Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland

South America South America ISSN: 2572-3626 (online)

Volume 4 Issue 1 Special Issue in honor of Joanna Overing: In the World and About the World: Amerindian Modes of Knowledge

Article 2

May 2006

The Stench of Death and the Aromas of Life: The Poetics of Ways The Stench of Death and the Aromas of Life: The Poetics of Ways

of Knowing and Sensory Process among Piaroa of the Orinoco of Knowing and Sensory Process among Piaroa of the Orinoco

Basin Basin

Joanna Overing University of St Andrews, jo1@st-andrews.ac.uk

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Overing, Joanna (2006). "The Stench of Death and the Aromas of Life: The Poetics of Ways of Knowing and Sensory Process among Piaroa of the Orinoco Basin," Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/tipiti/vol4/iss1/2

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Tipití (2006) 4(1&2):9–32 © 2006 SALSA 9ISSN 1545-4703 Printed in USA

The Stench of Death and the Aromas of Life: The Poetics of Ways of Knowing

and Sensory Process among Piaroa of the Orinoco Basin

JOANNA OVERINGUniversity of St Andrewsjo1@st-andrews.ac.uk

InPiaroaexplanations,theirculinaryarts—theirmeansforeatinginahumanandthereforecivilizedsortofway—aremadepossiblethroughparticularwaysofknowing,whichequallysignifyspecificwaysofdoingthings,suchascuringillnessorfillingtheforestwithgame,makingmealsandbabies,beautifulbasketsandblowgundarts,andalsosinging,laughing,sharing,andcaring.Animmenserangeofwaysofknowingisrequiredforthe culinary arts, far beyond the obvious of fishing, hunting, gardeningandcooking.1 Theyincludeall thoseskills thathumanbeingsneedforliving comfortably, healthily, in community with others. But above all,theculinaryartsincludetheknowledgeofsocialconsciousnessandmoralreasoning.Tomakeabeautifulknotisasignofsocialvirtue.Theclumsyknotemergesfrommoral laxity. Eatingwell, inacivilizedmanner, isacomplicatedbusiness.TounderstandAmazonianwaysofknowingwemustexploreallofthe“taskscapes”2oftheculinaryarts.Weneedarchaeologiesoftaskscapestoshedfurtherlightontherelationsthatholdbetweenthem.Poetics,aesthetics,andthepsychologyofbeautifulsocialrelatednessareallwaysofknowingthatarenecessarytosafelyusetheculinaryarts.Withoutthem,theseartsbecomeperverse,workingagainstthetranquil,egalitarianstyleoflifePiaroaconsiderproperlyhuman.Theartsoftheverbalandwaysoflaughing—bothattachedtoskillsforcreatingsocialrelatedness—arenotcontingentortrivial.Theyareimportantlyintegraltotheartsoftheculinary,whicharefirstandforemostasocialmatter.3

AlthoughPiaroaprizetheirintellectoverallotherfaculties(Overing1985a), for them, theknowledgeablehumanagentonearth is always aperformerintheworld(Overing1999).Tobeabletodosomethingwellistoknowit. Theirgodsmaylivein“ivorytowers,”butPiaroadonot.Thisbodilysideofintellectisimportant.Forinstance,itisthroughtheflowofthebloodofthehumancirculatorysystemthatthoughtstravelandtherebyprovideintelligenceforactiontoeachpartofthebody.4Thus,as

10 Joanna Overing

knowledgeoftheculinaryartsincreasessotoodoesphysicalcreativityandstamina.AsPiaroatellit,theinterminglingoftypesofpersonalcapacities(intellect, and physical effort, and also affect) is due to cosmic history.Itisthisexistentialrelatednessofintellecttomoralimaginationandthesensorythatmakesengagementintheirsocialculinaryartsbothuniqueandpossible. Theimplicationofsuchavisionoftherelatednessofcapacitiesfor“waysofknowing”isnotasimplemattertotranslate.Amazonianpeoplestendtounderstandtheconstitutiverelationshipofpersonalfacultiesandskillsasneverending,evershifting,andtransforming.5InPiaroaexplanationssuchconnectionsaresometimesbeneficial,healthy,creative,andbeautiful,and other times dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, and ugly (Overing1989).6Thereisnolinealwaythroughwhichwecanunfoldindigenousunderstandingsofwaysofknowingorthedangersoftheirpractice.Whatwecandoispluckatthreadsanddemonstratetheirmultipleconnections,tocapturetheirever-movingsyntheses,andambiguousintegrations(alsoseeMentoreintra).7 The conundrums that emerge through such “plucking” can beimmense.Forexample,thetranquilitylovingPiaroaarepeacefulpeople,whoclaimtobevegetarians.Yet,theirshamansproclaimintheirchanting:“Ieatlikejaguar!”Piaroastronglyvaluetheirintellectualcapacities.Yettheir beautiful thoughts are enclosed within beads made of the granitefaeces of the subterranean monster Tapir/Anaconda (Overing 2004a).ThesebeadsofknowledgeprovidethebeautifulinternaldecorationofeachPiaroa.Yet,Piaroabrainswerecreatedfromthepussofprimordialsyphilis(Overing1986;2006).Withsometrepidation,Ibegintostrumsomeofthesethreadsbyexploringmorethoroughlytheirverbalarts.Asmentioned,theseverbalartsbelongtotheirartsoftheculinary.Assuchtheyareaveryimportantwayofknowing(anddoing)forPiaroa.They,astheskills(or,waysofknowing)forhunting,gardening,havingbabies,areembodied.8Theytooarewonderfulandterrible. Thus, in its own way, this strumming of mine is a journey intoethnopoetics.9Althougheverydayverbalplayisofsubstantialimportancetothesuccessoftheculinaryarts,itisinthenightlychantingofthegreatshamansthatwefindtheverbalartsmostbrilliantlypracticed.Thepoeticsofshamanicchanting,andinparticularthegenresnarratorsuse,willbemyconcern,alongwiththeotherwaysofknowingthatinvolvetheculinaryartsthatsuchpoeticsunfold. The genre most often used in shamanic chants is that of robustlybawdy grotesque realism (Overing 2004a). Through it, we discover acosmichistorythatisfilledwiththefollyofsensorymadness,especiallyasitrelatestotheoriginanduseoftheculinaryarts.However,thegenre

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 11

of grotesque realism is not always used by chanters. I have narrationstellingof a sublime,beautiful, andbenevolent sideofpower. They tooareveryimportanttothecosmicstoryoftheculinary.Thus,thegenreofthesublimemustbeunderstoodinrelationtothegenreofthegrotesque.It intertwineswiththegrotesquetoexpressthelargerpictureofcosmiccreation. It is throughunderstandinghow these twogenres relate thatwecanbegin tounderstandknowledge, and itsbodilyuse, fromPiaroaperspectives.

