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Thursday, May 17, 2012

The A-Z of Luis Alfaro's BRUJA

This glossary was compiled by Whitney Gail Aronson 
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 Acan - the Mayan god of wine. His name means 'belch'. He is identified with the local brew, balche, made from fermented honey to which the bark of the balche tree has been added


Acat -The Mayan god of tattooing. The Maya placed great importance on the process of Tattooing, believing that tattoos in the image of a god would imbue a person with some of that god's power. Because of the importance and difficulty of this art form it was only natural that there was a god responsible for it. Acat was said to bless the ink, needles, workplaces, and steady the hands of the artists for better results.


Aegeus - In Greek mythology, Aegeus was an archaic figure in the founding myth of Athens. The "goat­man" who gave his name to the Aegean Sea was the father of Theseus, the founder of Athenian institutions and one of the kings of Athens


A vieja de Michoacán - an old woman of  Michoacán


Blood and Sin - In Christianity,when Jesus Christ shed his blood, he paid for the peoples’ sins and crimes so that they could be saved. Throughout the scriptures, there are references to blood’s association with sin and atonement. Leviticus 17:11, ...the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
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Blood and bloodletting is also a prominent aspect of ancient Mesoamerican culture. Blood, and by extension the still-beating heart, is the central element in both the ethnography and iconography of sacrifice, and its use through ritual established or renewed for the Maya a connection with the sacred that was for them essential to the very existence of the natural order. 
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At its core, blood sacrifice symbolized the renewal of divine energy and, in doing so, the continuation of life. Its ability of bloodletting to do this is based on two intertwined concepts that are prevalent in the Maya belief system. The first is the notion that the gods had given life to humankind by sacrificing parts of their own bodies. The second is the central focus of their mythology on human blood, which signified life among the Maya. Within their belief system, human blood was partially made up of the blood of the gods, who sacrificed their own divine blood in creating life in humans. Thus, in order to continually maintain the order of their universe, the Maya believed that blood had to be given back to the gods.


Bruja - (“witch”) The brujería of Hispanophone America is a combination of Spanish and the indigenous people of those regions (predominantly Mesoamerican and other South American indigenous regions), so it is heavily influenced by ancient paganism.
Further south of that region, brujería is diverse, from a similar mix of indigenous and Spanish culture, to the European styles found in Argentina and Uruguay. In these latter countries, brujería often takes on Christian, specifically Catholic, influences.
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However, the term bruja/o has just as many negative connotations as does its English counterpart 'witch'. To refer to somebody as a bruja/o is often to label them an 'evil doer'. So most South Americans of European descent refrain from using it in reference to themselves. Some of these people have adopted the term curandero (shaman), a family reference, or simply no term at all. In Spain and European descendant South Americans, the witch is considered by many to be fictional. In contrast, brujos from Central America or the north of South America are usually respected and are sought for healing, divination and spellwork, and can often be found selling amulets openly.  
Curanderismo is also a practice that is distinctive from witchcraft, in that they do not use spells or divination but rather, work as psycho-spiritual healers doing such things as soul retrievals.


Bruja Maldita - evil little witch


Chicharito - Famous Mexican footballer Javier Hernández Balcázar (1 June 1988) is a Mexican footballer who plays as a forward for English Premier League club Manchester United and the Mexican national team.
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(photo from gordonflood.com)
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Hernández plays with his nickname, Chicharito (Spanish: little pea), on his shirt.  His Jersey number is 14.  He is a top scorer and has a large fandom.


Chisme - gossip


Churros - Mexican donut/crawlers
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Cleaver - in this case, probably a machete- a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The name is Spanish, meaning "little sledgehammer." The blade is typically 32.5 to 60 centimeters (12.8 to 24 in) long and usually under 3 millimeters (0.12 in) thick.
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Compadres - friends


Corazon - heart


Creon - In Greek mythology, Creon, son of Lycaethus, was a king of Corinth and father of Hippotes and Glauce, whom Jason would marry if not for the intervention of Medea. Creon is best known in connection with the myth of Jason and Medea mentioned above. He showed hospitality towards the couple, and later expressed consent for Jason to marry his daughter. Ultimately, he fell victim to Medea's subsequent revenge, getting burned to death as he was attempting to rescue his daughter from a similar fate.


