Becoming an Ancestor

Anya Peterson Royce

Description

Powerful and beautifully written, this is the story of the Isthmus Zapotecs of southern Mexico and their unbroken chain of ancestors and collective memory over the generations. Mortuary beliefs and actions are collective and pervasive in ways not seen in the United States, a resonant deep structure across many domains of Zapotec culture.

Anthropologist Anya Peterson Royce draws upon forty years of participant research in the city of Juchitán to offer a finely textured portrait of the vibrant and enduring power of death in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec of Mexico. Focusing especially on the lives of Zapotec women, Becoming an Ancestor highlights the aesthetic sensibility and durability of mortuary traditions in the past and present. An intricate blending of Roman Catholicism and indigenous spiritual tradition, death through beliefs and practices expresses a collective solidarity that connects families, binds the living and dead, and blurs the past and present.

A model of ethnographic research and presentation, Becoming an Ancestor not only reveals the luminescent heart of Zapotec culture but also provides important clues about the cultural power and potential of mortuary traditions for all societies.
List of Maps
List of Plates

Acknowledgments

Note on Isthmus Zapotec Orthography

Preface

1. Introduction

2. The First Forty Days

3. Artists of Bread, Flowers, Prayers, and Music

4. Tending to the Dead: Home Altars and Cemeteries

5. Flowers: The Water of Life and of Death

6. The Day of the Dead—Xandu’

7. The Way of the Cross

8. Nabaana Ro: Roman Catholic Liturgy and Zapotec Practice

9. Nabaana Ro: Invitations from the Departed

10. Becoming an Ancestor

Epilogue
Glossary of Isthmus Zapotec and Spanish Terms
References
Index

Sujets

• Latin American
• Sociology
• Latin America
• Caribbean

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438436791
• Langue: English

Extrait

Plate 1. Pineda women ready for the seven-year Mass for the Dead for Jesús Ramírez Escudero, “Ta Chu.” 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.

Becoming an Ancestor
The Isthmus Zapotec Way of Death
Anya Peterson Royce

Author photograph (back cover) courtesy of Indiana University Press.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2011 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu
Production by Eileen Meehan Marketing by Anne M. Valentine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Royce, Anya Peterson.
Becoming an ancestor : the Isthmus Zapotec way of death / Anya Peterson Royce.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-3677-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Zapotec Indians—Funeral customs and rites—Mexico—Mexico—Juchitán de Zaragoza. 2. Zapotec Indians—Mexico—Juchitán de Zaragoza—Religion. 3. Zapotec Indians—Mexico—Juchitán de Zaragoza—Social life and customs. 4. Funeral rites and ceremonies—Mexico—Juchitán de Zaragoza. 5. Juchitán de Zaragoza (Mexico)—Religious life and customs. 6. Juchitán de Zaragoza (Mexico)—Social life and customs. I. Title.
F1221.Z3R69 2011
305.897'6807274—dc22                                                                                                                                                                    2011003106
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Na Rosinda Fuentes de Ramírez and Delia Ramírez Fuentes And for all my Juchitán family who have shared laughter, tears, stories, and wisdom for more than forty years who have loved me into seeing and listening and understanding, and taught me to recognize the difference between what is essential and what is ephemeral. And for Ron, touchstone and partner

Maps
Map 1 The Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Map by Ronald R. Royce
Map 2 The city of Juchitán showing the two main cemeteries and the eight sections. Map by Ronald R. Royce.