THE GENRE OF THE SUBLIME

Ishallbeginwiththesublime,achantvignetteonthegodAnemei,wherethebeauty,wisdom,andgreatpowerofsensoryprocessisproclaimed.Here, theemphasis isuponthepotencyoftheir treasuredcapacitiesforvoice,language,andsong—inotherwords,theverbalarts.ThechanttellsofAnemei,oneofthemostpowerfulofPiaroagods.Heownsthewordsofshamanicchants.Itisimportantalsotorememberthatthisisachant.Itissung:

Anemei’s Crystal Box of Light10

[VersionSungbyJoseLuis,oftheUpperCuao,1977]

He was born inside the nucleus of the seeds of cotton inside Mæriweka, [the mountain house of the gods] inside Mæriweka is the waterfall, MæreyaHe was born inside the seed of this waterfall inside the seed of RuwæireHe grew, and lived, an invisible man. He never dies.He was born within Anemei’s purutsokinya [his crystal womb boxes of origin] [here there was] Anemei’s jaguar roar (huruhuru) purutsokinya [here there was] Anemei’s insect biting, powerful brilliant light [here there was] the brilliant light of Anemei’s fossilised stone [here there was] Anemei’s brilliant light to combat the forces of illness He was born inside these boxes of origin.He names the skies There were born the skies of the Grandfather of Anemei These boxes belong to the Grandfather of Anemei These waterfall skies were born.Anemei was born within these skies, and lived there. He had no shadow He had his own light that came from within himself

12 Joanna Overing

He had the sounds of music He had the powder to be used to combat rain He had the force not to receive illness, and the force to combat illness. He had no dirt He was clean He had no shadowWahari [creator god of people] had seen the entire world through his sorcery but he could not see Anemei Anemei lived inside the boxes of his Grandfather He had no dirt He had no shadowAnemei lived first at Nyuema [mountain house of gods] inside the waterfall, Mæreya Inside Ronyetuwæ he lived within the mountain Ronyetuwæ and inside the mountain Rækinya’a inside Rækinya’aHe lived inside the mountain(s).He lived behind the waterfall where it was fresh.When Wahari gazed at the mountain he could only see the waterfall. no reflection of Anemei was there. Anemei was invisible He still lives He is a man who never dies He thought about lifeAnemei thought through his heart and heard through his heart, not from beyond it. He never dies He lives together with the world He never disappears.

There is exegesis from various sources, for instance from chanters.However,inworkingwiththeyoungman,Antonio,onPiaroavocabularyandgrammar,moreaboutthewordsofthechantwasexplainedtome.Wewerediscussingamythicevent,oneof thevignettesonWahari,creatorgodofpeople,stealinggoodthingsforthePiaroa,tocreateacomfortableworldforthem.Antoniotoldmethefollowing:

WaharisawthecrystalboxofAnemei,andopenedit.InsidewasAnemeiwith allhispowerful brilliant light. Andalso all thewordsof the chants(huruhuru)werethere.Anemeiescapedwithhissongs,butWahariwasabletostealsomeofhismightylight.Hethenwasabletocreatehisownsongs,likeafruit-ladentree,fromthebitoflighthestole,lightimbuedwiththeforce of breeze behind the waterfall. Wahari also blew the light into theworld.HeformedthelightoftheworldwithAnemei’slight.Thiswasthelightoflife,andthelifeofchanting(kækwæwhæ menye).

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 13

However these songs ofWahari were grotesqueries, too strong andwild,likesomanyofhisothercreationswhentheywereachievedduringboutsofextremehubrisandparanoia,ashethievedtocreatewondersforhisPiaroapeople.Shamansnowreceive,bitbybit,thecleanandbeautifulsongsofAnemei.Theyreceivethemasagift,andwithhispermissiontousethem.Theyarethesongsthatareessentialtotheirculinaryarts. LetuslookcloseratthewordsofthechantonAnemei.Withinthecrystalboxis“preciouslight,”and“preciousair.”First,thislightofAnemeiis so bright you cannot approach it. It is light that will blind. It canburn.Anemei’slightisalsonamed“thelightoflife”(kækwæ moro).Thisispuzzling,forKækæewæsignifies“thelifeofthesenses.” Itdoesnot,asonemightexpect,carrythenameof“lifeofthoughts”(ak’waru).11Here,itishighlightedthattheforceofthesensesalwaysplaysanimportantpartin human“ways of knowing” (see Santos-Granero intra). Second, thispreciouslightisalsosaidtobe“thelifeofchanting”(kækwæwhæ menye).Itisthelifeofwords.ThesensorycapacitiestosingandtospeakaremadepossiblethroughAnemei’spreciousgiftoflight. There is also Anemei’s gift of air (breathing, breath). The life ofchantingiscreatedthroughtheairthatcomesfromthebreezeofMæreya,Anemei’swaterfall,withinthemountain. Hakwauwha Mæreya[insidethewaterfall,Mæreya]isthenameofthesoundofthewaterfall:breathingandhearinginvokedasaunit. Hakwauwha Mærapa[insideMærapa]isthesoundoftheairbeneaththemountainofMæriweka.Itistheforceofairthatexistsbeneaththeearth.Wearebeingintroducedtospatialambiguity:theairbehindthewaterfall,highinthemountains,andtheairbeneaththemountain. Providingmoreambiguity,shamanssaythatthisairthatcomesfromthebreezeofthewaterfallMæreyaisalsothelightofsorcery.Itiscalledmæripa moro.ThesingerisprotectedbythislightthathereceivesfromAnemei. It comes to live within the chanter. He is able to see, withthis light,which animal is sending illness, andwith ithe is able to seetheworldsthroughwhichhetravels.Theimagerysuggeststhecrossingoverofairandlight,withthetactileandthevisualtranslatingintooneanother,evokingeachother,timeandagain.ThroughouttheimageryofPiaroanarrativegenres,suchcrossingoverofthesensesbecomescriticaltounderstandingthestorytold,andwaysofknowingexplored.12

Benevolent Anemei still sings. He sang, and he sings, for Piaroapeople. He isverybeautiful. Hewearsmany,manybeads. Wherehesang there are many rooms of beautiful colors. The traveling shamanscanseethisbeauty.PiaroachanterssingthesongsAnemeisang,andstillsings.Becauseofhissongs,heiscalled“TheMasterofalltheFoodintheWorld.”Yetanothersensorycapacity—eating—isintroduced.Without

14 Joanna Overing

Anemei’ssongs,Piaroacouldnoteatanimals.Some“thinkers”thereforesay they think about Anemei more than any of the other gods. He istheonewhofirstsawanimalsasvegetables.ThePiaroathereforecanbevegetarians because the shamans, through their singing of the songs ofAnemei,transformgameeachnightintosweetpotatoes.13Theydothistomakegamesafetoeat,forthegameanimalswereoncehumans.(Wahari,towardtheendofmythictime,inhisgreatestactofmadtreachery,invitedthepeopleoftheforesttoagreatfeast.There,hegotthemverydrunk,and thenproceeds to transform them intogame.) Thishumanpastofgameanimalsmakesthemworrisomeandverydangerousforeating.Theartsoftheculinarymakesucheatingsafe. Theshamanicthinkersarealwayslearning,throughthehelpoftheirhallucinogens.Inordertolearn,thethinkermusthearthemanysoundsofthewaterfall,forthesongsoftheTianawagods14comefromit.Tobepowerfultheymustalsosee thebeautifulsoundsofthewaterfall.Inthiscase,thevisualtakesprecedenceovertheauditory.Nevertheless,wefindthatsuchhearingandseeing,soundandsight,intheirownways,crossovertotranslateintoeachother.Tohearandtoseethesoundsofthewaterfallhaseffect intheworld,asamighty increaseceremony. Thecompetentsingermustalsohearandseeallthesoundsofanimals,andalsotheflutesoftheanimalsownedbythe(sortofhuman)grandparentsoftheanimalsbeneath theearth. In sodoing, thechanterbecomes, likeAnemei, the“MasterofFoodoftheWorld.”However,eachPiaroaritualissaidtobeanincreaseceremony,whichisparticularlysignificantfortheyoungmenwhotakepartintheirfirstritualthatendowstheirhuntingabilities.Iftheinitiateisabletoseeandhear,asdoestheshamaninstructor,ifheisabletoexperiencethecrossingoverofhearingandseeingofthebeautifulsoundsofthewaterfall,andthoseoftheflutes,thenhetoowillbeabletoeatasa“Masterofallthefoodoftheworld.”Thishearing,seeing,eating,andalsosinging,becomesaunitofsensoryforce. The ritual for becoming a hunter, and also for acquiring shamanicpower,usuallypertainstomen,andistomenaspregnancyistowomen.The forest ismade fertilewithanimals,andthemenacquire theirownfertility. For men, as for women, such powerful fertility is personal toself,andmustnotbespokenoftoothers. ParallelisminthegenerativeprocessesofmenandwomenisastrongthemeinPiaroanarrativeimagery,andalso in their ritualprocedures, and thusan issue tobe raisedagainbelow. Finally,wefindtheconnectionbetweenhuntingandsinging,whichis translated into Anemei’s “ethereal power” of huruhuru, his force of huruhuru.Huruhuru istranslatedvariouslyasvoice,language,thesoundof

