Tadeusz Mich

Initiation into the Amazon: Yucuna Yurupari Myth and Ritual Tadeusz Mich

This study analyzes the Yuruparí myth and ritual of initiation the Yucuna Indians in the Amazon region of Colombia. The book will address the meaning of the Yuruparí myth and ritual to the Yucuna people. The sources for this study include data gathered through observation in the Yucuna initiation ritual, interviews, and the study of primary and secondary documentary sources. To address the problem I will present: 1) the geographical and cultural context of the Yucuna Indians in the Amazon in general, and in the Colombian region of the Amazon; 2) characteristics of Yucuna society and culture focused on forms of subsistence, social structure, and mythical system; 3) the Yuruparí myth; 4) and the Yuruparí rites of initiation.