A Search for the Origins of Ojeo, Ye-jharú or Tupichúa
215
^Unsellor or “familiar spirit” ascribed by Montoya to tupichúa, in Chiripá
H ] t is performed by Kavusú Ypy “Big Primeval Wasp”. “His abode is in the
^ . ’ l Us t before the principal paradise, he cares for little children”; and he
lr 4fs messages from the father of the gods to the Chiripá oporaiva “singer,
Ch' 1Clne " rriari ”- Such is the esteem in which Primeval Wasp is held by the
th n ^ a a r ^ ua ^ dance I s performed in his honour; and further proofs of
prominent place he holds in their beliefs and practises are the sacred personal
(/> C f 6 ^ u Pá Kavy-jú “Tupá’s Eternal Wasp” ; and the fact that flaming wasps
to h su rround our grandmother who awaits the return of her grandchildren
eave m seated at the foot of Pindo-vy-jú, the “Eternal Palm”.
Equally important as counsellor of the Chiripá oporaiva “shaman,
® r ls ]y[ a i n ¿' Humming-bird. Both he and the Eternal Wasp are
j parable with the pre-columbian tupichúa, because they both bring messages
V (^ heavenly regions to the Chiripá singer or augur. Roñemo-ñondeguá
b ir ma inó me “it is a fact that we allow ourselves to be led by Humming-
lit ’ Sa ys the Chiripá oporaiva. Humming-bird also cares for the souls of
a c c hildren, and although I have not witnessed a ritual dance in his honour,
()n g or hymn was obtained in which Humming-bird, surrounded by the
rit Gr an< ^ lightning which accompany all heavenly figures, partakes of the
kagui (kawi) or beer (Cadogan 1959, pp. 73, 80, 81, 93).
ev jj ^rnong the Mbyá, pichud is described as vai-kué jepotad “he whom the
Co u 0ne ° r evil fhing possesses”, and is the result of eating raw or insufficiently
^ ureat: cho’ó pyryguá ñe ’é “meat raw word-soul”. This word-soul of raw
' U P° n taking possession of a person, converts him into pichud, the incar-
the ° n °1 a jaguar, hence the term vai-kué “evil thing”, this being the name of
l a ^ u ar into which the cultural hero of Guarani mythology converted the
his enemies. My informants, Aparicio Moreira, Angelo Garay, and
10 Benitez, all well versed in tribal lore, stated that a person who is
is a jaguareté avd “a jaguar man”, well-known figure of criollo
Gd 01 ° ^ ’ yaguareté avd; Mayans). Aparicio Moreira told the story of a
Wbq ° acc °nipanied his father on a round of his traps. Being ordered to wait
Par ^her inspected a deer trap, the boy climbed a tree and saw his
ch Unk ; w hose canine teeth had become several times their normal size, devour
th G y p raw ven l son > after which he knocked his tusks against a tree until
h^dfi aC a § a l n acquired their normal length. The boy told his mother what
iba n a PP ene d and she informed the medicine-man, who exorcized the possessed
my k eta ils of this belief in pichud, at times called tupichud (perhaps owing to
by |b Vln ^ use d this term when requesting information), have been provided
^Mbyá Indians above mentioned:
Jak • U fo c hud, Jakaird Kuéry ombo-eté ramo, mba’é avaeté “tupichud, when the
4’é a (§°ds of sorcerers) provide him with a body, (is a) fearful thing”.
^orT 10 ’ ac ^°jáva-py py oñembo’y ramo, tataendy omoñemondé ramo ma omo-
tfii s Va gè ragé vard, a é gui vy aguyjeveté vara, tekó ñemoatyró oikó vard “in
to ro ase > w hen he (tupichud) arises in the human abode, flames must be made
c Ustorn a fi a in and again, thus only will there be harmony and matters (life,
’ P r °cedure) be settled”. The exorcism used is the following:
Or b
