﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  561 
  

  

  more 
  important, 
  called 
  "Father 
  Atoja," 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  boulder 
  worked 
  into 
  

   the 
  vague 
  semblance 
  of 
  a 
  human 
  head 
  facing 
  east. 
  Two 
  large 
  basins 
  

   on 
  its 
  top 
  represent 
  eyes. 
  A 
  rubble 
  platform 
  against 
  the 
  front 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  a 
  niche 
  which 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  mouth 
  (pi. 
  Ill, 
  top, 
  left) 
  and 
  is 
  

   the 
  receptacle 
  for 
  offerings. 
  The 
  second 
  altar, 
  "Mother 
  Atoja," 
  is 
  a 
  

   U-shaped 
  platform 
  with 
  parallel 
  arms 
  extending 
  eastward. 
  The 
  

   principal 
  altar 
  is 
  inside 
  the 
  opposite 
  end, 
  and 
  three 
  lesser 
  altars 
  are 
  

   arranged 
  around 
  the 
  three 
  exterior 
  sides. 
  

  

  Ritual 
  and 
  ceremonialism. 
  — 
  Modern 
  Aymara 
  ritual 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   formal 
  and 
  stereotyped. 
  On 
  ceremonial 
  and 
  festive 
  occasions, 
  people 
  

   beg 
  one 
  another's 
  pardon, 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  ill-feeling 
  destroys 
  

   the 
  efficacy 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  Ritual 
  washing 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   situations. 
  For 
  example, 
  after 
  a 
  funeral 
  mourners 
  wash 
  their 
  hands 
  

   and 
  rinse 
  their 
  mouths 
  to 
  rid 
  themselves 
  of 
  grief 
  and 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  

   contact 
  with 
  the 
  corpse. 
  Similarly, 
  widows 
  wash 
  themselves 
  after 
  

   the 
  period 
  of 
  mourning, 
  and 
  new 
  mothers 
  after 
  confinement. 
  Ritual 
  

   washing 
  also 
  magically 
  removes 
  disease. 
  (See 
  Curing, 
  p. 
  569.) 
  Puri- 
  

   fication 
  in 
  the 
  smoke 
  of 
  aji 
  or 
  herbs 
  has 
  been 
  mentioned 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  birth 
  and 
  funeral 
  customs. 
  Breathing 
  on 
  offerings 
  is 
  an 
  element 
  

   of 
  many 
  rites 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  used 
  to 
  cure 
  disease. 
  Kneeling 
  occurs 
  in 
  all 
  

   ceremonies; 
  although 
  two 
  knees 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  Christian 
  rites, 
  only 
  one 
  

   is 
  employed 
  in 
  those 
  of 
  native 
  origin. 
  The 
  very 
  act 
  of 
  eating 
  is 
  a 
  rite, 
  

   because 
  food 
  must 
  always 
  be 
  revered 
  and 
  never 
  wasted. 
  In 
  addition, 
  

   an 
  Aymara 
  eats 
  a 
  bit 
  of 
  earth 
  at 
  the 
  spot 
  where 
  he 
  has 
  met 
  with 
  an 
  

   accident 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  prevent 
  its 
  repetition. 
  Chewing 
  of 
  coca 
  is 
  obliga- 
  

   tory 
  in 
  all 
  ceremonials, 
  and 
  coca 
  bags 
  are 
  ritually 
  exchanged 
  among 
  

   participants. 
  Similarly, 
  imbibing 
  alcoholic 
  beverages, 
  drinking 
  water 
  

   when 
  crossing 
  a 
  dangerous 
  river, 
  and 
  partaking 
  of 
  blood 
  on 
  several 
  

   occasions 
  must 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  rites. 
  Other 
  ritual 
  elements 
  connected 
  

   more 
  specifically 
  with 
  sacrifices 
  include 
  libations, 
  offering 
  smoke, 
  and 
  

   burnt 
  offerings, 
  the 
  ashes 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  deposited 
  in 
  a 
  river 
  or 
  lake. 
  

   Some 
  sacrifices 
  are 
  buried 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  stones 
  (Bandelier, 
  1910, 
  

   p. 
  98). 
  

  

  Three 
  is 
  clearly 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  Aymara. 
  Rites 
  and 
  

   ritual 
  elements 
  must 
  be 
  performed 
  three 
  times 
  to 
  achieve 
  their 
  maxi- 
  

   mum 
  efficacy. 
  Coca 
  leaves 
  are 
  usually 
  offered 
  in 
  groups 
  or 
  multiples 
  

   of 
  three. 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  directions 
  recognized 
  ceremonially 
  

   is 
  more 
  puzzling. 
  Usually 
  only 
  the 
  four 
  cardinal 
  points 
  are 
  counted, 
  

   but 
  occasionally 
  seven 
  directions 
  are 
  mentioned, 
  including 
  the 
  zenith, 
  

   nadir, 
  and 
  location 
  on 
  earth. 
  Bandelier, 
  however, 
  states 
  that 
  there 
  

   are 
  five 
  ceremonial 
  directions 
  (Bandelier, 
  1910, 
  p. 
  95). 
  There 
  is 
  some 
  

   evidence 
  that 
  gold 
  is 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  silver 
  with 
  the 
  

   south; 
  other 
  directions 
  are 
  not 
  associated 
  with 
  color 
  or 
  sex. 
  Although 
  

   east 
  is 
  important 
  ceremonially, 
  the 
  actual 
  physical 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  