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 15

peopletalking,peoplesinging,andpeoplelaughingtogether.Itisusedforeach,and,categorically,forall,itisapotentsplendorofsound.Huruhuru isthemightyroarofjaguar,thelifeforceoftheculinaryarts! Shamans explain that their voice box is a flute. This flute is verybeautifulandprized.Itcontainsthesoundsoftheirchants.Itisthelifeforceofthesesongs,a’kwaru menye,andassuchendowsa“lifeofthoughts”toshamanicchanting.Withoutit,apersoncanonlydobrute,things—kill,devourthrougha“lifeofthesenses”alone,engageinpureanimalbehavior.Yet,thisfluteiscalledthe“jaguar of songs.” Itsforceishuruhuru,thejaguar’sroar (or,theforceofair).Inordertoengageproperlyintheculinaryarts,thelifeofthesensesandthelifeofthoughtsmustbeconjoined. Thespiritofsongsiscalled“thespiritofhunger”(au tui sa).Itisaspiritofpowerfulthoughts,andcomesfromthebreath(asAnemei’sbreeze).Itemergesatthedeathofasingerintheformofjaguar,apredatorwithouta“lifeofthoughts.” This jaguarsoulemergingfromtheshaman’sbodyguards the beautiful flute of many colors that emerges from the larynx(OveringandKaplan1987;Overing1993).Inlife,Tekwæistheshaman’sspiritoffighting,thespiritofthehallucinogensthechanteruseswhenhesings.Words,language,song,laughterareallformedfromthebreezeofAnemei’swaterfall:huruhuru, jaguar’sroar. Thesongs(imenye)giventotheshamanchantersbyAnemei,Cheheru,andYubaeku,thegreatestoftheTianawagods,arebattlesongs,songsofthethinking,acting,mightypredator.Theymakecivilizedeating—theculinaryarts—possible.15

Ashaman’s song dwells in theheart. He thinks these songs in theheart,asAnemeidoes.Tothinkthesesongsthroughthehead,andnottheheart,wouldbedangerous.

A BRIEF COMPARISON OF THE GENRES OF THE SUBLIME AND THE GROTESQUE

Upon reflection we find that the ethereal imagery that describesAnemeiandhispowersrelatedirectlytoallthoseambiguitiesthatareahallmarkofthegenreofgrotesquerealism.InthechantofAnemeiwefindagrandambivalenceofthesenses,agiddinesstotheirinterplay.AsTaussigobservesofvisionsministeredbyhealersintheUpperAmazon,there is a “medley of the senses bleeding into each other’s zone ofoperations”(1993:57).Thereis,forPiaroashamans,thecrossingofseeing,hearing,breathing,andallwithtactileexperience,suchaseating.Thereisthemergingoflightandairwiththesingingword,andofthoughts,words,songs,andactions. Forhumansalive, there isalways suchambivalence

16 Joanna Overing

atplay.Thetwogenresareinextricablylinkedinotherways.Throughboth,thechanterisunfoldingwaysinwhichbodilyprocessesandsensorylifeareintimatelyinvolvedinwaysofknowing.Bothareaboutusingtheculinaryarts. In other respects the genre of the sublime contrasts greatly withgrotesquerealism.Forinstance,thereisnodisplayandnoimageryoftheludicinthesublime.Thechantermakeslittleuseofthecomicpoeticsthatare integral tomost shamanicoralperformances. Ingrotesque realism,theslapstickelementissostrongthattheaudiencecaneasilyvisualize,incaricature,thecomicanticsofpowerfulgods(whereas,incontrast,withthesublime,oneenvisionsthestillnessoftheetherealAnemei).Theaudiencecanlaughattheinevitablebackfiringeffectsofallthathubris,madness,andwrath.Intheend,theseeffectswillmakelifeforthePiaroaratherdifficult. Chantersmakedeliberateandinterestinguseof irony,parody,andtheabsurd,genresthatarealsoprizedineverydayverbalplay. In the chants, grotesque realism isused for exploring the effectsofcertain appetites and bodily processes on ways of knowing: the vaginableeding,ass shitting,assbleeding,ass farting, tonguebleeding,armpitssweating, pus dripping, mouth vomiting. In contrast, the genre of thesublimeproclaimsthepossibilityofthepoetry,power,andetherealbeautyof sensual capacities in their contributions to ways of knowing: eyesseeing,earshearing,mouthsinging.Grotesquerealismcenters,moreorless,onthelifeofthesensesastheyrelate,oftenperversely,topowerfulandpoisonousbodilyprocesses,especiallyofthefertilenetherparts.Incontrast,thegenreofthesublimefocusesonthelifeofthesensesastheyrelatetothefertilepowersoftheupperbody,makingpossible,forexample,theverbalarts.Bothgenresareconcernedwiththeimplicationsfor the human conditionofthemighty,mismanagedmodesofcreativepowerletlooseinmythictime,andwhichtodaymustalsobeusedbyPiaroaintheirownculinaryarts.Thisisthedilemmaforhumanbeings.

THE WORK OF THE GENRE OF THE GROTESQUE REALISM

There aremany reasons that thegenreof thebawdygrotesque is apowerful pedagogical tool for portrayals of, and reflections upon, manyhometruthsofthehumanconditionfromaPiaroapointofview.Bakhtinspeaks(1968:4)ofthephilosophicaltruthsdisclosedbythegenre,andtheoriginalityandterrorofitscomicimagery.Howeverstrangethegrotesqueworldmightbe,itisneverthelessourworld.Itunravelsallkindsoftruths

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 17

wemightotherwisenotsee(Bakhtin1968;Thomson1972;Berger1997).Thereareitsparadoxesandironies,itsanimalpeopleandothermonsterswherenothingisclearlythisorthat.Itplaysonconfusion,andtheinterplayofthemonstrousandtheludicrous. Another aspect of grotesque imagery that Bakhtin dwells upon,especially relevant to the chant narratives of Piaroa shamans, is its“bodiliness.” In grotesque realism, Bakhtin (1968:26) observes, thebodyisopen.Therearenoclearboundariesbetweenbodiesorbetweenbodies and theworld (Bakhtin1968:26). There is the everunfinished,ever-creatingbody,andthebodyasaprincipleofendlessdegeneration—always twinned with regenerative reproductive abundance. A leadingtheme is this fertility of bodily life, particularly of its nether parts(Bakhtin 1968:27). There is the emphasis on apertures or convexities,on genitals, noses, assholes (Bakhtin 1968:4). Such imagery is normalto the poetics of the Piaroa chanter. The use of this genre allowsthe shaman chanter, and his audience, to reflect upon the elusive“world-openness”oftheirownbodies.Itisanimagerythatallowsthemtoacceptandtakeresponsibilityfortheconsequencesoftheirowncorporality,being ever entwined with destructive, abusive, and strange mythscapeevents.

