Blood Revenge, War, and Victory Feasts among the Jibaro Indians

The Second Day of the Feast: Natema Umartinyu, "The Drinking of the Natema"

At about 8 o'clock the principal ceremony of the second day, the drinking of the sacred drink natéma, takes place. This important narcotic is prepared from a vine specially cultivated by the Jibaros, the scientific name of which is Banisteria caapi (of the Malpighiaceae family). When the drink is prepared for the feast the slayer himself has to assist in order to transfer to it the supernatural power with which he is believed to be invested.

For the preparation of the natéma some pieces of the stem of the vine are cut off, crushed with clubs, and parted into thinner fibers, which are boiled in water for a couple of hours. The fibers are then taken out and the drink is ready. The natéma drink, which has the effect of producing in the drinker peculiar visions and hallucinations which are ascribed by the Indians to certain spirits, is generally mixed with some tobacco water, through which its narcotic effects are increased. At the tsantsa feast the second day is regularly destined for the drinking of the natéma, and it is prepared and drunk with certain ceremonies, which have now to be described.

Some pieces of the stem of the natéma plant are laid on a banana leaf on the ground. Upon another banana leaf a larger and a smaller wooden club are laid, and with these the natéma stems are to be crushed. There is besides a pot in which the drink will be cooked. The priest as usual gives the slayer tobacco juice through the nose. Then he grasps him by the wrist and makes him seize a club with his right hand and a natéma stem with his left and crush the stem, laying it upon the other tree club. The slayer divides the stem into three or four fibers and puts them down into the pot, the priest holding his hand. Another Indian without ceremony crushes some other pieces of the natéma stem and arranges them in a ring within the pot. The slayer, whose hand is held by the priest, now pours some water into the pot from a water bottle and places the pot on the fire, some other men attending to the pot while it boils.

At another fire close by tobacco is simultaneously being boiled, to be mixed with the natéma. A small clay pot is placed by the fire, and some leaves of tobacco are laid on a banana leaf at the side of it. The slayer, whose hand is held by the priest, takes a tobacco leaf and carefully puts it, first, on the edge of the pot and then into it. The wife of the slayer repeats the process with another leaf, laying it at first on the edge of the pot and then inside it. Lastly, a third leaf of tobacco is in the same way put into the pot by the daughter of the slayer. Thereupon the slayer, assisted by the priest, pours some water into the pot and places it on the fire.

On the spot where the natéma is cooked there is also placed a piece of the stem of the manioc plant and two narrow strips of the bark of a tree which the Jibaros call samiki. The slayer takes one of the strips, winds it round his index finger, and ties it into a ring of the same size as the finger. By means of one end of the strip, which after the tying of the ring has been left free, he then attaches the ring to the piece of the manioc stem. Thereupon he in the same way makes another ring of the other strip, giving it the size of his index finger, and attaches it to the manioc stem at the side of the first ring. With the aid of the priest he ultimately places the manioc stem, with the two rings attached to it, upon the tobacco pot boiling on the fire in such a way that it rests upon the edges of the pot.

The object of this ceremony is to establish a mysterious connection between the slayer, who, as we have seen, is supposed to be filled with supernatural power, the tobacco water to be mixed in the natéma drink, and the manioc plant which the persons drinking of the narcotic will see in the dream. The two rings formed of the rind of the samiki tree will in this connection serve as mediums for the transference of the power. The Jibaros ascribe magical virtues to the samiki tree itself, and a little of its bark is generally mixed with the natéma with a view to increasing the efficacy of the drink. The samiki strips of the tree, having been formed into rings of the same size as the slayer's finger, are believed to catch his power, and thus to transfer it to the manioc and the boiling tobacco pot. The persons partaking of the sacred drink are afterwards, in the narcotic sleep, supposed to see, among other things, the manioc fields of the slayer in a flourishing state and bearing a rich crop of fruit.

At the tsantsa feast the natéma is only boiled for about one hour, whereupon the pot is taken off the fire. Similarly the smaller pot in which tobacco has been cooked is taken away, the manioc stick with the samiki rings having first been removed. The latter is fixed in the wall close to the door, where it is left until it is dry and half consumed, being then thrown away.

The slayer, whose hands are held by the priest, seizes the small tobacco pot and pours its contents into the natéma pot. The drink is now ready to be consumed.

In the drinking of the natéma at the tsantsa feast both men and women, even half-grown children, take part, all "who want to dream" being allowed to drink of the narcotic. Even the slayer, as well as his wife and daughter, drink natéma. The drinking has throughout a ceremonial character. A number of beautifully ornamented clay dishes are placed on the ground in two rows. The priest and two or three other old men fill them with natéma and give them over to the persons who are going to drink. Before they give the dish to a man or woman they each time sing a long conjuration over it, summoning the natéma spirits. The person who receives the dish quickly empties its contents, which amount to a little more than half a liter. Immediately thereafter he or she goes out and throws up the quantity drunk (for the natéma at first has the effect of an emetic). Then the person again enters the house, again empties a pininga of natéma, which is given him by an old man with the same ceremony as before, and immediately again throws it up. The same process is repeated a third time. Each person who drinks natéma at the tsantsa feast thus has to empty three dishes of the sacred drink.

The persons who drink natéma have not previously eaten or drunk anything, and afterwards also they have to fast strictly until they have slept and dreamed. The majority of those who have drunk the narcotic leave the house and go out to sleep in some ranches of palm leaves made in the forest at a short distance from the house. Most of these are men, but at least one of them ought to be a woman, a female relative of the slayer. The slayer and his wife and daughter, who also have drunk natéma, do not leave the house, but have their dreams inside. The dreamers remain in the forest sleeping until the afternoon. Then they take a bath in the river and return to the house, where they tell the older Indians what kind of dreams and visions they have had. Now they are also allowed to break their fast. Their food consists only of a dish of boiled and mashed manioc and boiled ripe bananas. The dreamer has to receive the dish containing this food from the hand of the same old man who in the morning had given him or her the natéma.

The object of the drinking of the natéma at the tsantsa feast is to ascertain whether everything will turn out favorably for the slayer in the future, whether he will have a long life, attain to material prosperity, and be lucky in his undertakings. The slayer, as well as his nearest relatives who have drunk natéma, will see in the dream his house surrounded by large and flourishing plantations of manioc and bananas; they will see his domestic animals, his swine, and his chickens, numerous and fat, etc. But at the same time the persons who have drunk the sacred drink will be benefited for their own part also, being purified from impure and disease-bringing matters, and gaining strength and ability for their respective works and occupations.

The drinking of the natéma in the morning is as usual followed by a general drinking bout — in which, however, those persons who have drunk natéma do not take part — as well as by a general banquet, at which the flesh of the swine and chickens cooked during the night is eaten. With this banquet the official part of the morning's program is finished, and hosts and guests may pass the rest of the day until darkness as they like.

At about 6 o'clock in the evening the preparations for the night's dance commence, the host (i.e., the slayer) again going round in the house and inviting the guests to take part in it. All having properly dressed themselves, arranged their ornaments, and painted their faces, the hantsemata begins and is continued through the whole night exactly in the same way as on the previous night. Even the wrestling of the boys takes place for a while. The dance is continued until about half past 5 in the morning, being as usual finished off by a general bath in the river.