Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center

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assist his side in the battle.Figure 52 is another battle scenein which the only figure in the scene with a jag~lar headdressconjures a spirit to aid his side.The shaman blows into a conchshell over a Nisha Negra plant as a spirit,'throwing a spearmakerializes above him. In Figure 53 a spirit floats over thehead of the opponent of a man who wears the jaguar headdress.This shaman has his weapons held away from tho opponent and looks.up tnwards his protector spirit.These are but a few examples ofa common theme in Moche art in which Moche shaman are depicted anthe process of calling out the spirits.TheDe_~.,s~~tatora.The Decapitator is the name gicen to an individr.lal who isfreq.uently depicted in Moche art.In his most standard pose hestands arms outstretched, a severed head in one hand a tumi knifein the other (Figure 54).Elizabeth Benson notes diffic1.11ty intelling gods apart and considers the'Decapiifator simply theFanged Deity in another circumstance(Benson 1972;JO).Donnanseparates the Decapitator from Benson's Fanged Deity calling it asupernatural being relatod to sacrifice(Alva and Donnan, ..1993; 139). The Decapitator is frequently shown capturing an -opponsnt.In some scenes the opponent is a terrestrialcreature(Figures 55-57), in others the opponent is an oceandweller (Figures 58-62).A1 1 opponents of the Dscapitatnr are%c..~pernatural as evidenced by human limbs on sea creatures and
other indicators.Henson notes that the Fanged Deity asderapit.atc~r taker; many form:;.'The crab is one of the mostfreqr..rent forms taken by theI.nterest:.i ng observat,ionthe Fanged Dt2j.t~ is thecaptures the crab (figurepostulated tl.lst the crab isof the FangedDeity wi.t:h whom he str~rggl edepictions of decapitators captl-ring decapitators seem to SLIP~OItierhypatkiesis(fj.gures 57 and 59). The Nazca "St,orm God" is, ase:.:plairied by modern Nazca V
Page 1: &RH 395Spring 1994
Page 7 and 8: that Elizabeth Nenson called the Fa
Page 9 and 10: connected to shamanism and the call
Page 12 and 13: individuals as the individ~~als on
Page 15: At 10,200.Ft, the site of Chavin de
Page 23 and 24: scenes of prisoners in the process
Page 25 and 26: skeletal death figures(Henson 19723
Page 27 and 28: depicted in association with shaman
Page 29 and 30: that part of the coast.he sacrednes
Page 31: caught in the head.Once trapped, th
Page 35 and 36: 1947 -- Moche - A Pert-~vian Coasta

Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center

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