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Tsentsak
Tsentsak are invisible pathogenic projectiles or magical darts utilized in indigenous and mestizo shamanic practices for the purposes of sorcery and healing throughout much the Amazon Basin. Anthropologists identify them as objects referenced in emic accounts that represent indigenous beliefs. ''Tsentak'' are not recognized in scientific medicine. __TOC__ Etymology The term ''tsentsak'' is derived from the Shuar language, which belongs to the Jivaroan language family. The Shuar are members of the Jivaroan peoples who reside in the Amazon rainforest of Peru and Ecuador. This term is also used interchangeably with ''virote'' (primarily by mestizo shamans), a Spanish term for crossbow bolt which was applied to the blow darts made by the Jivaroans from the spines of the ''Bactris'' and ''Astrocaryum'' palms. Use ''Tsentsak'' are stored by the shaman in his or her ''yachay'', or phlegm, located in the chest and stomach. The ''tsentsak'' are embedded within this phlegm and either ...
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Shuar People
The Shuar are an Indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru. They are members of the Jivaroan peoples, who are Amazonian tribes living at the headwaters of the Marañón River. Name Shuar, in the Shuar language, means "people". The people who speak the Shuar language live in tropical rainforest between the upper mountains of the Andes, and in the tropical rainforests and savannas of the Amazonian lowlands, in Ecuador extending to Peru. Shuar live in various places — thus, the ''muraiya'' (hill) Shuar are people who live in the foothills of the Andes; the ''achu'' (swamp-palm) shuar (or Achuar) are people who live in the wetter lowlands east of the Andes (Ecuador and Peru). Shuar refer to Spanish-Speakers as ''apach'', and to non-Spanish and non-Shuar speakers as ''inkis''. Europeans and European Americans used to refer to Shuar as "''jívaros''" or "''jíbaros''"; this word probably derives from the 16th century Spanish spelling of ''shuar'' (see Gnerre 1973), but has taken ot ...
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Shuar
The Shuar are an Indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru. They are members of the Jivaroan peoples, who are Amazonian tribes living at the headwaters of the Marañón River. Name Shuar, in the Shuar language, means "people". The people who speak the Shuar language live in tropical rainforest between the upper mountains of the Andes, and in the tropical rainforests and savannas of the Amazonian lowlands, in Ecuador extending to Peru. Shuar live in various places — thus, the ''muraiya'' (hill) Shuar are people who live in the foothills of the Andes; the ''achu'' (swamp-palm) shuar (or Achuar) are people who live in the wetter lowlands east of the Andes (Ecuador and Peru). Shuar refer to Spanish-Speakers as ''apach'', and to non-Spanish and non-Shuar speakers as ''inkis''. Europeans and European Americans used to refer to Shuar as "''jívaros''" or "''jíbaros''"; this word probably derives from the 16th century Spanish spelling of ''shuar'' (see Gnerre 1973), but has taken ot ...
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Yachay
is a special type of phlegm generated by shamans and sorcerers of the Peruvian Amazon Basin which is believed to contain the essence of their power in the form of , , darts, arrows, or splinters of bone that are believed to be contained in the phlegm. It is believed that these may be fired from the mouth, and that being pierced by ''virotes'' causes various conditions. These may be removed by a shaman, who sucks them out of the victim's body. Etymology is the Quechua word that means knowledge. It is derived from the verb (know), specifically referring to ritual knowledge. Similarly, the word for shaman is , or one who knows. Mariri is the traditional name for a nature spirit that is believed to live in the phlegm. It is believed that the spirit is fed with tobacco smoke. Shamans believe that they can regurgitate the spirit at will and pass it on to a disciple. The disciple either receives the by swallowing the regurgitated substance from the hands of the shaman or by smoking ...
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Agency (sociology)
In social science, agency is the capacity of individuals to have the power and resources to fulfill their potential. For instance, structure consists of those factors of influence (such as social class, religion, gender, ethnicity, ability, customs, etc.) that determine or limit agents and their decisions. The influences from structure and agency are debated—it is unclear to what extent a person's actions are constrained by social systems. One's agency is one's independent capability or ability to act on one's will. This ability is affected by the cognitive belief structure which one has formed through one's experiences, and the perceptions held by the society and the individual, of the structures and circumstances of the environment one is in and the position one is born into. Disagreement on the extent of one's agency often causes conflict between parties, e.g. parents and children. History The overall concept of agency has existed since the Enlightenment where there was ...
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Ayahuasca
AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descend from the compound Quechua word ''ayawaska'', from ''aya'' () and ''waska'' (). For more names for ayahuasca, see § Nomenclature. is a South AmericanGoldin D., Salani D. "Ayahuasca: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know". ''J. Addict. Nurs..'' 2021;32(2):167-173. . psychoactive and entheogenic brewed drink traditionally used both socially and as a ceremonial or shamanic spiritual medicine among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin, and more recently in Western society. The tea causes altered states of consciousness often known as "psychedelic experiences" which include visual hallucinations and altered perceptions of reality. Ayahuasca is commonly made from the ''Banisteriopsis caapi'' vine, the ''Psychotria viridis'' shrub or ...
