24X32 Huichol Yarn Paintings by Jose Benitez Sanchez

24x32-1 -- JS26-93: The Gods Sleep - 1974 -

Notes: In the beginning of our world there was no place for the gods to sleep. Thus they transformed into birds and in this way they found rest on top of plumed arrows muvieriri (four are seen attached to the bottom frame). Grandfather Fire (Tatewari) led the way, followed by Father Sun (Tawaviekame) and in back, Pariya, the dawn, the East. Their beds were made of feathers. Tamatsi Kauyumarie, keeper of the words of all beings, prepared their food in incense burners, putzi (three in white outlines seen below). As the smoke of pure copal rises to penetrate the gods' hearts, they are soothed and reach sleep, symbolized by the two white "flowers" (right of center). The gods rest under the Evening and the Morning stars, Xurawetemai and Tumuwame (above center), while Tamatsi Kauyumarie designs their sleep( red dots), instructs them (undulating line), and protects them (crosses) from death or from being lost in their sleep. The three gods dream of being flowers (orange plant, top right) in the sky of Watetuapa, the world from which they came and now the underworld. "Palmitas" awaken the gods with the cool wetness of the morning dew. Two of these leafy reeds are depicted above with undulating lines connecting them to the upper frame. Sparks spring out from Grandfather Fire (five dots below left).

- #19 -- So we're looking at the translation of the transcription of what is in Spanish on the back. It says, Here we see where the word of the earth, our mother young fertile earth, tate yurianaka was hurt. She requested three arrows, one arrow for her feet, another one for her belly, and another one for her soul or her spirit. In this way she requested what she needed in order to be rooted. She needed all of these figures to be brought to her. One is the nierika, another one the matsiwa, the cacai, another one yacuai, another one muvieri, and another one uicurrao. These figures are the nierieka, which are represented by a circle on the bottom of these arrows. Some of the arrows, and that is sometimes a mirror and sometimes a hole through which we can see what is hidden behind matter. Here it might be a hole, for instance, here it might be a mirror, and here it might be the hole, the symbol of the hole, another figure she needed was the matsiwa, which is a bracelet, the bracelet is probably represented here to one side of the arrow, she also requested cacai, which are the sandals that the Huichol wear. In plural they are cacaitae. At this moment I do not quite see where the sandals are represented. She also requested yucai, which are gourd bowls turned into rattles. Up here on top of the arrow on the left, are the rattles that the children play during the feast of the first fruits. She requested muvierie. Muvierie are actually arrows with feathers on the very top. Probably the one on the right is most representative of a muvierie, the arrows that the shamen uses to chant. He sends his chants and prayers in the direction of the power spot of the ancestor he is chanting to, or praying to. Another figure that she requested was the wicurrao, which is the trap that is used to find the deer, to hunt the deer. It is made out of rope, so it might be represented, with knots on the rope. Above the arrow on the left, are contained practically all the elements that she is requesting. In addition to that, it has deer antlers represented at the handle of the rattles. We see deer antlers on the other arrows, and they are representative of the antennae or the ears through which our mother can hear the prayers or the words that are addressed to her. These are probably represented as the insects. The two insects are approaching the arrow on the left. He says that she asked for these so that an arrow could be made that would represent a person, like a body, the three arrows together representing the feet, the belly and the soul at the top of the head, are symbolic of the whole body of our mother earth, who is at the bottom lying down on her back. It says that with all of these offerings, all of this food that she has offered, because these are like food to her, the arrow can move. Then it says, the world is thus fed with these offerings. The world being our mother earth and all the other ancestors as well. In this case thru the offerings that are taken to her and fed to her. Because we take these arrows to the sacred spots, the earth can continue sustaining itself, or maintaining itself. It says, those who were aware of these requests, those that were aware of what she wanted, were tateware. Our grand-father fire, probably represented sitting on the bottom right, and taweviecame, which means “our creator”, is on the bottom left. He is the sun, our father sun, as well. Kauyumarie, who is the fawn, the young deer of the sun and the intermediary between our ancestors and the people, whom our ancestors request their offerings from. The deer is obviously at the top left. Each of the ancestors that are at the bottom is represented as a bird. Because they have a bird form, they can fly to the different spots. I think the one on the left is probably the sun, because it is predominantly yellow in color. The one on the right is predominantly red in some of its tones. It is sitting like an elder shaman might be sitting. Aside from that, we have symbols of five flowers. Below another two. A flower on the front of our father sun, and two at his back and one at the back of Kauyumarie, all represent of life on earth. When our ancestors are properly fed, when we respect that we have been given life by our ancestors we return offerings to them as a sign of thanking them. Then life will be predominant on the earth. There will be life force all over the earth, represented by the flowers. We have also symbols of dots, that sometimes extend from the hand or the feet of tateiware, the mouth of tateyurianaka, or the birds. These are representative of the words of our ancestors, their requests to us. The deer has some orange dots coming from below its tail. They represent the trail that the deer is leaving for us to follow. A good shaman will follow the path of the deer. On the top of the two arrows on the right, we have symbols that are somewhat representative of the peyote, the whole peyote plant, with its root, and from there the antennae, or deer antlers. Below the back of Mother Earth could be a deer trap, or a bracelet, or a matsywa. The bracelet is used around the pulse, and signifies the rhythm of the heart. Many Huichol wear a bracelet as decoration.

Balance of Spanish texts not yet available.