Customer Reviews

Yuruparí: Studies of an Amazonian Foundation Myth (Religions of the World)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book hoping for a study of the religious beliefs of Indians living in the interior of Brazil. Where did they believe they came from and why are they here? That isn't what this book is about.

The author introduces the reader to four myths the Yurupari Indians tell to explain their social order. Each myth starts out almost exactly the same, with a father urging his young son to become sexually active. The son does nothing, but his two sisters decide it sounds like fun and they go down the river, having various sexual adventures. At the end of each, the father retrieves his daughters and sets rules to govern their (and everyone's) behavior.

To these Indians, nearly everything is a metaphor for sex or genitalia, including washing in the river at dawn, eating ants, etc.

The author presents the oral myths exactly as they are told, first in English translations, then broken down to relay important meanings, then with a word-for-word translation.

Overall, it's an interesting book, despite some academic arguments that make no sense if you haven't read the material the author is referring to.