POISONOUS FERTILITY, ORIFICES EXPELLING

In narrations of Piaroa shamans, the creation of the great arts oftheculinaryisataleofpoison,theusesofpoison,anditsmisuses.Thisrelationshipof theculinaryarts to toxicity isnotunusual inAmazonia.Theydependupontheknowledgeableuseofpoisons.AsGuss(1990:105)remindsus,theactivitiesofacquiringfoodinAmazoniaaredominatedbytheneedtocontrolandmasterpoisons.Theplants,themselves,areoftenpoisonous,withthetransformationalskillsofcookingbeingnecessarytodispeltheirdanger.ForPiaroa,theanimalsofthejunglearepoisonous,andrequireshamanicskillstotransformthemintoedibleform.Thereisthecurareusedtohunt,andthepoisonsusedtostunfish.InAmazonia,waysofknowing(theculinaryarts)arealwaysinvolvedinthepoisonous.Togobeyondtheobvious—tounderstandAmazoniantheoriesofpoison—wemustexploreepistemologicalmatters,suchasindigenousexplanationsoftherelationofknowledgetopoison.16Wemayaskhowdoespower—thecapacitytoactinthisworldashumanbeings—relatetopoison?Howdoesthecorporealrelatetotheepistemologicalinthisquery? Attheheartofall thisquestioningisthematteroftherelationship

18 Joanna Overing

of poison to fertility. In Piaroa narrations, we find that the powersrequiredforcreationwere,fromtheverystart,poisonous,afactthatgivesadistinctiveedgetomythic-timeevents.Bodieswere,andstillare,everopentoallthispoison.Poisonismighty,itisfertile,anditcankillyou.Ithastremendoustransformationalpower(Belaundeintra).Theculinaryarts were originally created through the most powerful and poisonoushallucinogensoftheuniverse,comprisedofvulturedownandcentreofthesunrust.Kuemoi,theauthorofthesecreations,wassopoisonedbythemhebecameadiabolical, crazy tyrant,everplottinghisnextcannibalisticdinner(Overing2004a,2006).Asthegenerativepowersoftheculinaryartsincreasinglycontaminatedcreationtimeendeavors,thepersonalwillsofitsinhabitantsbecamemaddenedbythem.Intheend,allsocialrelationshipsweresopoisonedthatcommunitysetagainstcommunity,devouringeachotherthroughKuemoi’spredatory,culinaryforces.Thus,inPiaroatheory,allissueoftransformativepowermustbecarefullycleansedofitspoisonbeforeitcanbebeneficialforhumanuse. Guss (1990:105–106) says that Yecuana understand poison as anintegratingagentoftransformationthatcaneitherbegenerativeofnewformsof lifeandcapacitiesorcausedeath. This isan importantpoint.Thisnotionofpoison,inAmazoniantheory,tendstopowerfullyuniteanarrayofideasrelatingtothepolaritiesoflifeanddeath,curingandkilling,fertilityandsterility,powerandfrailty,andknowledgeandignorance.Itispreciselytheinterplayofsuchpolarities—theirongoingsyntheses—thathasgenerativeanddegenerativeforce.Poisonisdeadly,anditendowslife.Theambiguityofsynthesisisalwaysthere,aswillbeseenthroughouttheremainderofthisdiscussion. Ethnographic detail is crucial to understanding these clusters ofideas,whichalwaysrelatetothetwinningofgenerativewithdegenerativecapacities. For instance, Guss (1990:106) tells us that Yecuana applythetermsforpoisonanddeathtoimageswovenintoshamanicbaskets,signifyingthelifeanddeathpotenciesofitemscontainedwithinashaman’spouch.ForPiaroa,thefacepaintofwoman(signifyingtheirknowledgeoftheirownmenstrualprocesses,andtheirmightytransformationalpowers)is called k’erœu,whichproclaims sunstroke (poisonedby the rustof thesun),andalsothedreadedillnessofparanoiaandtyrannythatbefellthecreatorgods.Thesyphiliticboilsofthebrainofanoldshamanhavethesame name—iwá mæruwa (menstrual blood sorcery)—as the beautifulfacialpaintmarksthattellofawoman’sknowledgeofhermenstruation.AsGussnotesoftheYecuana:“Humansmustincorporate[death]intotheirverybeingiftheyaretosurvive”(1990:93)orreproduce.ForPiaroaandYecuana,itcanbesaidthattheactivityof“culturing”islikeanunfinished,

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 19

poisonoussymphony,and,asGusssuggests,“aworkofartnevermeanttobecompleted”(1990:67). Thisdailyactofengagingintheculinaryartsissometimesmorelikeahighwireact.Itentailsthecopingofopenbodieswiththepoisonsofbodily process, and with other people’s bodily processes as they engageindaily tasks. ForPiaroa, the evidenceon certainpoints became clearandconsistent,fromtheirchanting,fromeverydayverbalplay,andfromanimated exegesis. First, the creative, fertile processes of the culinaryarts require artful engagements with poison. Second, because of suchengagementwiththepoisonous,thereisthesexuality,fertility,andpossibleperversityofallsensoryfunctionsandexcretionsofthebody.Poisonousbodilyexcretionswereamaintopicofeverydayconcern.InthefirstdaysofmyfieldworkwithPiaroa, Iwaswarnednot to stepon theurineorexcrementthatanimalsleftbehindonjungletrails.Althoughtheshamantransformsthefleshofanimalsintovegetablefood,makinggamesafeforhumaneating,theanimalsalsopasstheirdiseasestohumansthroughtheirexcretions,which includesnot onlyurine and excrement, but also theirbloodandtheirglandularodors. Chantsdwellatlengthontherelationbetweentheprocessesoffertilityandpoisonousdisease.Bothinvolvetheexpellingofbodilyfluids.Thefollowingstory,fromachantonWahari’screationof“sweetfruits,”playswith themesof strangepregnancies, the fertileeffectsofexpelling frominappropriateorifices,fertilebleeding,andfertileurinating. Bleeding—theexpellingofblood—appearsasaverypowerfulconduitofbothfertilityanddisease.Thefollowingisthechantthroughwhichtheshamanmakesbothwildandcultivatedsweetfruitssafeforeating.Theyotherwisecouldcausebadstomachaches:

Sweet Fruits and the Origin of Stomach Ache[takenfromavignetteofachantsungbyCarlos,atMapuræka,1968]

Wahari,thecreatorgodofthePiaroa,couldnotgetsweetfruitsfromKuemoi,whowasthecreatorgodoffruit.SoWaharidecidedtocreatehisown.Hegrewatreefromhisownstomach(fromhallucinogenshetook,poisonedbyKuemoi.)Hegotalotofnicefruitfromthistree.Hetravelledaroundwithhistree,upanddowntheOrinocoRiver,feastingonfruit.Whenheateitallup,hereturnedtohisrapidsbelowPuertoAyacucho,waitingformorefruittogrowonhistree.Meanwhile,awomannamedParubuAwehtuwa’hu(aspiritofthedead)heardaboutthisfruit,andwantedtotryit.AbirdoftherivercamebyandtoldherwheretofindWahari.Shetravelledtotherapidsandfoundhim.Shebeggedhimtogiveheroneofhisfruitstosample.Sheirritatedhim,soheanswered,“No!Youcan’thaveany.Thisisbecausewhen

20 Joanna Overing

IeatthisfruitIalwaysgetthefeverofwomen—aswollenbelly,pains,blood”(hewaslying,ofcourse).“Thisfruitistoodangerousforyou,”hesaid.Sheinsistedshewantedtotryitanyway.SoWaharirapedher.Thenhejustleft.Buttheeventhadrepercussions.Hisrapeledtoafertileimpregnation,ofsorts.Thewomanalmostgotwhatshewanted,forthisfruitofWaharigrewinherbelly,andshebloatedupandup,untilsheurinatedblood.Shejustcouldnotstopbleeding.Shewasinterriblepain.Shetravelledupriverfromoneplacetothenext.Wherevershestopped,herbloodfellontheground,andatalltheseplacessweetfruitsgrewwild!And,fromthattime,allpeoplewhoeatunripefruitsofthejungleandofthegardenswillsufferfromabadstomachache.Theywillbeinterriblepain.

