﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  563 
  

  

  elude 
  stone, 
  clay, 
  bone, 
  metal, 
  and 
  bezoar 
  stones 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  

   stomachs 
  of 
  llamas 
  and 
  vicunas. 
  When 
  not 
  worn 
  on 
  the 
  person, 
  they 
  

   are 
  usually 
  kept 
  in 
  coca 
  bags. 
  They 
  are 
  often 
  greased 
  with 
  a 
  mixture 
  

   of 
  llama 
  fat, 
  coca, 
  and 
  flower 
  petals. 
  Some 
  amulets 
  are 
  worn 
  by 
  

   children 
  to 
  protect 
  them 
  from 
  evil 
  spirits 
  (see 
  p. 
  550), 
  whereas 
  others 
  

   ward 
  off 
  disease 
  and 
  witchcraft. 
  Little 
  stone 
  figurines 
  representing 
  

   men 
  and 
  women 
  are 
  tied 
  together 
  for 
  love 
  magic. 
  Amulets 
  the 
  shape 
  

   of 
  a 
  human 
  hand 
  prevent 
  fatigue 
  and 
  give 
  luck 
  in 
  weaving. 
  Paredes 
  

   speaks 
  of 
  amulets 
  called 
  "conopa" 
  which 
  are 
  kept 
  in 
  houses 
  as 
  family 
  

   guardians 
  (Paredes, 
  1936, 
  p. 
  27). 
  These 
  are 
  in 
  human, 
  fish, 
  or 
  phallic 
  

   form 
  and 
  are 
  smeared 
  with 
  the 
  blood 
  of 
  sacrificed 
  animals. 
  Other 
  

   amulets 
  which 
  represent 
  animals 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  fertility 
  rites 
  (see 
  Domes- 
  

   ticated 
  Animals, 
  p. 
  520, 
  and 
  pi. 
  Ill, 
  bottom, 
  right), 
  but 
  have 
  no 
  power 
  

   in 
  themselves, 
  simply 
  representing 
  the 
  class 
  of 
  livestock 
  for 
  which 
  

   the 
  ceremony 
  is 
  performed. 
  

  

  Divination. 
  — 
  The 
  Aymara 
  consider 
  divination 
  necessary 
  to 
  every 
  

   conceivable 
  act 
  and 
  seek 
  omens 
  in 
  nearly 
  all 
  nature. 
  Not 
  only 
  may 
  

   any 
  person 
  interpret 
  omens, 
  but 
  special 
  diviners 
  (yatiri) 
  ascertain 
  

   the 
  future 
  through 
  the 
  medium 
  of 
  coca. 
  Practitioners 
  of 
  black 
  magic 
  

   (laiqa) 
  and 
  of 
  white 
  magic 
  (paqo) 
  and 
  doctors 
  (qolasiri) 
  likewise 
  

   employ 
  this 
  method 
  and, 
  in 
  addition, 
  divine 
  through 
  special 
  profes- 
  

   sional 
  techniques. 
  Although 
  the 
  generic 
  Aymara 
  word 
  for 
  diviner 
  is 
  

   yatiri, 
  additional 
  names 
  designate 
  individuals 
  who 
  foretell 
  the 
  future 
  

   through 
  mediums 
  other 
  than 
  coca. 
  Certain 
  diviners 
  seek 
  omens 
  in 
  

   the 
  movement 
  of 
  spiders' 
  legs, 
  others 
  use 
  kernels 
  of 
  corn, 
  and 
  some 
  

   observe 
  the 
  stars. 
  

  

  Divination 
  through 
  the 
  medium 
  of 
  coca 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  tech- 
  

   nique. 
  Although 
  many 
  yatiri, 
  who 
  are 
  usually 
  men, 
  claim 
  to 
  have 
  

   acquired 
  their 
  powers 
  by 
  being 
  struck 
  by 
  lightning, 
  this 
  experience 
  is 
  

   not 
  considered 
  necessary 
  merely 
  to 
  read 
  coca, 
  which 
  either 
  sex 
  may 
  do. 
  

   In 
  Chucuito, 
  Peru 
  (total 
  population 
  554) 
  there 
  are 
  five 
  yatiri, 
  three 
  

   of 
  whom 
  are 
  middle-aged 
  men, 
  one 
  an 
  old 
  man, 
  while 
  the 
  last 
  is 
  an 
  

   old 
  woman. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  yatiri 
  is 
  studying 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  paqo. 
  Two 
  

   of 
  these 
  individuals 
  claimed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  struck 
  by 
  lightning 
  while 
  in 
  

   the 
  mother's 
  womb. 
  The 
  yatiri 
  requires 
  no 
  formal 
  training 
  and 
  

   learns 
  to 
  divine 
  by 
  observation. 
  Payment 
  received 
  by 
  them 
  usually 
  

   consists 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  coin 
  and 
  some 
  coca. 
  Ordinary 
  coca 
  diviners 
  may 
  

   locate 
  lost 
  or 
  stolen 
  property, 
  but 
  require 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  suspects 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   name 
  a 
  thief. 
  They 
  can 
  divine 
  the 
  outcome 
  of 
  a 
  marriage 
  or 
  trading 
  

   venture, 
  discover 
  cases 
  of 
  infidelity, 
  and 
  tell 
  whether 
  a 
  sick 
  person 
  

   will 
  live 
  or 
  die, 
  but 
  unless 
  they 
  are 
  also 
  doctors, 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  usually 
  

   diagnose 
  disease. 
  

  

  The 
  Aymara 
  have 
  many 
  methods 
  of 
  reading 
  the 
  future, 
  and 
  utilize 
  

   most 
  of|the 
  familiar 
  divinatory 
  techniques, 
  including 
  the 
  observation 
  

   of 
  the 
  flight 
  of 
  birds, 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  smoke, 
  the 
  movement 
  of 
  flames, 
  

  

  