Power, Ideology and the Ritual of Production in Lowland South America Fernando Santos Granero Man, New Series, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Dec., 1986), 657-679. Stable URL: htp//links jstor.org/sici?sici=0025-1496% 28 198612%292%3A21%3A4%3C657%3APIATRO%3E2,0.CO%3B2-%23 ‘Man is currently published by Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. ‘Your use of the ISTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use, available at hhup:/www.jstororg/about/terms.hml. JSTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at hup:/www jstor.org/journals/raihuml, Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the sereen or printed page of such transmission, STOR is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of scholarly journals, For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact jstor-info@ jstor.org, hupulwwwjstor.org/ Mon May 3 13:49:06 2004POWER, IDEOLOGY AND THE RITUAL OF PRODUCTION IN LOWLAND SOUTH AMERICA FerNaNDo SANTOS GRANERO London School of Economics “The political power of Amazonian shaman-chiefs is embedded in economic processes, for they are beleved ta purcipate directly in productive and reproductive procestes through thet ‘monopoly of the ritual techniques of fe-giving or the “mystical meats of reproduction”. The rile shoves how power and ideology, stual and production are related to generate political Suthority, In thore Amaroni societies where shamans participate mystilly im the productive Sand reproductive processes they also have a polial role, wheres in those societies where shamans are not chiefs svarsior leader or priestly figure possess the power, through ritual, co fgutantce the heath and fealty of both humans and their environment. In lowland South ‘Americs politcal power and the ritual of production ae two sides of the same coin In his analysis of political power in lowland South America, Pierre Clastres Ie should be noted that, according to Overing, everybody may acquire at least some degree of ‘mystial knowledge through the sara ceremony performed by the rawang forthe children and asus of his t'de "With this ceremony, and simila ones pariipated in in Inter if, the iit slowly increases his internal beads (of knowledge) (re), the source of his powers as a hunter, a fisherman and ater perhaps as chanter or vreere (1983-31). This mystical knowledge is diferent ‘in extent ftom the shamanistc powers which only very few individuals may aan, *Thelase filly established Amuesha priest died in 1956, and although his only disciple attempted to eret his own temple withthe ad of his followers, he only succeeded in maintaining fora brief time, The dats for this outline on the Amuesha priet/temple complex come from my doctoral thesis, “The power of love: the moral use of knowledge amongst the Amuesha of Cental Peru, ‘which isin preparation,FERNANDO SANTOS GRANERO on Asher, K. 1981, Mauna scl organisation: a study indent, alone andthe oration of copoate rowps inthe northavetem Amazon (Ups. Sud. cul. Anhrop 4). Stockholm: Libertryck Baechler, J. 1980. Pouwvoir &tidéologie. In Idflaie et politique (eds) M. Cranston & P. Mit, European Univ. Insitute Castres, P. 1974, La seieé contr Pat. Pais Les Editions de Minuit. Dumont, J.P. 1978. 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New York: Oxford Univ. Pres (Overing (Kaplan), J. 1974 Tsaw the Sound ofthe waterfall: shamanism, gods and leadership in Piaroa society. Paper presented to the sssion “Politi leadershp in lowland South Amerie’ teeting othe Amencan Anthropological Assocation, 1975. The Piroa «people ofthe Orinoco basin, Oxford: Clarendon, 1982. The paths of saced words: shamanism and the domestication of the asocil in Patoa society. Paper presented tothe 44th International Congress of Americaists, Manchester. 198s. There eno end of evil the guilty innocents and chet lib god. In The anthropology of ‘rl (ed.)D. Parkin, Oxford: Blackwell [8 M. R. Kaplan in press, Lor Woruha, In Lar Aborigones de Venezuela (vo. 3). Caracas Fundacion La Salle de Ciencias Naturales Riviere, P1984 Individual and soit in Guiana. Cambridge: Univ. Press Santos Granero, F. 1983. Guardians ofthe sacred lore shamans, priests nd the question oF moray. Paper presented othe 4ath Intemational Congress of Americanists, Manchester. Sheridan, A. 1980, Mickel Foucault: th will nth Londoo: Tavistock. ‘Smith, R. C. 1977, Deliverance from chaos for 4 song: a soca and religious interpretation ofthe ‘tual performance of Amuesha music. Thesis, Comell University Steward, J: H. (ed). 1963, The trapical forest rites (HIB. S. Am. In. 3), New York: Cooper Square.