Inmythictimes,youneverknewwhatwouldbetheresultsofyourfertileejaculating,peeing,andbleeding. Suchexpellingwasfromavarietyoforificesandorgansof thenetherparts. Here,wehave the imageofbloody urinating that creates all the sweet fruits of the jungle and thegardens. However, in this story it isnotalways clearwhichorgansareexactlyinvolved.ThereiscertainlytheactivityofWahari’spenis,andofhispregnantstomach,whichexpelledafruittree.ThereistheperformanceofParubu’surinarytract,butwhetherthegestationoffruitoccurredinherwomborherstomachisnotclear.Itisalsonotobviouswhethertherapeinvolvedhervaginaorherrectum.Wecan,nevertheless,begintounderstandthelinkagemadebetweendigestionandtheprocessesofgestation,anotunusualthemeinbegettingactivitiesofthegods.Forinstance,theetherealTianawa gods spend their time inhaling powerful hallucinogens, whichwhendigestedorgestatedintheirbellies,aredefecatedaschildrengods.Similarly,inthestoryofsweetfruits,thepoisonoushallucinogensWaharidigestsinhisstomacharetransformedintohisfruittree,akindof“treeoflife.”Therewereno“normal”procreativeactsinmythictime. In this vignette on theoriginof sweet fruits,we are providedwithimagerythatistypicalofgrotesquerealismpoetics.Butallisnotevidentin this tale. Its ambiguities are plentiful. There are the open orificesand very active nether parts, giving expression to a profusion of fertilepossibilities.Doestherapecausethespiritwomantosuffermenstruation?Isshepeculiarlymiscarrying?Thereisalsomonstrousbehavior,thewildandstrangegenerativeactivitiesandprogenyofgodsandspirits:factorswhen combined insisting on the twinning of degenerate process withregenerativeabundance. In time, the listener of shamanic narrations comes to realize thatnarrators are weaving grand, ever-shifting, fractal syntheses that linkpoison, monstrous conduct, and excessive bodily processes, with theculinary arts. The fractal imagery of one narration sheds light on the

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 21

next.Thegiftofthegreatchanteristhebrilliantinterweaving—betweenchants,withinchants,andcondensedwithinthemany-layeredevocativewords of his chant—of fractals (Overing 1990). Thus, the imagery ofthevignetteontheoriginofsweetfruitisbetterunderstoodwhenplacedwithinthecontextofotherepisodes.Thechantbelow,ontheoriginofcurare,isespeciallycompellingtowardthisend.Itcontainsimagerythatdrasticallytransformsanylistener’sformerunderstandingofthegranderschemeofcreationtime. Itspoeticsmakefulluseofthedarkersideofgrotesquerealism,andinsodoingunfoldsanominousoveralldesignofmythic-timehistory.Allnarrativefractalsthatinvolvewaywardexpellingfromtheorificesofthebodyaremadeintellectuallyricherwhenplacedwithinthecontextoftheimageryusedinthenarrationoftheoriginofcurare. Theshaman,JoseLuisSucre,entitledhischantoncurareas“theoriginofmiscarriage,”whichissignificant.ItisyetanotherofthevignettesonthemisadventuresofWahariwhenattemptingtocreatehisownculinaryarts togive toPiaroapeople. Aswith thevignetteon sweet fruits, theimageryofexpellingbloodisanimportantkeytothestory.Thusfurtherlightisshedontheextraordinarycomplexitiesofthelettingofblood.Asnotedearlier,bloodisresponsibleforcirculatingallthoughtsthroughoutthebody.Thus,bloodisalwaysknowledgeableinonewayoranother(seeBelaunde2002, and intra;Brown1985). Blood is also verypoisonous,at least the expelling of blood is. Likewise, curare is one of the mostpoisonousofPiaroaculinarytoolsforbodiesthatareopentotheworld.

The Origin of Miscarriage[basedonthechantofJoseLuisSucre,oftheLowerCuao,in1977]17

Wahari triedtogetsomecurare fromcrazyKuemoi, thecreatorofcurare,but couldn’t. His wife, Maizefood, daughter of Kuemoi, manages to getsome fromher father togiveherhusband. Wahari quicklydiscovers thathisfather-in-lawhadsetyetanothertrapforhim.Theoldmanhadplacedapoisonousstoneinthiscurarethatwouldzapitsusertotheheart,killinghimandtransforminghimintogoodgameforhimtoeat!Wahariwasmadecrazyfromsimplyhandlingthepacket!Maddened,heplotstomakehisowncurarebygoinghuntingforToucan.Hesharpenshisblowgundarts,placinga strong poisonous hallucinogen that he divines from the jungle on theirtips. Hesetsouttohuntwithsomerelatives,andseesToucansittinginatree,happilyeatingitsfruit.WaharishootsToucanwithhispoisoneddart.Woundedandbefuddled,Toucanfliesaroundtheworld,diviningall typesofcurareplants.Whereverhedefecatesandvomits,curareplantsgrow.Hereturnstohistree,andfallsdowndead.

22 Joanna Overing

IntheprocessoflookingfordeadToucan,Waharibecomesreallycrazyandgrippedwitha strongdesire tokillpeople. Hewants tokillhisownbrotherandhis sons-in-law. Wahari setsa trap for them. He transformsdeadToucanintoaliving,dreadful,subterraneanmonster,Tapir/Anaconda,as the tool to kill his relatives. Wahari’s plotting fails and his kin peoplemanagetoescapehisbloodlust,buttheyarethoroughlyterrified.WaharithengoestofetchdeadToucan,andtransformsTapir/AnacondabackintodeadToucanbystrikinghimovertheheadwithhisblowgun.WhenhepicksToucanupbythebill,bloodflowsfromhisanus.HethenliftsToucanupbyhisfeet,andToucanvomitsblood. Wahariproclaims:“Allpeoplewho liveaftermewill suffer from this.Whenmenkillanimalswithcurare,andpeopletheneatthisgame,theywillsufferfromvomitingbloodandbloodflowingfromtheanusandvagina.

ThroughhispoisonousattackonToucan,Waharicreatedthesicknessof miscarriage. It was miscarriage, not curare plants, which Toucancreated. In the storyof sweet fruits, similarly, itwas stomachache thatSpiritWomancreatedthroughherbloodyurinating,notsweetfruitsofthejungle.InherrapebyWahari,SpiritWomanwaspoisonedbyWahari’ssemen,whichhadbeenaffectedbythepoisonoushallucinogenshehadimbibedtocreatehisown“fruittree.”Onceagain,ingrotesquerealism,thingsarenotwhattheyseem.Thechanter,Carlos,hadnotmadecleartomethepunchline.ThevignettesonWahari’screationofhisownculinaryartsareinfactabouthiscreationofthehorridillnessesthatpeoplewouldcometosuffer.Intheend,Wahari,originallyagodofunityandaccord,becameafoolishtyrant,hiswillpoisonedbythedeadlyhallucinogensofKuemoi(Overing2004a). TheimageryofthegrotesqueexpresseswithgreatcolorthisplightofWahari.Overtime,hisbehaviorescalatesinarroganceandviolence.HerefusesSpiritWoman’srequestforfruit,thenherapesandabandonsher.HeintentionallykillsToucantocreatecurareandheplotsthemurderofhisownkinpeople. ItwasWahari’sbadsocialbehavior that instigatedpoisonous, yet fertile, bodilyprocesses inothers. Inboth vignettes,wefindthatinordinateexpellingfromtheorifices—urinatingblood,excretingblood, vomiting blood18—is initiated by Wahari’s violent actions. Theimageryisoffertilerapingandfertilekilling,bothdegenerativeroutestofecundityresultinginunfortunateissue.19

