A Brief Observation of Latin American Religion
2016; International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations; Volume: 74; Issue: 74 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0733-4540
Autores Tópico(s)Archaeology and Natural History
ResumoUpon my dual completion of military service and university, I set out for a year of travel that took me south of the US. Upon reaching Mexico, I traversed back and forth between the Pacific and the Caribbean coasts through Central America until Colombia, where I followed the Andes Mountain region south to the tip of Chile. In retrospect, I realize I obtained more information about the pre-Hispanic civilizations, cultures, and religions of the Central and South American people during this trip than I could have hoped to learn in multiple college courses. However, what I noticed most is the connection that each country has with Catholicism and yet the vast differences in rituals and worship the people of each region utilize. Latin American countries, as a standard, have a deep and complex connection with the Celestial Sphere; its elements (earth, moon, sun, and stars) cross over into their religious rituals and worship.As I made my way south through Central America, the ghosts of colonial past interwoven with those of the ancient civilization were inescapable at every new turn. Under the grandiose Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, I observed the few remaining ruins of the Aztec civilization and visited numerous other ruins and remains of bygone powerful dynasties. These pieces of the pre-Hispanic civilization are stark reminders of how an entire civilization was destroyed and replaced, but with deeper observation, it was clear that traditions and religious views had definitely lived on. In northern and central Mexico, as compared to the southern states, it seemed that the pagan religions of the past have had less of an influence on modern Catholicism, yet the further south one travels, the more remaining pagan rituals and practices can be observed to be intertwined with the Catholicism of the local population.In the small, ethereal mountain town of San Juan Chamula, which is located north of San Cristobal de las Casas in southern Mexico, is the Cathedral San Juan Bautista. The strong smell of pine and incense is the first thing that greets you as you step into this dimly lit church. The floor is covered in its entirety with pine needles, and burning candles light the way every few feet. Statues of stoic saints look down from along the walls as local men, women, and children offer chants and prayers of devotion. Many of these families bring chickens in bags as sacrificial offerings; ancient rituals passed down over the ages. I did not see this, but later read, that eggs, bones, and some local alcoholic beverages called posh are also used in these healing ceremonies. This mixture of pre-Hispanic religion and Catholicism is very interesting to observe.After crossing into Guatemala the pre-Hispanic religion's influence became even more glaring. The local market vendors offered a plethora of herbal potions to cure everything from physical illness to broken hearts. Many of the locals I spoke with also believed very strongly in the Evil Eye. The mythical Evil Eye is an intangible evil force that children, animals, and the spiritually weak are potentially vulnerable to. Children will wear amulets such as a red cap or ribbon on the arm to draw attention away from this evil stare. The Evil Eye can even be found in professional medical books and journals in Guatemala and is taken very seriously by those of all classes. West of Guatemala City is a shrine dedicated to San Simon, a drinking, smoking, and philandering saint. San Simon sports a handlebar mustache, a cowboy hat, and smokes cigars. He is not in any way recognized by the Vatican but devoted Catholics will travel to this shrine and cross themselves paying tributes of flowers and other items to him as if he was fully sanctioned by the Holy See. This is yet another example of how indigenous symbolisms have become mixed with the religion of the Latin American conquerors.Honduras and Nicaragua seemed to share many of the same mixtures of pre-Hispanic and Catholic religious beliefs as Guatemala, but once I passed into Costa Rica and Panama this seemed to become much less. …
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