While in Cotacachi on the weekend, I was able to participate in a community celebration or feast. It was something put on by the community in which my hostess owned a home, so she was asked to participate. We were the only non indigenous peoples there, she was the only one who accepted the invitation in her gated community. Personally I was sorry there were not more gringos in attendance as this is how we bridge the gap, by participating in such events. Of course I have no idea why no one else was able to be there, so it would be very unfair for me to make assumptions as to why they did not come.
I am not sure of the reason for the fiesta, my hostess believed it had something to do with harvest. I wondered at that because it was not long ago when this was celebrated here in Apuela (right after Easter). Of course the different communities may celebrate at different times, something we were not sure of. In any case they served a lovely traditional meal beginning with vegetable soup, then a plate of rice, a certain type of corn called mote and potatoes. It was way too much food for any of us to eat, so we took it home. The dogs too had a feast…..
After the meal the musicians began to play once more and people got up to dance/walk in a circle. I have seen this at every celebration I have been to where one person starts and then like a snake people join the line forming a circle, going first one direction then the other, although the man wearing the mask in the following picture is not usually there. I imagined it as a way just to get everyone, young and old to participate, until I got the following description explaining the purpose of the dance. Of course I should have realized it had spiritual significance, because the indigenous peoples incorporate spirit into their daily lives, always. It is really a beautiful idea, this reminder to connect with the earth, spirit and man as we are all dependent on this circle giving us life.
The following description was copied from the site (the URL following it)
This Devil’s mask is called “Aya Uma”, literally “spirit head.’ It is worn during the Corpus Cristi festival in Imbabura. Corpus Cristi takes place seven days before summer solstice on June 21. The mask is a mixture of Catholic and Quechua traditions. The Inti Raymi is the time when the earth offers all of its fruits after the Andean agricultural cycle ends one of its phases. The celebration involves line dancers led by the Aya Uma. This is a mythological character wearing a mask with two faces and five to 12 horns. The two faces represent night and day, or past and present. The Aya Uma is considered the spirit of the mountain, which comes down to the communities to accompany the town people during the celebration dedicated to the sun, the moon and nature. Thus, whoever wants to be the Aya Uma must be an honest, hardworking, responsible and respected person among the community. The dancers go around in circles, representing the two solstices and two equinoxes that take place during the year. The dancers stamp their feet while they circle around, as a way to invite Mother Earth to participate in the party, so that it recuperates its vital energies and is ready to begin the new agricultural cycle where the maize and other crops will be cultivated again.
http://www.connectingcultures.us/resources/artifacts/art_item.php?accno1=MASK&accno2=ECU&accno3=002This event of course was significantly later than the normal June 21st date stated in the document above, however I get the feeling it is the same celebration. This mask is also widely used for the New Years celebration with the idea of facing all you want to change in the new year, a fresh start so to speak.
this woman joined him in the centre of the circle once they had a good line formed. I am not sure of the role she played. The hat she is wearing is not seen often, at least I have not seen that particular style very often in the places I have been. There are several different tribes in the Andes, to I believe there is significance to the style of dress.
It was a good day, starting with a shopping trip to the market to buy fruit for brunch. I was introduced to a new type of fruit, which some may recognize, called dragon fruit – it is delicious.
In Canada we have flowers which grow in the garden that look like Chinese lanterns. To my knowledge there is nothing inside those flowers, they are just cool looking. In Ecuador, they have bushes with those same flowers growing on them, only they house a fruit which I believe is the same as the one shown in the picture above. Uvilla or golden berry is what they are called, very different to the dried golden berry I have purchased in Canada. Getting them fresh from the lantern is fabulous, they taste wonderful. I think I could just sit and eat them all day – there just are not enough bushes in the world for me……
My host had a bush in her yard, so I did help myself, but needed a bigger fix. When I saw these in the market I had to buy them, however they do not taste exactly the same and I thought these ones were bigger, so am wondering if they are indeed the same fruit. In any case one can always be surprised when going to the market to pick up a few things. Pretty sure we all come away with items not on the “list”.
All in all a good day, learning as I go……
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