433 Chapter Seven Cosmos For the Matsigenka of Shimaa, kameti ...

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up the valley slopes. It also captures the major difference between the complex of riverine species and those associated with the rainforest interior. Most often, however, the Matsigenka indicate time and distance with reference to the speaker: “near” vs. “far,” “now” vs. “later today,” etc. Sometimes, speakers will combine distance and direction, as when describing a place as “nearby” while they cradle their right elbow in the palm of their left hand and use their right arm, held straight from elbow to fingertips, as a pointer to indicate direction. Everyday conversation is replete with pragmatic references to spatiotemporal locations of past or future gardens, ideal house sites, fishing spots, fruits in season, and raw materials for manufacture. Time Distance maika now aka, kara here inkara earlier today choeni nearby chapi past few days samani distant, far karanke recent past parikoti elsewhere, foreign land pairani distant past onta there, medium distance paita later today yonta there, far distance kamani next few days impogini indefinite future Table 7.5. Refering to Time and Distance. Most of the counting I observed also applied to living things, especially wild animal foods. When reporting encounters with wildlife, or recounting the story of someone else’s hunt, narrators seemed especially inclined to spell out how many individuals were sighted or bagged, a specificity that was rare otherwise. Usually, general terms like “many” or “few” seemed to be all that were required (Table 7.6). When counting is desired, the Matsigenka count up to three, followed by “many.” Beyond that, people may touch their fingers, folding each one over in turn 442
until the desired number (less than 10) is reached. But that is unusual; more commonly, large quantities are indicated by verbal constructions like itovaiigavagetakara, “plenty of them” (lit. “he-plenties-[plural]-[intensive]”), accompanied by an appropriately excited tone of voice. mameri paniro piteni mavani maani paniropage ainyopage tovaini none one two three little few some many, plenty Table 7.6. Counting. The Living World The Matsigenka draw a fundamental distinction between living and nonliving, based on whether something “has breath.” Earth, water, fire and air, in all their diverse forms, are mere matter: tera ontime aniane “not exist its-breath.” Even though they may be occupied by indwelling spirits, the elements themselves are inert and without spiritual qualities. Rock is just rock, and only a shaman can discern which rocks are inhabited by spirit helpers (inetsane). Fire is simply a property of burning wood, and emphasis is placed on understanding the burning qualities of different kinds of wood to meet various cooking needs. Wind is just wind, although some sudden gusts may indicate the passage of an unseen one (terira ineenkani). Living things have another quality as important as breath: they feel pain (-katsi-) . As Roberto put it, including plants in the generalization, “When you cut them, they hurt.” It is at this point that moral issues (good vs. evil) begin to join the pleasure principle (good vs. not good) in Matsigenka psychology and cosmology. Because animals and even plants can feel pain, it is not 443
Page 1 and 2: Chapter Seven Cosmos Matsigenka rel
Page 3 and 4: egards Tasorintsi as a cover term f
Page 5 and 6: far more quickly than I could write
Page 7 and 8: The Matsigenka world is charged wit
Page 9: Words for smell are often built fro
Page 13 and 14: As I worked in field and forest wit
Page 15 and 16: whose hard outer wood is used in ma
Page 17 and 18: classificatory principle, I was tol
Page 19 and 20: very narrow scope. For example, shi
Page 21 and 22: of about 20 cm in length, whereas o
Page 23 and 24: east stomach heart liver intestines
Page 25 and 26: courteous but distant. They saw the
Page 27 and 28: that the badness of others is linke
Page 29 and 30: worlds, a material world and an “
Page 31 and 32: elief in ghosts or in the return of
Page 33 and 34: (shamans). Since both of the latter
Page 35 and 36: all my skills, knowledge and aspira
Page 37 and 38: (Baer 1979: 110-111). Itinkame look
Page 39 and 40: and came home. That night the serip
Page 41 and 42: pepper is to prevent another snake
Page 43 and 44: “You must spin now,” her mother
Page 45 and 46: leaned the tubers against the wall,
Page 47 and 48: come. But you said, ‘Eat her!’
Page 49 and 50: humans like game or seek them as sp
Page 51 and 52: A smaller number of animals, but st
Page 53 and 54: will kill you so that you cannot pr
Page 55 and 56: garden here. Now, never go upstream
Page 57 and 58: different now, not like the brother
Page 59 and 60: (Shepard 1998: 323-24). If we retur
Page 61 and 62:
illness, and acquire guides for the
Page 63 and 64:
In the folktale, Shintori “Peccar
Page 65 and 66:
A seripigari is seen as a powerful
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wear shining armor and carry large
Page 69 and 70:
Commands are issued over and over w
Page 71 and 72:
cannot escape the human dilemma of
Page 73 and 74:
Matsigenka religion is based on spl
Page 75 and 76:
she will grow up to be one of those
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433 Chapter Seven Cosmos For the Matsigenka of Shimaa, kameti ...

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