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Jivaro Languages
The Chicham languages, also known as Jivaroan (''Hívaro'', ''Jívaro'', ''Jibaro'') is a small language family of northern Peru and eastern Ecuador. Family division Chicham consists of 4 languages: : 1. Shuar : 2. Achuar-Shiwiar : 3. Awajun : 4. Huambisa This language family is spoken in Amazonas, Cajamarca, Loreto, and San Martin, Peru and the Oriente region of Ecuador. Mason (1950) Internal classification of the Chicham languages by Mason (1950): Jolkesky (2016) Internal classification by Jolkesky (2016):Jolkesky, Marcelo Pinho De Valhery. 2016. Estudo arqueo-ecolinguístico das terras tropicais sul-americanas'. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Brasília. († = extinct) ;Jivaro *'' Aguaruna'' *'' Palta'' † *Jivaro, Nuclear **''Achuar-Shiwiar'' **'' Wambisa'' **''Shuar'' Genetic relations The extinct Palta language was classified as Chicham by Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño about 1940 and was followed by Čestmír Loukotka. However, only a few words are known, and ...
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Psychoactive Drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. These substances may be used medically, recreationally or spiritually to a. Purposefully improve one’s perceived performance b. Alter one's consciousness (such as with entheogens for ritual, spiritual or shamanic purposes) or c. For research. Some categories of psychoactive drugs - which are believed, by some, to have therapeutic value - may be prescribed by some physicians and other healthcare practitioners. Examples of medication categories that may contain potentially beneficial psychoactive drugs include, but are not limited to: # Anesthetics # Analgesics # Anticonvulsants # Anti-Parkinson’s medications # Medications used to treat Neuropsychiatric Disorders a. Antidepressants b. Anxiolytics c. Antipsychotics ...
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Astrocaryum
''Astrocaryum'' is a genus of about 36 to 40 species of palms native to Central and South America and Trinidad. Description ''Astrocaryum'' is a genus of spiny palms with pinnately compound leaves–rows of leaflets emerge on either side of the axis of the leaf in a feather-like or fern-like pattern. Some species are single-stemmed, while others grow in multi-stemmed (caespitose) clumps. They are pleonanthic—they flower repeatedly over the course of their lifespan—and monoecious, meaning that there are separate male and female flowers, but individuals plants bear both types of flowers. Taxonomy History The type species, ''Astrocaryum aculeatum'', was first described by German botanist Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer in 1818 based on a specimen from the Essequibo River in Guyana. Species One well known member of the genus is ''Astrocaryum vulgare'', typical in the Pará state of Brazil. '' Astrocaryum mexicanum'', a common palm of the Caribbean coast of Central America ...
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Bactris
''Bactris'' is a genus of spiny palms which are native to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean. Most species are small trees about tall, but some are large trees while others are shrubs with subterranean stems. They have simple or pinnately compound leaves and yellow, orange, red or purple-black fruit. The genus is most closely related to several other spiny palms—''Acrocomia'', ''Aiphanes'', ''Astrocaryum'' and ''Desmoncus''. The fruit of several species is edible, most notably '' B. gasipaes'', while others are used medicinally or for construction. The ancestors of the genus are believed to have entered South America during the late Cretaceous. ''Bactris'' shows high rates of speciation. Description Both stems and leaves of ''Bactris'' species are generally covered with spines. Stems generally bear spines on the internodes; in '' B. glaucescens'' and '' B. setulosa'' spines are also present on the nodes. A few species lack spines on their stems. All species ...
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Blowgun
A blowgun (also called a blowpipe or blow tube) is a simple ranged weapon consisting of a long narrow tube for shooting light projectiles such as darts. It operates by having the projectile placed inside the pipe and using the force created by forced exhalation ("blow") to pneumatically propel the projectile. The propulsive power is limited by the strength of the user's respiratory muscles and the vital capacity of their lungs. History Many cultures have used such a weapon, but various indigenous peoples of Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, North America, Central America (the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala), and South America (the Amazon Basin and the Guianas) are best known for its historical usage. Projectiles include seeds, clay pellets, and darts. Some cultures dip the tip of the darts in curare or other arrow poisons in order to paralyze the target. Blowguns were very rarely used by these tribes as anti-personnel weapons, but primarily to hunt small ...
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Crossbow
A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long firearm. Crossbows shoot arrow-like projectiles called '' bolts'' or ''quarrels''. A person who shoots crossbow is called a ''crossbowman'' or an '' arbalist'' (after the arbalest, a European crossbow variant used during the 12th century). Although crossbows and bows use the same launch principle, the difference is that an archer must maintain a bow's draw manually by pitching the bowstring with fingers, pulling it back with arm and back muscles and then holding that same form in order to aim (which distresses the body and demands significant physical strength and stamina); while a crossbow utilizes a locking mechanism to maintain the draw, limiting the shooter's exertion to only pulling the string into lock and then releasing the shot ...
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Spanish Language
Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Americas and Spain. Spanish is the official language of List of countries where Spanish is an official language, 20 countries. It is the world's list of languages by number of native speakers, second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese; the world's list of languages by total number of speakers, fourth-most spoken language overall after English language, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani language, Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu); and the world's most widely spoken Romance languages, Romance language. The largest population of native speakers is in Mexico. Spanish is part of the Iberian Romance languages, Ibero-Romance group of languages, which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in I ...
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