AllofWahari’sattemptstocreatehisowntoolsforculinaryendeavorsfail.Insteadoffireandcurare,hemanagestocreateburnsandmiscarriage,alongwithgonorrhea,paralysis,blindness, skin fungus, and sore throat.Each is poisonous to human sensory capacities, and each work againstconstructiveuseoftheorgansofthesenses.Theysabotageculinaryartsandhealthywaysofknowing.Itwasallofthesediseases,theseperverse

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 23

creationsofWaharithathegaveas“thoughts”totheanimals(replacingtheirownknowledgeofusefulculinaryarts.)Theanimalsnow,throughtheirexcretions, impregnate people withtheseperverseculinaryartsofWahari(Overing2004b).Animal“thoughts”—similartohumanthoughts—arecirculatedbybloodthroughoutthebody.Thisiswhyanimalbloodissopoisonoustohumans.Itcarriestheknowledgeofdisease. WecanbegintounderstandmorefullythereasonsforPiaroagivingimmense importancetothetopicofpoisonousbodilyfluids. They linkthefollowingbodilyprocesses:(1)theperverse,butfertile,excretionsofcreationtime,(2)thedisease-carryingexcretionsofanimals,and(3)thewasteproductsofhumanbeings today. Together, they formapowerfulunitofcorporealtheorythatdealswiththedangeroussensorycapacitiesofnetherpartsforurinating,defecating,vomiting,andejaculating.Again,the imagery evoked is that of endless processes of degeneration andregeneration,digestionandgestation.

EVERYDAY EXCRETING: THE STENCH OF DEATH, THE AROMAS OF LIFE

Thepoisonousfertilityofbodilyfluidsisnotamatterforgodsalone.Asideeffectoflivingwithothersisthateachpersonabsorbspoisonsemittedfromthebodilyexcretionsofthosewithwhomtheylive.Kinspeoplecantherebydangerously impregnate eachother, causing illness,or lingeringweakness (Overing 2004b). Specific linguistic classifications of bodilyemissions, which Piaroa use in everyday talk and also chant language,shedfurtherlightonthisprocessofpoisoning(Overing1986;2006).Ineverydayexpressionallbodilyexcretionscanbelumpedtogetherasi’sœwa, ortreatedseparately,accordingtotheapertureinvolved.Thereare,however,moreinterestingwaysPiaroasubdivideandclassifyexpellingfromorificesofthebody.InthechantonToucan,todefecate,vomit,andejaculatearereferredtobythesameterm,edéku, oredekwa’a,aplayonthefertilizingpowers of bodily expulsions. The suffix used in the second term, wa’aexpressesthestenchoftheseprocesses,thestenchofdeath,theodorofadyingorganism.Likemiscarriage(thetopicofthechant),theexpellingofvomit,excrement,andsemenrelatestodying,butpotentiallyfertiletissue.Infact,thewordformiscarriage,pui’kwa, alsomeansejaculation.Fertilityanddeathareevertwinned.Death’ssignisitsstench.Therefore,itisnotsurprisingthatPiaroaexplainedtomethatwhatisparticularlypoisonousin the expulsionsof poisonousbodilyfluids is their odorofdeath—assshitting,assfarting,urethrapeeing,vaginableeding,armpitssweating,andtonguebleeding.

24 Joanna Overing

Ineverydayverbalbanter,muchfunismadeoffarts(Overing1986;2006), or as Piaroa say, “shit smoke” (tité iso’pha), a phrase made gooduseofinoff-colorjokingtoemphasizetheolfactorypotencyofwaywardfarting.Amongyoungmen,afartcangiverisetointeresting“father-in-lawjokes,”suchas“yourfather-in-lawisshitting!”or“he’sshouting!”or“he’svomiting!”InPiaroalogic,allsuchexpulsionscancrossover,unifiedbytheirviolence,excessiveness,andlackofmasteryofbodilyprocess.Or,thefartermightbeteasedthatheis“vomitinghisfather-in-law!”whichreferstothehallucinogenicdrugstheoldermanuses.Theyoungman’sfather-in-law has greater knowledge than his son-in-law, and thus hisbodily excretions—his knowing sweat, urine, excrement, and farts—aredangeroustothehealthofhisson-in-law,whoislesspowerfulthanhe.Thelad,infarting,isriddinghimselfofsuchcontamination.Suchcleansingof poison gives him strength, a principle that will be further explainedbelow. Conversely, the young man’s “fart-smoke” is dangerous for hisfriends,whoareunwillinglyimpregnated(raped?)byit.Inbreathinghisdeadlyshitsmokethereistransferenceofpoison(thegenerativepowerofhallucinogens)fromhimtothem. A discussion of the work of menstrual bleeding will further clarifythis interplay of the degenerative and (re)generative in the bodilyprocesses of expelling. Both women and men menstruate. A womanhas the transformational knowledge to create babies. It is the fertilityofher“thoughts”thatallowshertodothis. Essentialtotheprocessofachieving sufficient generative power to give birth is her menstruation.Sheisbodilycleansedbyit,andthusmadepowerfullyandproperlyfertile(seeBelaunde, intra). Herbleedingvaginaexpelsalldangerouspoisonsshehasinternalizedeachmonthinthecourseoflivingwithotherpeople.Menstrualbloodissodangerousforothers,particularlychildrenandyoungmen,becausethewomanispowerfullycleansingherselfoftheunmasteredthoughtsshedbyeveryoneelse(aprocesssimilartotheyoungman’sfartsmentionedabove,butmuchmorepotent.)Amenstruatingwomanmustnotcookforthevulnerable,fortheywouldingestthepoisonousodorofherbleeding,whichwouldimpregnateandmakethemill.However,itisthereleasingofthissamebloodthatmakesamenstruatingwomenstrongandknowledgeablyfertile. Again,wehaveatplaytheambiguityofthetwinnedprinciplesofdegenerationandregeneration,thatis,expellingisprocreativeandexpellingcontaminates. Shamans explained to me that much of their transformationalstrengthforshamanicartsisacquiredthroughritual“menstruation.”Insuchmenstruating, they can achieve aspotent, butdifferent, generativecapacitiesasthoseofwomencreatingbabies,althoughitisonlyeverysixmonthsthattheymenstruate.Ashamanconductsaritualwhereheforces

