BlackDragon Posted June 30, 2006 I thought I would post this picture of my newly aquired Huichol yarn picture. Its is around 25cm square, yarn on beeswax(not glue as some newer ones are) mounted on hardwood. It depicts a sacred dear singing/vocalising a sacred protection song over/for/with the sacred peyote below(not sure if the snake like shape is also symbolic). I am unsure what the other plants are but I suspect maybe tobacco? On the back is the story of the picture written and signed by the artist. I luckily aquired this beauty at an old market tucked behind some old japanese prints. Im so happy and its amazingly cheap monetary value can never match its spiritual value to me. The amazing beauty of the colours has to be seen in person, as the photos do not quite show its true specturm. Enjoy... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 30, 2006 (edited) From my understanding of Huichol lore...the Deer is the symbolic representation of Peyotl itself... Not sure about that particular snake, but I think generally snakes of that form in Huichol art are the representation of spirit animal of Tatewari (Grandfather Fire). Cannot definitely say about the plants in the background, but it should be noted that one of the plants that forms the "other" half of Kieri is a Datura spp. Edited June 30, 2006 by apothecary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted June 30, 2006 From what i understood the where the sacred dear walked the peyote grow, although my huichol knowledge is very limited.. same thing really dependiong on the veiwpoint. As to the other plants, there may be a clue in the writing on the back, as the translations came up with "decaying flower/s" near the end, I though this may be the artist "other" name or the name of the ranch/land they live upon. I could re-write the description if anyone is interested. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 30, 2006 Wasn't really sure why the snake would be present here so did some more reading, it appears that Father Sun protects shamen during the day of their ceremony and Grandfather Fire protects them at night... So it seems in this case the Deer is invoking the protection of Grandfather Fire, which indicates a ceremony of long duration (potent Peyotl?)... (disclaimer: this is all just armchair interpretation) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 30, 2006 From what i understood the where the sacred dear walked the peyote grow, although my huichol knowledge is very limited.. same thing really dependiong on the veiwpoint.As to the other plants, there may be a clue in the writing on the back, as the translations came up with "decaying flower/s" near the end, I though this may be the artist "other" name or the name of the ranch/land they live upon. I could re-write the description if anyone is interested. From http://www.antro.uu.se/acta/sample_kieri.html McKeever Furst, an art historian with a strong interest in the relationship between natural history and the formation of symbols (cf. McKeever Furst 1995), inquired whether the Huichols identified not just peyote with deer (the two are synonymous and interchangeable in Huichol symbolism), but also made some such connection between Datura and deer. What made her think of deer? "The plant has antlers," she said. "Take a good look at it." Sure enough, sticking out among the new green foliage and showy flowers of the Datura inoxia before us were bleached, dry and leafless branches, dead growth from previous seasons. They did in fact look for all the world like antlers, and for Indian people as preoccupied with deer and deer symbolism as are the Huichols they could well have suggested the forked antlers of the white-tailed Virginia deer. Her astute observation brought to mind an incident in the charter myth of the peyote pilgrimage as I had heard it from Ramón Medina: after the ancestral peyoteros, the divine kakauyárite, had shot their arrows into the sacred deer (the form in which the first peyote manifested itself to the hunters), the animal began to transform and peyotes sprouted from his body and antlers. The pilgrims ground the antlers up and drank them mixed with sacred water from the springs called Tatéi Matiniéri, Where Our Mothers Dwell. The divine beverage, said Ramón, gave them beautiful dreams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted June 30, 2006 On the back is this "este Cuadro nas represento Al venado sagrado que trene(spp?) Estrellas por que Cuida al peyote sagrado y sacara la Vibora(d?) de la voca. Artesano Cronzula Flores Canare TEPIC NAYABIT" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted June 30, 2006 (edited) In this picture I represent the Sacred Deer that trains the Stars to take care of the Sacred Peyote and remove the Viper from his voca. Cronzula Craftsman Flowers Canare TEPIC NAYABIT. (I think ) EDIT: Not sure about that voca being mouth...couldn't find any translations of it anywhere...are you sure it isn't a mispell? Boca means mouth, Voca de negro means toad...in slang only... Edited June 30, 2006 by apothecary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MORG Posted June 30, 2006 Wow, that picture is just gorgeous... What a find! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted June 30, 2006 Nope, Its 'voca'. I remember seeing a doccumentary where on the annual walk to the sacred springs, part of the rite is admitting to grandfather all your previous relationships and feelings to cleanse the soul.... Im not sure if this has any relevance to the picture. Or is it a lesson that he had learnt from peyote, re: not speaking in voilent tounges? I have also notice that to the right of the viper, coming from the snout is what seems to be a cloud of night turning to day, if you follow the colours.... I supose we can wonder all day about the exact meaning... Its also a trait of a true artist... the ability to tell more than one simple story with their hands, beeswax and string, and what we draw from that in our western(albeit ethno skewed) mindframe... I love it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M S Smith Posted June 30, 2006 The green plants are corn (Zea mays), another equivalent item to both the deer and peyote in Huichol lore. ~Michael~ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackDragon Posted June 30, 2006 Great stuff!! It looks so obvious now, Thanks MS!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nate123 Posted July 1, 2006 In the tradition of the Huichol the blue deer is the bringer of the world from the blue place. The blue place was the time before time, but it still exists now. It is the place of complete infinity, where everything that has ever happenned, is happenning, or will ever happen is constantly occuring. The blue deer is an animal which sings a beatiful song from the blue place. That song is the vibration or tune that makes up everything in our world and thus the blue deer is constantly singing the world into existence. That song is also what makes the world occur as phenomenon, because at one time all the gods were isolated, separate from each other and nothing was occuring. But at once all the gods heard a beatiful song which they could not resist, and so they all moved towards that song. Eventually all the gods collided and now were able to interact. This interaction between the gods is what created the phenomenal world as we know it. Really the blue deer and Kuyumari, the deer god are very separate but related. Peyote grows out of the footseps of Kuyumari. Kuyumari is the messenger for the Mar'akame, he speaks for and is almost an aspect of Tatewari. I agree that the plant in the picture is probably corn, and i have read quite a lot about the peyote, maze, deer complex. However in all my personal experience with Huichol lore i have never heard of anyone even mention this trinity. The language on the back of the paintings is jokingly called "Huicholly Spanish" beacause it rarely translates well into Spanish or English If you have any more questions about the symbols in the painting i can try to help. I'll post some pictures of my yarn paintings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
