THE ETHNOGRAPHIC Q`ANJOB`AL PROJECT

THE ETHNOGRAPHIC Q’ANJOB’AL PROJECT
Fieldwork in the Q’anjob’al area (San Juan Ixcoy) took place in 1980-81, and,
for a few more months, in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 during semester vacations. The translation of 12+1 consultations into German was terminated in 1987
in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (cf Book No 5 [Vol 1: German translation; Vol
2: Q’anjob’al transcript]).
The ethnographic data are kept separately from the anthropological analyses
and theoretical interpretations.
This file contains the following information:
(1) A short description of my English written book “Existence and Identity:
Reconciliation and an Self-organization through Q’anjob’al Maya Divination.
Re-creating Social and Subjective Order” (published by: Books on Demand,
Norderstedt, Germany. ISBN 978-3-8334-8731-6).
(2) A short reference to my article in French: “La divination chez les Q’anjob’al Maya...” which can be downloaded as a pdf-file by clicking in the left
column of my list of PUBLICATIONS on the item “Divination Maya”. This is a
summary of central parts of the book.
(3) An “Informe en español”, a short exposé in Spanish, in which I point out
the possible value of a Spanish translation.
(4) Publications which belong to the Q’anjob’al project are:
Books: No. 5 [the data, German/Q’anjob’al], 9 [the analysis, with ample
quotations from No.5 in English], 10 [additional ethnographic data from Santa
Eulalia].
Articles in English: No. 2.
Article in German: No. 1.
Article in French: No. 4.
Additional texts in Q’anjob’al not contained in No. 5, but partially translated in
No. 9 [in progress].
(6) Corrections of in the above mentioned book “Existence and Identity”:
p. 6: Wim van Binsbergen.
p. 55, second paragraph: Instead of ‘terms of address’ it should read ‘terms of
reference’. Hernández Castillo’s analysis in her Tables referred to seem to
represent ‘terms of reference’.
p. 79-80: The note on chib’al was based on an erroneous transcription which
was corrected by Mateo Raymundo Velásquez himself when I read the pre-
liminary transcription to him. Actually, the text refers to San Francisco, one of
the oyeb’ konob’. Instead of kaneb’ suelos it should read kaneb’ sillas, probably
implying political or juridical power.
p. 245, 349: Instead of ‘cherries’ it should read ‘prunes’.
p. 374: Accidentally, column 6e in the Economic Microcensus became erased:
Numbers refer to the different households. “Potatoes” refers to the question if
there is a preference for the sowing of potatoes (p. 380, 6e).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
6e Potatoes
With rain high yields
Great sowing with sufficient diligence
Not worth while
Potatoes
Not much
Great sowing if dryness
Pref for potatoes possible
No sowing
(7) Note: Xaq an (Q’.) has been identified by Ms. Anja Stiehler (graduate
student of Ancient American Languages & Cultures; Botany) as (a kind of)
elder (communication in 1986). Alas, my dried plant specimen was destroyed.
Cf Hinz 1991/II:8-9 [Plate V].
The Ethnographic Q’anjob’al Project
COVER / FRONTISPIECE: The situational setting of divination and
counseling. Left: The diviner is counting the divinatory layout of the
seeds of the coral tree. Right: A client family from San Pedro Soloma:
husband, wife and toddler. Background: Another client waiting.
The consultation deals with several separate problems. San Juan Ixcoy
1983. See PLATES 31-38.
Eike Hinz
______________
Existence and Identity:
Reconciliation and Self-organization
through Q’anjob’al Maya Divination
Re-creating Social and Subjective Order
in San Juan Ixcoy and San Pedro Soloma,
Guatemala
––––––––––––––––––––––
Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt
2008
ISBN 978-3-8334-8731-6
This book can be ordered from:
Books on Demand GmbH,
D-22848 Norderstedt,
Gutenbergring 53, Germany
Via internet: www.BoD.de
THE BOOK
The book is based upon my fieldwork (15 months altogether; 1980/81 and
vacations 1983-86) in the Q’anjob’al (Kanjobal) area in the north-western
highlands of Guatemala. It covers my collaboration with a diviner who
uses the pre-Hispanic 260-day calendar in his consultations. This calendar
and the divination system associated with it represent a “pre-scientific”
theory of the order of life.
