wrikuacami mouth represents his new voice. The older brother is then seen returning to his home to deliver the message to their mother. At the lower left corner the brother is seen giving the message to his mother who is sitting on a pile of rocks. Above them are seen pictographs representing the wind, lightening and rain that Wrikuacami has promised to return as. The mother says "We must prepare for his arrival and place his toys into the calihuey." His toys are represented by the eleven muvieri seen center left. Then the family awaits the return of Wrikuacami. The family members are represented in the upper left corner going about their daily activities before the arrival of Wrikuacami. After five days, as promised, a great and powerful storm of heavy rains, fierce winds and lightening arrived. This is depicted at the center top. When the storm arrived Wrikuacami spoke to his mother. He was invisible, only his voice being heard. He said: "Mother, you wanted me to return and I have done so. I am with you now. I have come for you Mama! I am going to transform you as I have been transformed. You are going to become the Goddess of all bodies of salt water as I am now God of all sources of fresh water. When you become a Goddess and we both are sacred, the people will honor us with fiestas, ceremony and offerings." The mother agrees to accept. The storm continues for a long time and floods the entire region. Everyone in the family perishes except the mother. The other relatives drown not because they had sinned but because this is what the gods wanted. All of the family members who died in the flood were reborn and at different places reappeared as gods. This is the reason that they are all seen with deer antlers over their heads. The deer antlers are a reference to the great Deer God Kauyumarie who resides in Wirikuta. When the storm finally stops and the waters recede filling in the depressions that become the oceans, the mother of Wrikuacami has been transformed into Tatei Aramara, the Goddess of the Sea. In the lower right corner we see Tatei Aramara receiving offerings including peyote, prayer arrows and muvieri. In return for these gifts she offers a long and healthy life to the pilgrims as symbolized by the four stars in a red field held outstretched in her hands. The center circular panel signifies that where Wrikuacami now resides is in Wirikuta. This is also where the peyote is found. To the left of this panel we see a transformation of peyote into the Deer God Kauyumarie. Kauyumarie has the ability to change His appearance from a deer to peyote or corn and this is because he is all of these things. Before the flood there was no peyote in Wirikuta.

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