Tortillas for the gods : a symbolic analysis of Zinacanteco rituals

Evon Z. Vogt. Originally Published: Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1976. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 221-228) And Index. For nearly 20 years, the author observed rituals in Zinacanteco society (Chiapas, Mexico). Those rituals organize life into a four stage cycle. Prestige (as determined by age and wealth) is also a factor. Specific rituals are only performed by higher-status individuals, such as elderly or wealthy men. Rituals are also often designed to alleviate the tensions between different classes as well as conflicting beliefs, such as tensions between Mayan and Christian traditions. Rituals dominate every aspect of the Zinacanteco society and are taken very seriously. Everything from the types of plants used in Rituals of Affliction (curing, medicinal rituals) to the color of the chickens that are sacrificed at the corners of a new house when it is built and dedicated are rigidly specified and controlled by tradition. in Zinacanteco society, located in the upper elevations of Chiapas, southern Mexico, rituals function for the Zinacanteco people as communication and to organize life into a four staged-life cycle. Zinacantan prestige comes with age, and some rituals are only performed by people of a a higher social status, such as elderly or wealthy mean. Women are often relegated to minor roles. Some rituals seem designed to alleviate the tensions between different classes as well as conflicting beliefs, such as tensions between Mayan and Christian traditions. Rituals dominate every aspect of the Zinacanteco society and are taken very seriously. This account of contemporary Mayan ritual life provides a detailed description of the rituals performed throughout the calendar year - from house and field rituals to curing cermonies and waterhole ceremonies - as well as an analysis of the symbolic meanings of these ceremonies.