Magical Death
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 1984.16.10
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Asch, Timothy
label: Collection Creator
content: Chagnon, Napoleon A., 1938-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Timothy Asch and Napolean Chagnon films of the Yanomamo
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Film reel (29 minutes, color sound; 1044 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1973
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Edited film from the 1971 Yanomamo film project shot in the Amazon Basin of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil between the Negro and the Upper Orinoco rivers. A portrayal of shamanic activity and its role in inter-village alliances and magical attack in Yanomamo society. The drama of shamanic possession is shown over a two-day period as a powerful shaman summons the hekura spirits to destroy the souls of an enemy's children for their new allies. The film elaborates indigenous ideas of spirit possession and interprets the relationship between Yanomamo shamanism, warfare, and politics.  

Legacy Keywords: Language and culture ; Shamanism magical attack Yanomamo Venezuela ; Alliances inter-village shamanism Yanomamo ; Spirits hekura invocation of Yanomamo ; Possession shamans Yanomamo ; Aggression magical attack shamans Yanomamo ; Warfare inter-village Yanomamo ; Drugs hallucinogenic spirit possession Yanomamo