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 25

astingrayspinethroughhistongueandalsothetonguesofhisapprentices.Thus, they“menstruate” through the tongue,not thevagina.20Throughthislettingofbloodtheytoocleansethemselvesmightilyofallthepoisonaccumulated fromtheexcretionsofothermembersof theircommunity,especiallyfromthemenstrualpoisonwomenshed.Asitisforwomen,sothebleedingofmengivesthemgreatstrength,allowingthemtomastertheir own embodied thoughts, so as not to be so dangerous to othersin their own expelling of bodily fluids. It also provides them with thestrengthfortheirdailyshamanicduties.Masculinelettingofbloodfromthetongueisneverthelessverydangeroustowomen.Iftheyshouldseetheceremony,gainknowledgeofitthroughsight,theywouldbecomeveryill,andperhapsdie.Asimilarfatecouldhappentomenwhoviewthebloodofchildbirthorsmellitsodor.Youngmenwhocomeintophysicalcontactwithmenstrualblood coulddieofweakening illness. Seeing, smelling,touching—all sensory means of acquiring knowledge—can also defeat,evenkill,knowledgeableagency,asBelaunde(intra)wouldsay.Menandwomenareequalintheirdangers—aswellasusefulness—tooneanother.Womenhavefertilevaginas.Menhavevaginaltongues.Andthestorygoeson.Allorifices—noses,eyes,mouths,ears,vaginas,anuses—arefertile.Theyarealldangerouslyopentotheworld.Ingrotesquerealismthisstateofaffairsisludicrous,hilarious,butneverthelesspowerfullygenerativeandimpressivelyrisky. Wereturn toamajorprincipleofPiaroa theory that relatesbodilyprocess andknowledge to the two faces of poison as a potent agent oftransformation.Adultexpellingofpoisonousbodilyfluidsfromorificesof the body—vagina bleeding, tongue bleeding, armpits sweating, assexpelling—canbeself-fertilizing.Alltheseaperturesactascreativetoolsforopenbodies. Suchexpellingbecomesan importantoperator in themastery of knowledge. It is the means through which a person shedstoxic unmastered knowledge, which otherwise could make you sick, orevencrazy.Thecuringshamangivesthepatienthallucinogenstoimbibeorinhale,whichtravelthroughthebodyofthepatient,havingtheeffectof giving it a good, thorough cleansing. The ritual concludeswith thepatient violently vomitinganddefecating,which rids thepatientof thetoxinsofunmasteredknowledge.Atthesametime,one’sownexpellingisdangeroustothehealthofothers,whoarevulnerablyopentothepoisonsof another’s excretions. Your kinspeople absorb into their bodies whatyouhavesloughedoff. Iforificesareexpelling, thesensesofothersarereceiving.Noseinhaling,eyesseeing,skinabsorbing,mouthtasting,earshearing—alldangerousdancesofthesenses.Inadvertentseeing,absorbing,tasting,orhearingcanbeverydangeroustothehealth,andforthisreasonpowerfulritualisusuallyheldintheforest,farfromthevillage.Whereas,

26 Joanna Overing

aknowing,intentional seeing,absorbing,tasting,orhearing—wheretheintellect is working with the senses—is what a healthy acquisition ofknowledgeisabout inPiaroaepistemology. Theirrituals,aimingtosetintoeffecttheregenerativefaceofpoison’sagency,makeuseofcleansingprocedures,oracontrolledopeningofthebody,toallowknowingpoisonstoenter it. Inhunting ritual, youngmenundergowaspandpoisonousant rituals, where they are deliberately stung (the body made open) onforehead,cheeks,chestandupperarms.Thepoisonofthesefierceinsectsisdirectedtoentercriticalcorporealareas,whereknowledgeablestrengthisrequiredforthepredatoractivitiesoftheblowgunhunter. Theabsorbingbythesensescan,then,beapositivereproductiveact.ForPiaroa,manyfactorscontributetothecreationortransformationofaperson’slifeforcesovertime.Theactofendowingknowledgeisworkthatprocreates(Overing1985b).Teachingchildrentohearwell,seewell,absorbwell,ispreparingthemtousetheirsensorycapacitiesinthejungleenvironment.Also,onesmellsandinhalesthegoododorsofcookedfood,andofpeoplecreatingfood.Onesees,tastes,andabsorbstheirbeauty—andtheirpotency.Thisforceofbeautyisimportant(Overing1989).Thesensesareworkinginpartnershipwiththought,andthoughtstandingup(tak’wakomenœ)isabeautifulprocess.Peoplearesurroundedindailylifebythebeautifulandknowledgeablecreationsofothers,forexample,theirblowgunsandtraps,combsandhammocks,plantsofthegardens,children,laughterandspeaking,thechantingoftheshaman. Allofthis is tobeabsorbedthroughtheworkofthesenses,andcirculatedbythebloodtoallpartsofthebody.

BACK TO THE GENRE OF THE SUBLIME

Piaroa capacity for regeneration is made possible through their useof their beautiful, cleansedknowledge. This returnsus to thegenreofthe sublime, where the language is lyrical and verses well framed, andwhereemphasisisuponbeautifulandcreativepossibilitiesforlife,ratherthanupongrotesqueriesthatlurkaroundthecorner.Whereasgrotesqueimagery dwells most forcefully on active nether parts, the focus withinthe sublime is uponorgans and senses relating to theupperbody: eyesseeing, ears hearing, mouth ingesting, nose inhaling, mouth blowing.There is the busy interplay of all these senses at work, a dizziness ofupperbodyfunctioning.Thereistheroleoftongue,mouthandlarynx,workingtogether,inspeaking,singing,andblowing.Thesearetheorgansand related sensory capacities uponwhich language and the verbal artsrely. Theyarealso theparticularpowersof the shaman,makinguseof

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 27

thebreezeofAnemeibysinging,speaking,blowing:bysingingAnemei’s“songsof life,”andbyusingAnemei’s“lightof life.” Shamansusetheforceofairfrombeneaththeearth,makinguseintheirtravelsofAnemei’sburning,brilliant,preciouslight,withtheirnosesinhalinghallucinogensandtobacco,theirmouthsingestinghallucinogens,theireyesseeingotherworlds,andtheirearshearinginotherworlds.Eachandallareusingthepotenttransformationalpowers,whichrhetoricandsongbestow. Suchsensualprocessesarepowerfullygenerative.Noseinhalingisamighty tool in shamanicarts,markedby theshaman’snostrilbeing the“vaginalpassageofthenose”(tshímu i’sæ’hu).21Thewoman’svaginaanditspassage iskeri i’sæ´’hu. Inboth instances, the reference topassage isfeminizedbythesuffix“hu,”whichspeaksofthetransformationalpotencyofshamanicinhalingofhallucinogens.Hallucinogensarefertilizing,andthe shaman is willingly impregnated. Similarly, ordinary people smellcookingaromas,andare,withpleasure, impregnated. Theorganofthenoseisanimportantpassageforacquiringknowledge. The chant of Anemei is specifically about the extraordinarytransformationalpossibilitiesthatarelinkedtotheverbalartsofashaman,thelifeofhiswords,hischanting,andhistraveling.Thesourceofsuchbeautiful,brilliantpowersisthecrystalwombboxofAnemei.Thesearealso themostdangerouspowers thathumanscanuse, themostakin tothoseofcreatorgodsintheirmoredestructiveescapades.ThewordsofthesongsmaybethoseofAnemei,buttheyarealsobattlesongsofalifeofpredationthatalsojusthappentobestowthemightoftheculinaryarts,asthecrazypredatorgod,Kuemoi,originallycreatedthem.Theimageryevokesnotjustthesublime,butalsothelifeofamightypredator,withamouthtoingestcarnivorously.Thereisthemight,theroar,andthefoodofthejaguarthattheshamanisacquiring. AllthesepredatorpowersofjaguarremainbeautifulwhileinAnemei’shands,withinhiscrystalboxesoflight,song,andbreeze.TheyaresafebecauseAnemeilivesalone.Heneverhadtodealwithotherbeings.Heis not a social being. He has no lower body desire. He does not eat.Hedoesnotfart,vomit,orexpelexcrement.Hehasnodesiretousehispredatorforces.Hissensorycapacitiesrelatetohisupperbody.Hespendseternitysinginghisbeautifulsongs,evercleaningtheirforce.Despitehispersonalmightiness,heneverparticipatessociallyincreativeprocessesofregenerationordegeneration.Becausehislifeisphysiologicallyrestricted,hehasnogreed. Becausehe liveswithnoone,noone canpoisonhistranquility. Heneverwants tomurder,nordoeshe covet thegoodsofothers. He never lusts for power or sex. He is totally self-sufficient.Anemei isnotahumanbeing. Nordoeshehave thecapacities to livea human sort of life, which is social. He has no reason to misuse his

