Customs of the Amazon region

Amazon

talk to you about the customs of the Amazon region is not easy. Because with this name a huge territory is known that includes parts of nine countries. Above all, it is found in Peru y Brazil, but also in Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador or Guyana.

In addition, in its extension of more than four million square kilometers there are modern cities, but also countless tribes. There are recognized more than three thousand indigenous territories in which peoples like the guarani, tikuna, toucan, curipaco or kichwa, but also others that have little contact with modern civilization. In any case, we are going to show you some of the customs of the Amazon region from a perspective common to all these ethnic groups.

Languages ​​of the Amazon region

Indigenous of the Amazon

A Yagua elder from the Amazon region

As you can understand, in such a gigantic territory inhabited by independent peoples, many languages ​​must be spoken. In fact, experts believe that its linguistic diversity dates back thousands of years. However, they have been established five language groups main.

tupi languages

They are the most widespread in the Amazon, despite the fact that they were the last to expand in the area. They include a total of eighty languages, but the most important is the Tupi-Guarani. They cover a territory that not only includes the Amazon region, but also the Plata basin.

Ye or Ge languages

Also quite widespread, especially for the Brazilian Amazon, there are approximately ten languages, although each one has its dialectal varieties. In turn, they are included in a larger linguistic group known as macro-ge.

carib languages

Its origin is north of the Amazon region, but later it spread to the central zone. In total, there are about thirty languages ​​with approximately fifty thousand speakers. Currently, it has a presence in countries such as Venezuela, Brazil o Colombia.

Arawak languages

They are spread over all Latin America, well, apart from the Amazon, they are even found in Paraguay and the Antillean islands. Of its importance, the fact that some of his words will give you an idea have passed to Spanish. For example, "guajiro", "batata", "cacique", "caimán" or "hamaca".

Pano-Tacano languages

They are found in the southwestern Amazon and, as is often the case with this type of language, it is related to others in the area. Likewise, numerous dialects derived from it have been found. For example, him reyesano, araona, kaxarari or shipibo.

Customs of the Amazon region in terms of religion

isolated tribe

An isolated tribe in the Amazon

The religious customs of the Amazon region have elements native people to which others are added Christians inherited from the missionaries who arrived in the area. Among the latter is the celebration of the Feast of the Virgin Assumed, which takes place on the fifteenth of August.

However, in some places like the Peruvian city of Lamud Both substrates are combined at the party in honor of the Lord of Gualamita. Together with evenings and novenas, the hatun luya, with traditional Amazonian dances.

On the other hand, the indigenous religions of the area are mainly animists. The jungle is full of spiritual life. In fact, they believe that all the creatures that inhabit it have a spirit, including trees and plants. His beliefs are eminently telluric.

As for their rituals, they are very varied, but they have the common denominator of the consumption of hallucinogens. The priests are the shamans, who take care of healing both physically and spiritually their neighbors.

The way of life

Populated

A town in the Amazon region

The first thing we must explain to you regarding the customs of the Amazon region in terms of way of life is that individuality does not exist. We want to say that they do not differentiate between subject and collectivity and even both join nature and culture.

The individual works for the collective and plays a role within it. The resources obtained by the group are shared and even some houses are communal. However, these are small and scattered towns that frequently maintain a relationship with each other.

On the other hand, the vast majority of these tribes are hunters and gatherers, although they also practice agriculture. They live in full harmony with the nature, whom they respect and even idolize.

As for their clothing, they differ according to the ethnic group in question. In fact, some go practically naked, while others wear clothes created with vegetable fabrics. Some even do it in a modern way.

And is that the current world has also reached a large part of these tribes, especially those who live closer to the big cities. Therefore, they have been abandoning their customs to assimilate those of the so-called civilization. In fact, it is not strange that you can find some towns with electricity and television.

However, there are still virgin tribes in the depths of the Amazon that are only known for having been observed from planes and helicopters.

Food

Porridge

porridge dish

As you may have deduced, the customs of the Amazon region in terms of gastronomy are closely related to the exuberant nature of the area. That is to say, the peoples eat what the land and the great river offer them.

We cannot tell you about typical dishes, except in the cities that are on the margins of the jungle. But we will mention some of the products that they consume the most. It is the case of pirarucu, a large fish that can measure up to four meters. In fact, it is the largest in the world among those that live in fresh water. It has no spine and its flavor is very mild.

They also eat a lot cupuaçu. It is a very nutritious fruit with a flavor similar to passion fruit. But more unique is the runny fish. In this case, if it is an elaboration. It consists of wrapping it in banana leaves and letting it smoke for several hours or days under the sand.

The less tasty it will seem mojojoy, especially if you are scrupulous with food. Because they are large larvae that are stuffed with meat and fried or roasted, although they are also eaten raw. Apparently, they have a high nutritional value.

It is also a very unique product piranhas, which they usually eat roasted on a grill. As for soups, they consume the Porridge, which they make with the meat of some animal, water and cooked and mashed green bananas. Finally, it is very common casabe, which is an omelette made with yucca dough (some tasty fritters are also prepared with this). And, as for the drink, it is frequent Masato, popularly known as the jungle beer.

Customs of the Amazon region in terms of music and dance

embera indian

Emberá native shooting an arrow

As we told you before, in a region as huge as the Amazon variety is the main feature. And we can also apply this to his music and dances. However, we find a common substratum to all of them: the reasons for carrying them out are ceremonial. For example, to thank the harvest or honor the divinity. Given the impossibility of telling you about all of them, we are going to offer you some samples.

Ayahuasca Dance

Inspired by the work of shamans. In fact, she stages how they entrust themselves to mother earth and father river to do their job. It all begins when the shaman himself prepares a drink with huasca sticks and chacruna that he gives the members of the tribe to drink. Afterwards, the healer performs the ritual on him. Finally, it is customary for participants to make donations to the shaman.

buriti buriti

In this case, it is a war dance. Instruments such as drums, manguare, bass drum and maracas are used for the melody. Likewise, it serves to remind the inhabitants of the tribe of their roots and customs, in addition to the fact that they must always be alert.

Toba Dance

Originating from the tribe that gives it its name, it recreates the hunting process of the indigenous people in the jungle. For this reason, animals such as the jaguar, the hummingbird, the snake or the condor are symbolically recreated. Also, the interpreters make acrobatic jumps that imitate the throwing of their weapons against the animals.

anaconda dance

Pay tribute to this animal, one of those considered sacred the inhabitants of the Amazon region. In fact, when performing in the jungle, a real snake is used. In any case, the dancers imitate the movements of the snake. It is also done to ask this animal to take care of the crops.

Dance of the Amazons

It is one of the most common throughout the region. It is also a war dance. In fact, she is danced carrying weapons such as spears, arrows or machetes. Likewise, her movements recreate combat and the performers wear war paint on their bodies and faces. Despite her name, she is danced by both men and women.

In conclusion, we have shown you some customs of the Amazon region. As we told you at the beginning, it is not easy to synthesize them because it is a vast space populated by very different tribes. In any case, we hope that what has been explained will help you to get to know a little better that wonderful ecological jewel of the planet that is the Amazon, considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. A territory, in short, that is losing vegetation by leaps and bounds and that is in great danger of disappearing, something that we cannot afford.


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