Traditional and Ayahuasca Generated Modern Art of the Bora Tribe

By Douglass G. Norvell, Ph.D.




Introduction

Long known for their handicrafts such as bags woven from palm fiber, necklaces made from jungle seeds, and garments made from painted bark cloth, the Bora tribes of the Upper Amazon have begun to focus on art derived from visions produced by Ayahuasca, the "drug de jure" of New Age supplicants. Moving with the times, the Boras took their traditional bark painting and combined the traditional technique with visions derived from the soul vine.

Above, we see Rafael, chief of a Bora tribe near Iquitos, and his son Ramon, practicing the traditional way of painting by portraying the view at the top roof of a Malocca (traditional long house of the Boras). The theme of a view from the floor of the long house also guided, Josie, another member of the Bora tribe.


Josie shows her painting, again with a view from the floor of a Malooca.

In a departure from traditional Bora themes, present painters have begun to include spiritual themes such as the Millenium Dream. Many of these themes are generated during Ayahuasca ceremonies.



Here we see a painting by Arnold, where villagers look to the return of a messiah. Like Christians, the Boras believe that a supernatural being will return to set things right, and help them in their struggles against modern monsters represented by snakes and forest monsters. The mermaid who paddles alone represents traditional lifestyles.

Bora paintings also reflect the struggles of forest creatures that they hope will survive encroaching modernization.




Study this unsigned painting to find Monkeys, Hotazin, Macaws, Peccary, a Mouse, Caiman (staring at a Jaguar), a fawn and others yet to be discovered. But other forest mystical forest beings represent danger.


In Bora mythology, the rainbow represents danger, bringing rain, cold and sickness. This Bora warrior fights a rainbow-hued monster with his blowgun, as still used by Boras for hunting in the forest. Many Boras still long for the old days and see an increasing interest in Ayahuasca consumption with skepticism.


These Bora women sit preparing Ayahuasca are supervised by the dreaded white demon who dominates the scene from the upper left corner. Easily identified by those familiar with Amazon cultures, this demon is a dreaded Pela Cara, (face peeler) who indigenous folk believe come to the jungle, catch forest dwellers, then peel skin from their faces. Afterwards, according to legend, the oil rich skin is sent to industrialized nations where it is made into special lubricants for heavy equipment and fuel for rocket ships. So persistent was this legend, that numbers of missionaries and oil workers were murdered in remote forest locations during the 20th century before the government mounted an intensive propaganda campaign to calm tribes.

Where will Bora fantasies travel in the future? Perhaps our principal clue will come from the brushes of their emerging artists.


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