Las lágrimas del sol, enigma de los espíritus dueños del oro
Author: Víctor Hugo Pachas
Publisher: Alliance for Responsible Mining
Subject: Etnografía y Antropología
ISBN: 978-612-00-6304-0
Pages: 305
Year publication: 2021
Abstract:
In Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, miners receive in their dreams a gift, an economic enigma that reveals for them the location of valuable gold deposits. They need to be worthy of the gift by paying it back through rituals that symbolically emphasize the pivotal role of verbal agreements and of women in preserving kinship systems. Consequently, the primary spirit of the mine is ritualized as a woman. This practice elevates the miner’s social standing, enabling the establishment of verbal agreements with peers. Within a small-scale mining context fraught with conflict, this culture signifies a relentless commitment to upholding verbal agreements in a world characterized by uncertainty. The small scale mining culture, rooted in uncertainty, thrives on the fringes of a hegemonic society that consistently marginalizes the Andean economy. Miners navigate a rich tapestry of religious diversity, journeying through and assimilating religious codes from Andean, Catholic, and Evangelical traditions.
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Las lágrimas del sol: enigma de los espíritus dueños del oro