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beautifulpowers. Theshamanchanter—totheextentthathe,asasocialhumanbeingisable—emulatesAnemei.He,likeAnemei,thinkshissongsthroughhisheart.Eachnighthecleans,withthelightofAnemei,thesongshechants,makingthembeautifulandsafetouse. Hisfluteofthethroatcontainsthebeautiful,knowledgeable songsofAnemei,noother than the songsofthepredator,mademightythroughtheforceofjaguar’sroar,huruhuru.Howdoweinterpretthefunctionofthebleeding,vaginaltongueofthisshamanchanter,whichisnotafeatureofAnemei?Doesit,perhaps,relatetoAnemei’suseoftheforceofjaguarinhissinging?Or,doesitsignifythebloodydevouringmouthofjaguarofthejungle?Neitheranswerwilldo.Rather,themenstrualtonguepertainsdirectlytothehumanuseofculinaryskills. The shaman’s menstruation serves as a social, knowledgeablehuman tool allowing for civilized use of the toxic creations of Kuemoi.Thesamecanbesaidforthemenstruationofwomen.Inbothcasestheindividual,maleorfemale,isnotonlymadepowerfullyfertile,butmostimportantlyacquiresthestrengthtousetheirincreasedgenerativepowerinknowledgeable and socially responsibleways. The carefulmasteryofgenerative power is necessary to humanized culinary arts. When theshamanmenstruates,heshedsthepoisonofKuemoithathe,himself,hasnotbeenabletocleanfromthepotentsongsofAnemei.Becauseofthisprocedure,hedoesnot,inlife,devourlikethejaguarofthejungle. ThecriticalquestionthatchantersraiseinusingthegenreofgrotesquerealismisthatofthesafetyoftheforcesofAnemeiinthehandsofliving,eating,fornicatinghumanbeings!Huruhuru(jaguar’sroar,jaguar’sbreeze)is the most poignant and ambiguous image possible for the humancondition.Huruhuru(“jaguar’sroar”)alsosignifiesspecificwaysinwhichhuman beings—and human beings alone—engage with one another,including people speaking, people laughing, people singing, and peopleeating.Thisisanexistentialsituationthatallowsforthebawdyhumorofgrotesquerealism.TheimageofAnemeiisofpurityandtranquility,animageofperfection,astateofexistenceneverattainablebylivingpeople.Nor would it really be desired. Anemei lives alone. Anemei does noteat, nor make love. For Piaroa, wisdom depends upon understandingthemessagesofbawdygrotesquerealism,withitsplayfulness,bodiliness,ambiguities, andwith itsmessagesofdeathand regeneration. It is thepoisonousculinaryarts thatarebothenablingofacommunityofsocialrelationships,andalso destructive of that life, thatsociability. This isthemiseryofcosmicfolly.Sociablefertilerelationshipsmustreallybeworkedat.Theymustbeknowledgeable.

The Stench of Death & the Aromas of Life 29

NOTES Acknowledgments. Formystudents,who taughtmesomuchover theyears, inparticularaboutthestrongandinterestinglinkbetweensenseandsensibility.

1. As Gow observed (1989), it would be a mistake to equate Amazonianculinaryartswiththenotionof“subsistence”activities. 2.ThetermtaskscapeisusedbyTimIngoldtodescribeanintegrated,wholeexperiencethat includesbothworkandsocialness:“…justasthe landscapeisanarrayofrelatedfeatures,so—byanalogy—thetaskscapeisanarrayofrelatedactivities”(1993:158−162). 3.SeePasses(2000)onspeakingandlaughingaspowerfultoolsofPa’ikwenéculinaryarts.SeeOvering(2000)ontherelationoflaughtertosocialityandworkamongPiaroa. 4.Belaundenotes(intra)thatthenotionoftheembodimentofknowledgethrough the circulation of blood through the body is probably widespread inAmazonia. 5.Londoño-Sulkin(intra)tellsofsimilarideasamongtheMuinane.AlsoseeLagrou(2000),onCashinahuaideasonembodimentofthoughts. 6.SeeLondoño-Sulkin(intra,2000),onsimilarideasamongtheMuinane. 7.Guss (1990),writingonYecuana, relates suchmultipleconnectionsandsynthesisingtotheirweaving. 8.SeeMcCallum (2001)onCashinahuaunderstandingof gender, and itsskills,asembodiedknowledge. 9.ItisDellHymeswhocreatedthesubdisciplineofethnopoetics(seeHymes1981,2003)indemonstratingthepoeticsofNorthAmericanIndiannarrators,anditismydesirethatmyownwanderingsintotheethnographyofpoeticsbea tribute tohisgreatwork. Indisclosing the structuresof indigenouspoetics,hisemphasishasbeenupontheindigenousknowledgeandcreationofthem.Inotherwords, itwas thenarratorswhotaughthim,andhewhothenpassedontheirknowledgeandpracticetous.ItisinlargepartbecauseofthisrecognitionofthevitalimportanceofpedagogythatHymes’workbecamesosignificanttothedevelopmentofanethnographicendeavourworthyofpresentdaypolitical(theydohavepoeticsandtheycreatetheirownstructures),aswellasscholarlystandards. InunfoldingaspectsofPiaroachant language,myowninteresthasnotbeen somuchwith“structures,” butwith the learning and transmittingofindigenousknowledgesmoregenerally.Thistooisapedagogicalpursuit.Itisnotamethodologicalone.Therealquestionishowcanwelearnfromourteachers—indigenous people—to hear, see, and understand their alternative ontologies,metaphysics,andpoliticalandsocialphilosophies.Howcanweslowlygrowintoamentalstatethatallowsustoescapesufficientlyourownwaysofknowing—ourownideasaboutexistenceintheworld—enablingusfinallytobegintounderstandourindigenousteachers?Whilepedagogymakesusequalsinconversation—theyteach us and we then go back home and try to teach as we were taught, thegrandnarrativesofmethodology,inwhichIamnotsointerestedinusing,takefor

30 Joanna Overing

granted,andcreate,politicalandintellectualasymmetrybetweenanthropologistsandindigenouspeople.Asafinal,butnotunimportantpoint,myownteacherswerenotonlythefivegreatshamansIstudiedwith,butalsoalltheotherpeople,youngandold,withwhomI lived. Thisexperienceof theeverydaypoeticsofordinaryconversations, judgements, jokes,andcommentarieswasassignificanttomylearningtohearandsee inaPiaroawayasthemoreformalteachingofshamans. 10. Note the predominance of 3 and 5 line verses, a pattern that Hymes(1981)suggestsmightbewidespreadinAmerindiannarrations. 11.ForfurtherPiaroaexplicationofthedistinctionbetween“thelifeofthesenses”and“thelifeofthoughts”seeOvering(1985a). 12.Taussig,inMimesis and Alterity(1993:57–58),hasrelevantcommentsonthecrossingofthesensesinvisualandnonvisualimagery. 13.The home of Piaroa people is in the Guiana Highlands, where sweetpotatoesgrowwell.Piaroawomengrowmanyvarietiesofpotato. 14.TheTianawaarepresent-day,asopposedtocreationtimegods. 15.Itisnotonlyfromthebodiesofshamansthatsoulsemergeatdeathaspredators.Atthedeathofallmenandwomen,anumberofpredatorsoulsarereleasedfromtheirbodies(seeOveringandKaplan1987;Overing1993). 16.Cf.,Guss (1990)on the importanceofpoison inYecuana theoriesofknowledgeandgenerativecapacity. 17.AlsoseeOvering(2006). 18. Vomiting emerges from the stomach, an organ of the nether parts inPiaroalogic. 19.Cf.Conklin(2001)ontheabdominal“pregnancy”oftheWarikiller,whois“impregnated”bythebloodoftheenemyvictim. 20.MargheritaMargiotti(personalcommunication)tellsmethatCunaspeakofthevaginaljuicesofthetongue.AlsoseetherichdiscussionbyIsacsson(1993)ontheinterestinggenerativeorgansoftheEmberá. 21. See Isacsson (1993) on the concept among Embera of the “vaginalnose.”

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