The Politics of Shamanism and the Limits of Fear

TL;DRAbstract

The Hoti are a small group of hunter-horticulturalists living in the highlands of central Venezuelan Guiana. In this article I examine Hoti understandings of equality, hierarchy and power and the coercive use of fear by individuals who cultivate a reputation as “Light Ones”—that is people especially skilled in their interaction with the powerful beings of the shamanic environment—a role that is essential for the safety and fertility of the community. Hoti people are highly egalitarian and anti-hierarchical in their moral understandings and for them all power is ambiguous, and all claims to authority can arouse suspicion. For this reason it is very seldom that anyone will claim ability as a shaman, although there is considerable political skill involved in cultivating such a reputation without ever admitting to it directly. The politics of shamanism can be a demanding, dangerous, and sometimes deadly game, as Hoti people are able, through humor, mockery and even violence to limit the ca

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