THE WONDROUS MUSHROOM-Mycolatry in Mesoamerica

Table of contents :
Cover......Page 1
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Table of Contents......Page 9
List of Illustrations......Page 10
Definitions......Page 14
Prelude......Page 15
The Present......Page 27
Chapter 1......Page 29
Chapter 2......Page 57
The Past......Page 81
Chapter 3......Page 83
Chapter 4......Page 105
Chapter 5......Page 119
Chapter 6......Page 131
Chapter 7......Page 145
Chapter 8......Page 177
Chapter 9......Page 201
Chapter 10......Page 225
Chapter 11......Page 247
Bibliography......Page 257
Index......Page 269

Citation preview

"From now on any comprehensive study of Ancient Mexican " civilisation must start from (and with) your discoveries.­ Octavio Paz, leading Mexican intellectual, scholar, poet.

"AMAZING! ...The exactness of the reasoning! The rigor of the demonstrations! ... Absolutely convincing ... beautifully written ...deeply moving! ... I could not leave the book until I had finished it."-Claude Levi-Strauss, Col­ lege de France

"SPARKLES WITH POETIC SIMPLICITY! ...Will take its place as one of the foremost interdisciplinary analyses of a deeply significant cultural complex ...[it is] characterized by a profound psychological

insight."--R ichard Evans

Schultes, Harvard University

"WASSON'S BOOKS STAND OUT AS REAL CLAS­ SICS! ... [They] have caused the histories of India, Greece, and now Mexico to be reconsidered."-Michael Al­ drich, The Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library "PURE GOLD! ...Interweaving science, artistry, and an almost uncanny sense of where hidden veins of pure gold lie ...[the book] adds another novel and major chapter to our knowledge of the history of Early Man . -Huston Smith, "

Syracuse University

Ethnomycological Studies No.

7

THE WONDROUS MUSHROOM Mycolatry in Mesoamerica

by R. Gordon Wasson

Mc GRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY NEW YORK· ST. LOUIS· SAN FRANCISCO

COPYRIGHT

@

1980

BY R. GORDON WASSON.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Wasson, Robert Gordon, 1898The wondrous mushroom. 1.

Indians of Mexico-Rites and ceremonies.

2.

Indians of Central America-Rites and ceremonies.

3.

Mushroom ceremony.

Mexico.

5.

4.

Mushrooms, Hallucinogenic­

Mushrooms, Hallucinogenic-Central America.

6.

Mushrooms (in religion, folk-lore, etc.)-Mexico.

7.

Mushrooms (in religion, folk-lore, etc.)-Central

America. I.

Title.

F1219.R38W28

1980b

299'.74

80-18869

ISBN 0-07-068443-X (pbk.)

PRINTED IN 1HE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To the memory of Roger Heim 1900-1979

First among Mycologists of his Time President, Academie des Sciences :

1 96 3

D irecteur, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle :

1 95 1 - 1 96 5

*

Tireless in the Defense of Nature Quick to Grasp the Perspectives of Ethnomycology Loyal Collaborator, Valiant Friend

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prelude

xv

THE PRESENT

CHAPTER

1

A Velada in Huautla

CHAPTER

2

Traits of the Mesoamerican Velada and Kindred Topics

3 31

THE PAST

CHAPTER

3

Xochipilli, 'Prince of Flowers': A New Interpretation

57

CHAPTER

4

The Flowers in Pre-Conquest Nahuatl Poetry

79

CHAPTER

5

The Inebriating Drinks of the Nahua

93

CHAPTER

6

Codices, Lienz.os, Mapas

CHAPTER

7

Piltzintli, Child God of the Nahua, and his Christian

105

Progeny

119

CHAPTER

8

Teotihuacan and the Wondrous Mushrooms

151

CHAPTER

9

The Mushroom Stones of the Maya Highlands

175

CHAPTER 10

The Historical Record

199

CHAPTER 11

The Shaman and the Mushroom: New Perspectives

221

Consulted Texts

231

LIS T OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Cover design : fal ling drops of en theogenic fluid accompanied by ' disembodied eyes', after Teotihuacan mural. PRELUDE Fig

Map of ' cul rural' Mesoamerica

1

xv

TH E PRE S E N T CHAPTER Fig

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12

13 14

CHAPTER Fig

1 2

1

Huautla de Jimenez as seen from the air in 1956 Map of Central Mexico Map of Mazatec country Home of Cayetano Garcia Chart of room where velada took place Cayetano Garcia and his wife with infant The Sacred Mushrooms used in the velada Maria Sabina Adoration of the Mushroom, night of 29-30 June 1955 Maria Sabina incensing the mushrooms, 12-13 July 1958 Maria Sabina invoking the Sacred Mushrooms Maria Sabina invoking the Sacred Mushrooms Maria Sabina invoking the Sacred Mushrooms Maria Sabina invoking the Sacred Mushrooms, with Au relio in background

