Jivaro Shamanism

The Jivaro or Shuara Indians live in small household groups, located principally upon the headwaters of affluent streams of the upper Marafion, Santiago, Pastaza and Morona rivers in eastern Ecuador and Peru. Their tribal groupings are of an evanescent nature and are marked by an almost complete absence of any political organization, other than temporary alliances to assist in the conduct of war. The Jivaros are best known perhaps for their elaborate system of blood revenge with its attendant ceremony of shrinking human heads. Lacking political units, they also lack political offices. Because of this fact the shaman, or wishinu, takes rank as the most important and influential individual of his group.

The practice of shamanism among the Jivaro Indians is, of course, basically conditioned by their religious beliefs and conceptions of life and nature. The impersonal magical force which gives supernatural properties to certain classes of animals, plants or natural phenomena is called by the Jivaros tsarutama, more or less the equivalent of the Iroquois orenda, the Siouan wakanda, or the Polynesian mana. Possessing this force or quality are a large group of spirits, usually of an animistic nature, as well as all of the animals and plants which are mentioned in the sacred origin myth. Certain birds, fish, insects, reptiles and plants contain tsarutama, each of which is responsible for producing certain important effects upon the welfare of man.

In times of war an attacking party always attempts to kill the wishinu of their enemies as early in the fight as possible so as to free themselves from possible injury by the spirits which he controls. When a wishinu is killed, his enemies never shrink his head because of their fear of the spirits contained therein. The head of an ordinary victim in war is shrunken in order that the spirit will be bottled up and thus rendered harmless. Shrunken heads so prepared are called by the Jivaros, tsantzas.

Not only is the wishinu respected f