Plates
Plate 1. Pineda women ready for the seven-year Mass for the Dead for Jesús Ramírez Escudero, “Ta Chu.” 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 2. Corona of hibiscus, jasmine, and reunión de señoritas in the Panteón Miércoles Santo. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 3. Flowers in the shape of a ba' yaa in a tomb in the Panteón Miércoles Santo. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 4. Na Orfia Carrasco Pineda cooking mole ingredients for Mass for the Dead. 1972. Photograph by Ronald R. Royce.
Plate 5. Na Lidia Esteva cooking the mole for the Mass for the Dead. 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 6. Na Mavis Fuentes de López grinding ingredients for mole for Mass for the Dead of Na Berta Pineda's husband, José Fuentes. 1972. Photograph by Ronald R. Royce.
Plate 7. Na Rosalia Espinosa, artist of bread and member of the Hermandad del Sagrado Corazon. 2006. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 8. Vendors of healing plants. 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 9. Na Roselia Vasquez Ruiz flower vendor. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 10. Flower vendors under the arcades. 2006. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 11. Hebert Rasgado, musician and composer. 2006. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 12. Feliciano Marín, musician and composer. 2008. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 13. Leaving the church after the Mass for Jesús Ramírez Escudero, “Ta Chu.” 2004. Photograph by Cristina de la Cruz Pineda.
Plate 14. Returning from the Mass for Ta Chu to the Pineda compound to receive the guests. 2004. Photograph by Cristina de la Cruz Pineda.
Plate 15. Felix López Jiménez, “Ta Feli.” 2001. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 16. Arranging flowers of the wild in a tomb in the Panteón Miércoles Santo, also called Panteón Cheguigo. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 17. Frangipani, guie' chaachi , one of the most important flowers of the wild. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 18. Flowers of the wild: tuberose and guie' biuxhe (scattering flowers). 2006. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 19. Marigolds and cockscomb in the market for Day of the Dead. 1999. Photo by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 20. Banana stalks and green coconuts for Day of the Dead. 1999. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 21. Interior house decoration for Day of the Dead. 1999. Photo by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 22. Isabel Luis López helping with Day of the Dead decorating. 1999. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 23. Day of the Dead altar for Jesús Ramírez Escudero, “Ta Chu.” 2000. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 24. Doorway decorated for the Day of the Dead. 2001. Photo by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 25. Day of the Dead altar for the mother of Na Emma Musalem. 2000. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 26. Biguié '—older style of altar for the Day of the Dead. 2000. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 27. Biguié '—older style of altar. Note the ba' yaa shape of marigolds and cockscomb. 2000. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 28. Garlands of frangipani for Stations of the Cross. 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 29. Stations of the Cross, station of Señorita Tomasa Ramírez Escudero. 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 30. Na Rosinda, Delia, and Anya at their Station of the Cross. 2004. Photograph by José Fuentes Ramírez.
Plate 31. Parish Church of San Vicente Ferrer. 2004. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 32. Profa. Delia Ramírez Fuentes buying sweets during Holy Week. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 33. Image of Christ in his coffin on Tuesday of Holy Week. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 34. Twelve men as the Apostles during the Holy Thursday liturgy. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 35. Ba' yaa in front of the altar of San Vicente on Holy Thursday. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 36. Image of La Dolorosa on Good Friday in San Vicente Ferrer. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 37. Christ of the noon Good Friday procession. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 38. La Dolorosa leaving San Vicente Ferrer for the noon Good Friday procession. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 39. San Juan leaving San Vicente Ferrer for the noon Good Friday procession. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 40. Coffin with the crucified Christ in procession late on Good Friday from the parish church to the Chapel of La Misericordia. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 41. Panteón Domingo de Ramos, also called Panteón Cubi. 2001. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 42. Repairing tombs for Palm Sunday at the Panteón Domingo de Ramos. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 43. Tomb of José Fuentes Pineda “Tío Chito,” Palm Sunday at the Panteón Domingo de Ramos. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 44. Drinking bupu at the Panteón Domingo de Ramos on Palm Sunday. 2003. Photograph by Enrique Lemus.
Plate 45. Afternoon of Palm Sunday at the Panteón Domingo de Ramos. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 46. Panteón Miércoles Santo carnival during Holy Week. 2003. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 47. Flowers of the wild and town flowers in a tomb in the Panteón Miércoles Santo. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 48. Na Victoria de la Cruz Martinez, chocolate maker. 2006. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.
Plate 49. Na Berta Fuentes Pineda baking bread at Na Nufa Pineda's house. 1971. Photograph by Ronald R. Royce.
Plate 50. Flowers for the tomb—bougainvilla, gardenia, jasmine, and hibiscus. 2007. Photograph by Anya Peterson Royce.

Acknowledgments
I first encountered the Isthmus Zapotec of Juchitán at a performanc