3 4 4 5 6 6 7 9 11 14 19 20 22 23

2

Aristeo Matias with bowl of Sacred Mushrooms Aurelio Carreras

40 40

T H E PAS T CHAPTER Fig

1

2 3 4 5-8 9 10 11

3

Fullface view of Xochipilli a) Retracted big roe of Xochipilli and b) normal foot Detail of Xochipilli showing mask Mushroom emblem Quarter views of Xochipilli Profile of a) design on 'base' of Xochipilli and b) Psilocybe az:tecorum Glyph of the mushrooms Butterfly on 'base' x

56 57 58 59 60-61 61 62 62

LI S T O F I L LU S T R A T I ON S

12

Xochipilli headdress Detail of headdress 14 Tlapapalli and tonallo 15 ·Base' of statue Tobacco flower a) carving on statue and b) drawn from life 16 Morning-glory (Turbina corymbosa) a) on statue, b) drawn from life 17 Design o n left thigh 18 Heimia salicifolia a) on statue, b) drawn from life 19 Swollen bud of H. salicifolia ( ?) 20 Drawing of Quararibea funebris in flower 21 22 Sahagun's illustration of Q. funebris Poyomatli a) as shown in Sahagi'.m, and b) as a possible identification for 23 flower on Xochipilli statue 24 Drawing of dried poyomatli flowers Unidentified carving of flower on Xochipilli 25 26 Photo of same Stone carving of ecstasy, late 7th century AD 27 Stone carving of ecstasy, late 7th century AD 28 A different interpretation of ecstasy ( ?) , BC 600-1 00 29 30-31 Recumbent figures perhaps in ecstasy 1J

63 63 64 64 65 66 66 67 67 68 69 70 70 70 71 74 75 76 77

CHAPTER' 4 Fig 1

The Tree-in-Flower, repainted after Tepantitla, Teotihuacan

80

CHAPTER 6 Fig 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Codex Vindobonensis, p 24 Detail of Lienzo de Zacatepec 1 C6dice Indigena No 27 Detail of C6dice Indigena No 27 Illustration of Satanic Mushroom, Florentine Codex Illustration from Magliabecl1iano Codex Illustration from Matricula de Huexotzinco Lienzo de Tlacoatzintepec Detail of same Photo of Mapa Quinatzin, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris Drawing after Mapa Quinatzin, detail, upper left corner Fu rther detail, Mapa Quinatzin, upper left corner

1 06 1 07 110 111 113 113 114 115 116 117 117 118

CHAPTER 7 Fig

1

2

Parish Church of Santa Maria Tonantzintla near Puebla Children's Orchestra in Narthex of Church Archway under Choir Loft XI

1 23 1 24 1 24

L I S T O F I LL U S T RAT I O N S

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 8-24 25 26 27 28 29

Detail o f Archway Arch leading from Nave into Crossing Pilaster, north side of Nave West side of Arch leading into North Transept West side of Arch leading from Nave into Crossing Detail of same View of ceiling facing west from Altar with figure of Plunging Youth Detail o f same : Plunging Youth View of Archway, North and East from Crossing Detail o f above : S t . Mark t h e Evangelist Six columns supporting north side of Ciborium View of Cupola and Ceiling o f South Transept Children carved in Arch that leads from Crossing into Sanctuary Detail : girl carved i n Arch leading from N a v e i n t o Crossing Nicho de Hueyapan and details thereof Nuestra Senora de Arocha, Madrid Santo Nifio de Arocha, traditional icon Santo Nifio de Nundichi Santo Nifio de Arocha, icon bought in flea market, Mexico City Figure of Plunging Piltzintli, Codex Borgia

CHAPTER

Fig 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8-1 1 12 13-19 20 21 22 23-24 25 26 CHAPTER

Fig 1 2 3

125 125 1 26 1 26 1 27 1 27 1 28 1 29 130 130 131 1 32 133 133 1 3 8-1 3 9 142 143 144 145 1 49

8

Teopancaxco mural. Surviving fragment Teopancaxco mural. Teotihuacan in Valley of Mexico Nympha:a tuberosa, design of leaf Codex Borbonicus : Tlaloc Codex Borbonicus : Two Ancients Diego Duran : Founding of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) Female Divinity, Tepantitla : see Fig 1 0 Villagra's intermediate paintings after the Tepantitla mural Tepantitla painting, detail : soul arriving on Playing Fields of Paradise Tepantitla, further details Zacuala : 'Predella' Zacuala : Painting of a reconstructed bowl Teotihuacan : Elements of fa