~ 14 Huichol Yarns by Jose Benitez Sanchez ~ 24" x 36"

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24x36-1 -- JS11-93:  Tukakame is Driven Back to Watetuapa -1974 

Here we see how Tukakame was pursued when he arrived in Heriepa and tried to take over this world. He was confronted by a hawk and a spotted dog and they pursued Tukakame when Dawn was lighting up the world. Kauyumarie ordered him barred from Heriepa and Tukakame fled back to Watetuapa, which welcomed him back with open arms. She asked "What is happening?" He responded "I am being followed by some animals." Watetuapa said " do not leave, they might devour you." Tukakame said "I must be the Lord of the World." 

Notes: Tukakame is the Lord of Darkness, of Death and of Watetuapa. The latter (at bottom right) is the primordial underworld, personified here. Tukakame has bull horns and wings. Behind him is the hawk and Cauyumarie (our Elder Brother Fawn of the Sun) is furthest left. The spotted dog is at the upper left. A smaller bird, perhaps a swallow is closer to Tukakame's head.

24x36-2 -- JS29-93 The Gods Get Drunk -- 1973-1974 -- It has a number Y15. 

"Here we see Cauyumarie in the preparation of the rites of whiskey, of firewater, the real alcohol, for the whole world as well. What Kauyumarie did in Watetuapa, all of that appeared in this world, everything that was made of mescal (you know what mescal is, it's like a tequila but made out of the mescal plant, it's very strong), and from where comes everything that we know if all the drinks that we know of, drinks of mescal as well (he repeats himself). Cauyumarie prepared in that time all these things. For this reason in our life in the whole world we are trying the mescal. Who first prepared it if not Cauyumarie? Now we say, 'The mescal is not good, you are a drunkard (Spanish phrase)'. Because Kauyumarie designed it now why do we estrange it, why do we reject it? Here we see two gods that were drunk, or that got drunk, which are the god of fire and the god of the sun. For this reason we believe that what the god put in that time, all that was good, because Cauyumarie thus blessed it." So this was the time in which Jose and I were really battling over his drinking.  Oh I remember this piece quite well, and the very state of mind that he was in then; he would appear and look at me and say, "what's it to you? You are not my father. Who are you to tell me if this is good? This was placed in the first times on earth, all the drinks, different drinks for different people in different parts of the world, and here we have our drinks, and the gods themselves got drunk, and Cauyumarie's the one who did it, otherwise who would have done it?" Everything that exists now here existed in Watetuapa and it was placed here, it was transferred here because that was the will of Cauyumarie. So there you see Cauyumarie preparing his brew up on the top right, and you see the mescal plants, the cactus plants, it's these two and those other leaves, their long spiny leaves in characteristic form; and you see the two gods Taweviekame and Tatewari, who are so drunk that they are lying down on the ground and Kauyumarie dropping them. And I would say that the arrow on the left is resting at that point, their powers are resting in their drunken space. They've dropped that aside, and probably Tatewari is the one on the right, I mean it's hard to tell which one could be Tatewari or Taweviekame, and the pole I think represents something concerning their alcoholic state, a symbol of that in some way, but that's what I have to check, that particular detail. And those are bottles of whiskey inside the egg. then you've got the little spirits, you know, who are leaving their bodies and going towards Cauyumarie who blessed the whole thing in the first times. That's what he's doing up there on his chair, not only has he prepared the native brew in those gourds and placed them in that pot, in that bowl, but he's blessing it there, those are the flowers of blessing, of life, of booze. And so I say it's all messed up, but it's been blessed since the first times.

24x36-3 --  JS2-93 -- 1973/Spring 1975 -- The Mother of Man is Rescued From Death

Before the earth was born, physical death was not a permanent state of being. When our ancestors died they would return five days later as babies, to live again in accordance with a cyclical nature of being. This pattern was broken when Cauyumarie saved Our Mother Aitsarika from death. 

Cauyumarie chose Aitsarika (black space) to become the first mother of men. Thus he decided to avert her physical death so that she could grow to bear a human child. She is drawn down to the underworld and her heart, seen as an arrow projecting from behind her head, calls out for Cauyumarie. He follows the path of flowers strewn by Aitsarika, while arrows behind him signify other souls pleading for help. Cauyumarie's spirit protects Aitsarika from falling into the flames (green cup before her). She walks on the blades of sacred grass, and her spirit is seen with Cauyumarie's flowers (two in red space). 

When Cauyumarie rescues Aitsarika, the spiritual power of his being impregnates her. A boy child, Xapaviyeme, is born from her womb. Mother Earth (pink figure) takes the child into her care. Her soul (in yellow below her) is a dragonfly, the companion of holy water. She blesses the infant, sending its soul (seen behind her) as a butterfly to the Eastern Holy land, where she asks Cauyuamrie to receive him.

24x36-4 -- JS1-93 (Judgement of a Shaman) -- 1974 - Late Winter 1975

Our Elder Brother Deer (seated to the right), Our grandfather Fire (seated below,) and Father Sun (in yellow area judge a shaman (mara kame, seated in center) for his misuse of power. Indeed, by not fulfilling his vows of devotion and of healing he has tricked the gods themselves. The feathers hanging from above represent his dead victims.

The gods see all that happens. Four plumed arrows, instrument of spiritual communication, are seen on the right frame. 

The evil shaman sits over Grandfather Fire's shaman's bag (oval, pink outline). Fire is the original shaman who, through self-abstinence, followed the guiding path of Our Elder Brother deer. His purifying flame is seen to the right of his bag (dark red outline). Seated on his temple to the right, Cuyumarie, Elder Brother Deer, holds a plumed arrow whose waves tumble toward the fire. On Cauyumarie's back in the tobacco gourd, shamanic instrument containing the heart-commitment of Grandfather Fire. 

In accordance with Fire and Elder Brother, Father Sun pronounces the order of bad fate for the shaman. The words of the gods are the three stars (left of center). The gods change into scorpions and sting the shaman with death-producing disease. The sacred chants are removed from his mouth, his words (power) are sucked out of his tacuatsi (shaman's bag behind him) and his body becomes infested with the poison of his own evil, transforming him into a scorpion and nothing more.

24x36- (No translation of the Spanish has been made)