The Shaman’s Realm

August 2012 - We are traveling in Chiapas, in southern Mexico, searching for fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.  

The global economy is gradually seeping into the remote corners of Mexico, including Chiapas. But much of Chiapas is still a place apart -- a place of mystery and tradition -- a place that speaks of another time and a very different way of life. 

Village Cemetery, San Juan 

de Chamula, Chiapas

In much of Chiapas, corn is planted by hand on impossibly steep hillsides. Women and children collect large bundles of firewood from the forest, and carry the bundles for long distances on their backs. Corn is ground by hand, and mixed with lime to produce tortilla dough.

In a rural kitchen, a woman kneels on a dirt floor and tends an open wood fire. The fire heats a comal on which a woman fries the tortillas that she has formed and pressed. The dark room fills with smoke and the smell of warm tortillas as the rain falls outside. 

Making Tortillas, Chiapas

In Chiapas, things are not always what they seem. As we enter the quaint village church in San Juan de Chamula, we immediately find ourselves in a very unexpected world. No photographs are allowed within this space. The interior is dark and mysterious, and hundreds of candles flicker everywhere. 

Village Church, San Juan de Chamula

From out of the darkness we hear low repetitive chants -- not the usual chants that one might expect in a Catholic church, but deep-throated chants that remind us of Tibet or Mongolia. And then, unexpectedly, we hear the distressed screech of a chicken. 

 

Church Entrance, San Juan de Chamula

As our eyes adjust, we see tables covered with beautiful flowers (from the neighboring village of Zinacatlán, which gets charcoal from Chamula in return). The floor is covered with pine needles. Candles burn everywhere on tables and floor. As they burn down, and the wax runs across the floor, some of the pine needles begin to smolder. No one seems concerned.

Village Church, Zinacatlán

We gradually perceive family groups huddled on the floor (there are no church pews). Each group sits in front of a small makeshift altar of candles, flowers and Coca Cola bottles. Penitents drink Coca Cola to make them burp, because the burping is thought to expel evil spirits (a cynical local acquaintance once told us that the Coca Cola distributor had one of the largest houses in the village).

A shaman holds the wrists of a young girl, trying from her pulse to ascertain the source of her malady. Parents and family members kneel nearby, praying for a cure. A doomed chicken, soon to be sacrificed, is held firmly by its legs and neck. The sacrificial and curative rights will cost family members a large share of their weekly income.

Centuries-old statues of Catholic saints line the church walls, but traditional Catholic doctrine holds little sway here. Catholic priests no longer preside in this sanctuary, and from the village of Chamula many evangelical christians have been expelled. For this is the realm of the shaman, and he rules with a strong hand. -- JM

Night Bus to Chiapas

August, 2012.  We continued our journey through southern Mexico, seeking out fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

From the City of Oaxaca, we took the regular overnight bus to San Cristóbol de Las Casas, in the green highlands of Chiapas. Chiapas is located in the far south of Mexico, next to Guatemala. It is the ancestral homeland of the Mayan people. Our overnight bus trip from Oaxaca to San Cristóbol took more than 11 hours. The route climbed over rugged mountains, descended into hot lowlands in the Isthmus of Tehuántepec, and then climbed again into misty Chiapas. We didn’t get much sleep during the ride, but in Chiapas we met some wonderful people and found some great crafts for Chiripa!

Chiapas Woman with her Folk Art, 

Traditional Blouse and Heavy

Black Woolen Skirt

We started our journey at nightfall, in a pouring rain, and soon left the City of Oaxaca behind us. The bus wound its way up the steep mountain road in complete darkness. Rock walls, brush, guard rails and black empty space swept to and fro across the headlights as the driver negotiated endless switchbacks – now shifting into low gear, now pumping the brakes.  

Occasionally, a heavily loaded truck emerged from the darkness above and roared past us on the narrow road. Other times, we passed sluggish trucks that were grinding up the mountain ahead of us. The windshield wipers kept up a quiet rhythm, and the bus driver played low salsa music to keep himself awake. 

Morning in San Cristóbol, Chiapas

We dozed fitfully in the dark bus, trying in vain to find restful sleeping positions. In the seats ahead and behind, fellow passengers snored (and maybe we did too – at least in our intermittent moments of sleep). As the bus pushed on through the hot Isthmus of Tehuántepec, we passed humble outdoor cafes (comedors) where clusters of people sat eating and conversing in the cool midnight hours. The dimly lighted scenes came and went, as if in a dream. Then our heads dropped and our eyes closed again.

Lunch on the Street, San Cristóbol

Dawn was breaking when we pulled into San Cristóbol. The mountain air was cool and fresh as we stepped down from the bus. Our backs were stiff and our knees were cramped, but a good cup of hot black Chiapas coffee would soon put us in shape for the craft hunt.        - JM

Woman with Braids, San Cristóbol

True Collectors' Items

August, 2012. We are traveling in the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, in search of fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

In the world of Mexican indigenous crafts, Jacobo and María Angeles are rock stars. In their colorful workshop, on a dirt-and-cobble lane in the far corner of the small Zapotec village of San Martín Tilcajete, they carve and paint the most beautiful alebrijes on the planet. Jacobo and María were born in the village, and have known each other since they were children. Jacobo learned wood carving from his father, who died when Jacobo was just 12 years old.

Jacobo and Maria Angeles

In the hands of Jacobo and Maria (and their small group of artists), alebrijes are not just carved and painted wooden animals. They are not just common craft objects, or figures slavishly copied from nature. The figures live in a spirit world, at once whimsical and real. They seem to have their own hidden thoughts. They have a timeless quality, at once ancient and stunningly modern. They are elegant and mysterious, and they draw you in. 

Dog alebrije

Skilled hands carve the figures from copal wood. The figures are then carefully dried, and painted with colors made from natural local materials. The artists use fine-tipped brushes to execute minutely detailed, traditional Zapotec patterns. Everything is done with painstaking care and patience, under the exacting eyes of Jacobo and Maria. A single piece takes months to create (one specially-commissioned 4-ft. coyote took over two years!). These works of art come in a variety of sizes, and are sought by knowledgeable collectors throughout the world. 

Carver at Work

During our recent visit, María Angeles told us that they can easily sell every piece they make, and that they are having trouble keeping up with a worldwide demand. We were nevertheless able to obtain some brilliant pieces for Chiripa, because we have known Jacobo and Maria for years. Come to Chiripa and see these collectors’ items for yourself!       - JM

Painter with Skunk Alebrije