Devil sickness and devil songs
Book Description
In the desert landscapes of southern Arizona, the Tohono O'odham people have developed a profound spiritual practice that bridges the worlds of the living and the dead. This fascinating exploration reveals how the spirits of departed cattlemen and cowboys, known as devils, continue to influence the community through both illness and healing.
David L. Kozak and David I. Lopez guide readers into a complex spiritual system where these ancestral spirits serve as guardians of livestock and arbiters of prosperity. When humans show disrespect toward animals or violate sacred relationships with cattle and horses, devils respond by inflicting a specific ailment upon the offender. Yet this same spiritual force offers redemption through powerful healing songs transmitted to shamans and ritual curers.
The authors examine how this indigenous practice has evolved through centuries of dramatic change, including Catholic missionary influence and the transformation of the Southwest into cattle country. Rather than disappearing under these pressures, the devil way has adapted, serving as both a measure of social upheaval and a means of spiritual resilience.
Through detailed analysis of thirty-nine curative songs, readers discover how these sacred verses create healing by allowing patients to experience their struggles from the perspective of the spirit realm. This work offers valuable insights into how traditional communities maintain spiritual coherence while navigating profound cultural transformation.
Who Is This For?
π Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
π Length: 190 pages
What You'll Discover
- β Explore Indians of north america, cultural assimilation
- β Explore Songs, Tohono O'Odham
- β Explore Cultural assimilation
- β Explore Indians of north america, medicine
- β Explore Indians of north america, religion
- β Explore Medicine
- β Explore Religion
- β Explore Tohono O'Odham Indians