Curandero/a - a traditional folk healer or shaman in Latin America, who is dedicated to curing physical or spiritual illnesses. The role of a curandero or curandera can also incorporate the roles of psychiatrist along with that of doctor and healer. Some curanderos make use of simple herbs, waters, and even mud to affect their cures. Others additionally employ Catholic elements, such as holy water and saint pictures. The use of Roman Catholic prayers and other borrowings and lendings are often found alongside native religious elements.


Death Rituals - The Maya dead were laid to rest with maize placed in their mouth. Maize, highly important in Maya culture, is a symbol of rebirth and also was food for the dead for the journey to the otherworld. Similarly, a jade or stone beads were placed in the mouth to serve as currency for the journey. Often, whistles carved from rocks into the shapes of gods or animals were included in the grave offerings to help the deceased find their way to the spirit world. The Maya associated the color red with death and rebirth and often covered graves and skeletal remains with cinnabar. The bodies of the dead were wrapped in cotton mantles before being buried


Desagradecida - Ungrateful


Glauce - Glauce, daughter of Creon. In the traditional Greek myth, Glauce and her father were killed by Medea, who either sent her a peplos steeped in inflammable poison or set fire to the royal palace. In the local Corinthian tradition, Glauce threw herself into a well in a vain attempt to wash off Medea's poison; from this circumstance the well became known as the Well of Glauce.


Hero Twins - The Hero Twins are famous Mayan semi-gods   called Hunahpu and Xbalanque whose story is narrated in the Popol Vuh, “The Book of Council”. The Popul Vuh is the sacred text of the Quiché Maya of the Guatemalan Highlands, and dates to the Early Colonial period. The names of the Hero Twins have been translated as X-Balan-Que “Jaguar-Sun”, or “Jaguar-Deer”, and Hunah-Pu, as “One Blowgunner.”
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Although the Popol Vuh dates to the Colonial period, the Hero Twins have been identified on painted vessels, monuments, and cave walls dating to the Classic and Preclassic period. Hunahpu is always illustrated with black spots on his right cheek, shoulder and arm;  and Xbalanque, has patches of jaguar skin on his face and body. The Hero Twins are strongly associated with Mayan ball games.


Hierba Buena - mint


Jason - was an ancient Greek mythological hero who was famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. His name means “Healer.” He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus. He was married to the sorceress Medea.


La Cocinera - the cook


La Muerte - death


Las Vecinas - the neighbors


Locura - madness


Mango - Besides their popular use in treating malaria and digestive disorders, extracts of mango and pineapple have been found useful in diabetes, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, ulcer, among other diseases.  Mangos come in many shapes and sizes, but the most important thing is that they are always available in San Francisco, regardless of the season.


Mayan Cinta Scarf - traditional Meso-American headscarf
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Mayan Music - The music that was central to pre-Columbian Maya culture still remains a bit of a mystery today. On the other hand, many aspects of Maya music have come to light from archaeological discoveries, ancient Maya murals, and ancient Maya texts. It is evident from these sources that music played a key role in the expressive arts of Maya culture. Music served many functions in Maya society.
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It is believed that musicians played a part in many ceremonial functions in ancient Maya culture. In various funeral ceremonies, it is believed that a procession of drum and flute players would follow the casket of important women, filling the air with a gloomy and natural tune. After the casket is laid, the musicians would then cast their instruments, breaking them in the tomb just before it is sealed.
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Music also filled the halls of Bonampak after victories of war. In the ancient murals of the Maya city, conch trumpet players are depicted playing for the leaders of their city after a successful campaign.
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There were several classes of instruments in Mayan culture: Percussion instruments of the Pre-Columbian era included mainly drums and maracas, mostly wood and occasionally tortoise shell. Archaeological evidence from the Pacbitun site also shows that sophisticated forms of maracas along with the small balls inside the hollow maracas were actually crafted in fired ceramic materials.
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In the same find, archaeologists discovered additional ceremonial flutes and ocarinas. Similarly crafted out of fired ceramic, the flutes and ocarinas of Pacbitun represent the most extravagant and unique collection of Maya instruments. While most flutes and ocarinas of their time consisted of bone, wood, or reed material, this unique collection sheds light on the important aspect of music in Maya culture. No remnants of pre-Columbian stringed instruments were found until archaeologists discovered a jar in Guatemala, attributed to the Maya of the Late Classic Era (600–900 CE), depicting a stringed musical instrument which has since been reproduced. This instrument is astonishing in at least two respects. First, it is the very few string instruments known in the Americas prior to the introduction of European musical instruments. Second, when played, it produces a sound virtually identical to a jaguar's growl.


