Shamanism in Moche Art and Iconography - Maya Exploration Center

nim. lhey are sald to symbollzu the vine. The many littlesnakes transform into one big snake called the Drinking StickSnake who is recognized as the owner of Yage.Since both thesnake and the shaman are the master of Yaqe, the apprenticerealizes that they are one in the same,The snake is then riddento a water tube (Mil1::y Way?) that the shaman goes up into andarrives in heaven with the Sun people, who befriend him(LangdonThis example is important beca~~se it demonstrates that t h ~otherworld is not entirely mysterious but is instead rather wellI.::nown.Shamans and their patients ~[nderstand what they wi 1 l seein trance and know how to interpret it. The Sj.nna examp1.e o? thef:irst vi~jions of the novice duplicating the actions r-ecc'l~.!ntc?d inmyth demnnstr-ates how ,the %me perception o.( the otherwor:ld co~.lld';persist for long periods of time transmitted through oralItradn t~ on.u_sAo_nYworshipped in ancient Moche cultureand he is lor13 o,f the o+.herworld, the master of 5piri.t~. Bensonidentifies him as the Fanged Deity and ancient shamansimpersonated lhirn in costume arid in having attczndants/apprenti~es~Uocapjtiition was done to variqi.~j.sh avenging spirits be+ore theywere created.Prisoners were i~ral.lght to areas where their headsrrn~~ld be i-emoved in si.lch a way that the power of their so1.11,s was