Q’anjob’al Maya divination is the quest for reconciliation and self-organization. The diviner’s consultations constitute a psychosocial therapy in
which the existential problems and preoccupations of the clients are interpreted.
This book focuses on the comprehension of a culture in terms of subjective identity and existence as presented from the inner conceptual perspective and implied in the communicative interaction of one specialist key informant and his numerous clients.
The present book is a documentation based on the transcripts (made by
my Maya consultants) and my translations of 14 consultations including
divinations of a Q’anjob’al Maya diviner. It presents an analysis of the
consultations. It provides a theoretical framework and attempts to explain
several aspects of them.
Moreover, I present several model dialogs in which the diviner assumes
the roles of both the diviner and the client, as well as in-depth interviews
on concepts or beliefs and on aspects of the life cycle and of rituals.
Various ethnographic and anthropological discoveries are highlighted in
this book: e.g., the dicovery of a cult of a Holy Bundle (Ordenanza) as a
community therapy, the analysis of the client’s problems, the derivation of
interpretations of the problems, counsels, therapeutic concepts and procedures and their theoretical explanation in terms of affect processing.
Several examples of therapeutic proposals are documented and analyzed.
This implies salient episodes, central concepts, the outline of procedures,
and verbatim model instructions for the client. An interesting case concerns the reconciliation of a couple within the consultation. The central
therapeutic procedure of an ‘open declaration (confession)’, as observed by
me, is analyzed and theoretically interpreted, inter alia, in terms of affect
processing models. An analysis of the psychosomatic concept of mistrust
in Q’anjob’al Maya divination is presented.
Moreover, the book deals with reinforcing social identity and social control, existential domains, an analysis of a complete case of consultation, a
new theory of the emergence of ideas in terms of cognitive science and a
statement on an anthropology of reconciliation. It contains a photographic
documentation (color plates) e.g. of a divinationn session and of the
ceremony for the Holy Bundle (ordenanza).
Contents: I. Introductory chapters: A. Plan of the book: Overview / B. The
260-day calendar in Mesoamerica and divination as a folk theory of action
/ C. Fieldwork in San Juan Ixcoy / D. Ethnographic context / E. The cult of
the holy bundle (Ordenanza) in San Juan Ixcoy. II. Core chapters: 1. Divination and counseling: Terminology, concepts and beliefs as a system / 2.
Day-name associations: Cultural themes and basic needs / 3. The analysis
of the client’s problems / 4. Techniques of interpretation and the derivation
of interpretations / 5. Therapy, counsels and psychosocial healing / 6. Reinforcing social identity and social control / 7. Existential domains: Corresponding divination cases and beliefs / 8. An analysis of a complete case /
9. Learning how to participate in consultations (and how to divine) / 10.
Theoretical considerations of Q’anjob’al Maya divination and consultation.
III. Data appendices. IV. Photographic documentation: Color plates. Glossary. Index.
The core chapters have, in general, the following structure: I present verbatim texts documenting concepts, thoughts and actions of topical interest.
The texts are accompanied by my analytical commentaries contributing to
comprehension. Special emphasis is placed on the elucidation of concepts,
beliefs and procedures.
Furthermore, the chapters are organized in terms of a Developmental Sequence. The order of the chapters follows, in general, the explication of
conceptual and technical presuppositions of divination and counseling, as
well as the unfolding of the consultation session: 1. Stating the problem / 2.
Divination and (diagnostic) interpretation / 3. Therapy (or counsel). As
systematic aspects, ordering individual as well as culturally relevant
episodes, I consider the reinforcement of social identity and existential
domains representing (daily) life, and finally the session as a whole unit
and the learning of participating in it.
