The Omnipresence of Flowers in the Ritual Life of La Esperanza

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents ix
3. List of Figures and Tables xiii
4. Acknowledgments xvii
5. Note on Phonemic Transcription of Northern Nahuatl xxi
6. Introduction: We Speak to the Tepas Because We Are Indigenous
7. Exclusive Dichotomies 1
8. In Search of the Local Ethnotheory of a Singular Ethic 10
9. Approach 14
10. 1 Where There’s Life, There’s Esperanza
11. Introduction 17
12. Agrarian and Political Organization 18
13. Historical Background of the Village of La Esperanza and of the Agrarian Community of Santa Clara 21
14. The Contemporary Scene 25
15. Economic Activity 27
16. “Pueblo chico, infierno grande”? 37
17. 2 The Miracle of the Maize
18. Introduction 40
19. The History of the Miracle 43
20. The Great Drought 45
21. Origins of the Chikomexochitl Ritual 48
22. Land, Territory, and Community 60
23. 3 The Three Layers
24. Introduction 63
25. The Domestic Altar: Point of Departure and Arrival 63
26. The Tepas: Guardians of the Earth 65
27. The Ritualists 69
28. The Local Notion of Work 73
29. The Ritualists’ Promises 76
30. The Three Moments of the Ritual 84
31. 4 Fulfilling the Covenant
32. Introduction 88
33. Novena-Promise for the Family 89
34. Offerings at the Beginning of the Year to the Means of Production 90
35. Healings 104
36. A Synergy Set in Motion 111
37. 5 On Earth as It Is in Heaven
38. Introduction 112
39. Rites of Passage 112
40. A Single Integrative Space: “Combinationism” 154
41. 6 The Patronal Festival
42. Introduction 163
43. “All-Out Festival in La Esperanza” 164
44. Festival Everlasting 200
45. Ritual and Political Sociability 211
46. 7 Flowers Are the Most Important Thing of All
47. Introduction 216
48. The Omnipresence of Flowers in the Ritual Life of La Esperanza 218
49. Flowers in the Ancient Mesoamerican World 223
50. The Marigold Flower 225
51. Transitions-Transformations in the Christianized Mesoamerican World 226
52. Flowers as Concatenators of the “Power” in “the Near and the Joined” 227
53. The Work-Power-Flower Principle 231
54. 8 The Earth Unites Us and Custom Brings Us Together
55. Introduction 236
56. El costumbre and Its Connection with the World Beyond the Community 239
57. The Pastoral Indígena in La Esperanza 242
58. Between Custom, Tradition, and Culture 260
59. A Political History of El costumbre 268
60. Conclusion The Tepas Are Bilingual 270
61. Glossary 277
62. References 281
63. Index 299
64. About the Author 313