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

A smaller number of animals, but still amounting to dozens of different species, are
capable of taking human form (ipeganaka matsigenka). The typical scenario is that a human
encounters one of these metamorphosed creatures in the forest and, taking him or her for a
lover, has sex. In addition to deer, kemari “tapir” and tontokoti “screetch owl” (Otus sp.) may
take human form. Tontokoti, in addition to the common pattern of being able to take human
form and kill with a huge penis, has the ability to fly. All of these animals were once human
beings: some were told to turn into animals by unseen ones, others became animals through
events in the past, like the transformation of howler monkey (yaniri) into a shaman (Ch. 4).
The idea of transforming back and forth between animal, human and spirit is completely
natural to the Matsigenka. Children, when playing games, say, “I have become anteater”
(nopegakero shiani), using a similar construction to the phrase, “Anteater becomes human”
(shiani ipeganaka matsigenka). What seems natural to the Matsigenka here is that any being
that had the power would--like a child with fantasies of omnipotence--use that power to
become whatever it wanted to be at any given moment.
If it is necessary for a spirit to become human in order to obtain souls to eat or to marry, then of
course that can be easily done, as easily as a child becomes anteater or jaguar in a game.
In light of earlier discussion, the demon Kogapakori is of particular interest. According
to legend, Kogapakori decided that the poñarona and virakocha had become such a nuisance
that he would kill them all. He ordered his assistant to wake him at a certain time, so that he
could do so. But his assistant neglected to wake him, and so he failed. Otherwise, he would
have killed them all and the Matsigenka would not be bothered with them today. Today, if a
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