KEYWORDS:
260-day calendar
Mesoamerica
Divination
Guatemala
Q’anjob’al (Maya) /
Kanjobal (Maya) /
Kanhobal (Maya)
Existence
Identity
Reconciliation
Self-organization
Social order
Subjective order
Philosophy (non-western)
Cognitive anthropology
Cognitive science (problem solving)
Ethnopsychotherapy
Medical anthropology
Mesoamericanistics
Pour plus d’information comparez, svp, l’article en français “La divination chez les Q’anjob’al Maya (San Juan Ixcoy), Guatémala:
existence, indentité et réconciliation”.
Un informe en español:
El calendario de 260 días y las adivinaciones y consultas conectadas con él
constituyen un rasgo cultural co-definiendo el área cultural de ‘Mesoamérica’. Yo trato las adivinaciones y consultas Q’anjob’ales como un módo de
resolver problemas personales y encontrar ideas para reorganizar la vida
propia. El libro consiste en cuatro partes: I. capítulos introductores (e.g., el
calendario de 260 días, el contexto etnográfico); II. capítulos nucleares (cf.
1o.); III. Apéndices (entrevistas, p.e., ciclo de la vida, estadísticas, etc.);
IV. láminas en color.
1°. Considerando los Q’anjob’ales se trata de una documentación escrita
y ampliamente verbal y un análise de (parte de) su cultura tradicional, de
sus problemas cotidianos o existenciales y de su espiritualidad Maya. Yo
quisiera apuntar la documentación del culto de la ‘ordenanza’, un bulto sagrado conteniendo posiblemente una cédula que marca – y provee – la
institucionalización de los ‘cargos de la comunidad’ en la Audiencia de
Guatemala en tiempos coloniales, o de las normas respectivas. Además
quisiera destacar el contexto funcional de las consultas y adivinaciones.
El desarrollo de problemas cotidianos de los clientes, la adivinación y la
derivación de una interpretación del problema presentado así como la terapia, la resolución del problema o el consejo de intervención, el manejo de
la identidad social en situaciones de incertidumbre y las esferas existenciales cubiertas por las consultas son descritos y analizados detalladamente.
2°. Considerando la antropología cultural y social se trata de un análise
de una mentalidad, de una comprensión de una cultura respecto a la
existencia e identidad subjetivas y sociales como se presenta conceptual y
comunicativamente en las conversaciones e interacciones de un terapeuta
clave y sus numerosos clientes. Se analiza el contexto de creencias y de
acciones derivadas de ellas. Se trata de explicar teóricamente varios aspectos de las consultas.
3°. Para la (etno)psicoterapia se trata de una amplia documentacion verbal (protócolos), de comentarios explicativos y de un análise estructural y
también teórico de una terapia única de desconfianza y aversión. Tal documentación intensa y verbal es extraordinaria.
4°. Para el patrimonio cultural de Guatemala tenemos un ejemplo de la
contribución indígena a la cultura guatemalteca y a su orientación multicultural subrayando la variedad en la unidad nacional. Tal análise puede, p.e.,
contribuir a la comprensión interétnica y – ojalá – a la reconciliación. El
aspecto de la reconstitución del orden social y subjetivo en este contexto
cultural merece una atención especial.
5°. Considerando el conocimiento más amplio del patrimonio cultural de
Guatemala, a través de una traducción española de mi libro, yo quisiera
apuntar la posible contribución de la tradición Q’anjob’al Maya al patrimonio cultural mundial:
• Yo quisiera llamar su atención al caso de la adivinación Ifà en África
occidental, declarado como patrimonio mundial por parte de la
UNESCO (cultural world heritage).
• Yo no estoy completamente seguro, pero yo pienso que la terapia involucrada en las consultas y adivinaciones Q’anjob’ales constituyan
– un modelo único individualmente terapeútico (p.e., cap. 5, especialmente 5.8, cap. 10.7.4);
– un modelo posible de reconciliacíon que pueda ser importante para
una “tecnología social de la paz” (cf. la referencia a van Binsbergen)
y talvez para una reconciliación de toda la sociedad guatemalteca
(p.e., cap. 10.7).