Medea - is a Colchian woman in Greek mythology. Her name means “Cunning.” She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. 
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In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of Corinth, offers him his daughter, Glauce. The play tells how Medea avenges her husband's betrayal.


Mi Reina - my queen


Muy guapo - very handsome


Nahuatl - Nahuatl is an Uto-Aztecan language spoken by about 1.5 million people in Mexico. The majority of speakers live in central Mexico, particularly in Puebla, Veracruz, Hildago, San Luis Potosi, Guerrero, Mexico (state), El Distrito Federal, Tlaxcala, Morelos and Oaxaca, and also in El Salvador. There are smaller numbers of Nahuatl speakers throughout the rest of Mexico, and in parts of the USA.  
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There are numerous dialects of Nahuatl, some of which are mutually unintelligible. Most Nahuatl speakers also speak Spanish, with the exception of some of most elderly.
Classical Nahuatl was the language of the Aztec empire and was used as a lingua franca in much of Mesoamerica from the 7th century AD until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The modern dialects of Nahuatl spoken in the Valley of Mexico are closest to Classical Nahuatl.


Nuestra Tierra - our land


Poc-ta-Pok - A family of related Maya ball games in which players were sacrificed to the Gods. In general, the hip-ball version is most popularly thought of as "the" Mesoamerican ballgame.
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Researchers believe that this version was the primary version, but ample archaeological evidence exists for games where the ball was struck by a wooden stick (e.g. a mural at Teotihuacan shows a game which resembles field hockey), racquets, bats and batons, handstones, and the forearm, perhaps at times in combination.
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The various types of games each had its own size of ball (made of rubber), specialized gear and playing field, and rules.


Por que yo soy Bruja - Because I am a witch


Serpent - Many different Mesoamerican ethno-political groups have worshiped Quetzalcoatl, the feathered Serpent deity. The existence of such worship can be seen through studies of iconography of different Mesoamerican cultures, in which serpent motifs are frequent. Based on the different symbolic systems used in portrayals of the feathered serpent deity in different cultures and periods scholars have interpreted the religious and symbolic meaning of the feathered serpent deity in Mesoamerican cultures.
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It is believed that the Toltecs had a dualistic belief system. Quetzalcoatl's opposite was Tezcatlipoca, who, in one legend, sent Quetzalcoatl into exile. Alternatively, he left willingly on a raft of snakes, promising to return. The Aztecs turned him into a symbol of dying and resurrection and a patron of priests.


Zamora - Zamora de Hidalgo, is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán.  Evidence shows the area was first settled around 1500 BC.
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During the Pre-Columbian Period there were several waves of migrations into the area by surrounding tribes: Pirinda, Nahua, Huetamo, Colima, and P'urhépecha. Zamora sits in theTziróndaro Valley, which means "swamp place" in P'urhépecha. 


Zapata -Emiliano Zapata Salazar (August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution. He formed and commanded a revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South,. Followers of Zapata were known as Zapatistas. Modern activists in Mexico frequently make reference to Zapata in their campaigns, his image is commonly seen on banners and many chants invoke his name: Si Zapata viviera con nosotros anduviera, "If Zapata lived, he would walk with us." Zapata vive, la lucha sigue, "Zapata lives; the struggle continues."
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