Haux
In the beginning…
In the tradition of the Huni Kuin creation began with the cosmic Jiboia or Boa constrictor who brought creation and taught the use of the sacred medicines to the people. The first sound emitted was Haux Haux, the beginning of all. As in many traditions it all started with sound sound is the creative force and the beginning of all that was, is and ever will be. Haux Haux, Ohm or the Big Bang!
Haux Haux is intoned by the Shaman when he starts a prayer, as in India they say Ohm when they start a mantra.
El jefe Biraci Yawanawa en Haux
Acording to chief Biraci Yawanawa Haux is like an oath, when the Pajé or Shaman intones the sacred sound Haux from that moment onwards he is working for the benefit of a sick person, or the tribe or existence or whatever is the object of the spiritual work that was opened with that sacred oath.
Por eso, en su tradición, no es una palabra que deba pronunciarse a la ligera o, antiguamente, ni siquiera se permitía que saliera de los labios de alguien que no estuviera iniciado.
¿Qué es Haux?
Como nota al margen sobre la seriedad de estos asuntos en la tradición yawanawa, una vez pregunté a Biraci por el mito de la creación de su pueblo. Me explicó que sólo narraban el mito de la creación del propio pueblo, no del universo. Cuando indagué más, me explicó que antiguamente sí tenían un mito de la creación, pero que tardaban unas 24 horas en cantarlo y que una vez que se empieza hay que terminarlo, así que ¡imagínense la fuerza que debe tener el chamán para cantar 24 horas seguidas! En fin, no divaguemos y volvamos al tema.
The Mastermind’s Journey
Jesse Nunes de Paula, a Amazon Forest born and raised Rapé maker, shares with us the intricate and experimental journey he’s undergone with his studies of medicinal plants, from taking shamanic snuffs that were commonly used by his brothers all the way to the enlightenment that resulted in the creation of something new and unique, that is now known amongst countless members of his community and practitioners of natural medicine around the world.
Cuando le pedí a Biraci que dijera unas palabras sobre Haux dijo lo siguiente:
“We Yawanawa we use the word Haux when we start a prayer, We pray with our jar (a traditional Yawanawa way of praying with a clay por filled with Caicuma or some other preparation) to heal someone, or to initiate someone into our spiritual world. It is an affirmation of a spiritual commitment of prayer. Every shaman that heals by prayer takes his jar and says Haux. Our Huni Kuin cousins they say Haux for nearly everything, I don’t understand it very well but for us it is a very serious word.”
Haux en la época moderna
Hoy en día el uso de la palabra Haux se ha flexibilizado, se utiliza como saludo, afirmación o al consagrar el Rapé u otras medicinas de sus tradiciones. La popularización de la palabra comenzó con los Huni Kuin o Kaxinawa, pero se ha extendido a las demás tribus a partir de la raíz lingüística Pano. La popularización de la palabra no es necesariamente una falta de respeto, pero algunos de los más ancianos que aún recuerdan los tiempos tal y como eran antaño sí lo consideran una falta de respeto con la tradición de su pueblo. Y quizás con razón, si se estudian más sus tradiciones se encuentra un profundo y vasto sistema de conocimientos, la mayoría se ha perdido desde el contacto pero incluso lo poco que queda es mucho y merece ser respetado y preservado.
Compartiremos algunas citas de Tuwe Huni Kuin y Taskha Yawanawa. Como se ha dicho antes, el uso más común de Haux comenzó con los Huni Kuin, los Yawanawa tradicionalmente no tenían un uso cotidiano de Haux, pero ahora con el contacto entre las tribus y los no indígenas también comenzaron a usarlo de la misma manera que los Huni Kuin, sólo un poco menos.
Tuwe Huni Kuin en Haux
Según Tuwe Huni Kuin:
“ The Kaxinawá and the Yawanawá use “haux” differently. For us, haux was the first sound emitted by the boa constrictor, which is the being from which the Huni Kuin people (Kaxinawa) originate cosmologically and is also the being who taught medicine to the people. The haux, many years ago, was used only by the shaman when starting and ending a song or healing work, as a greeting to people and a greeting to the spiritual dimension, using the language of the boa constrictor. Over time, “haux” became a more flexible and commonly used term, meaning a greeting, a confirmation or a thank you.”
Cuando le pedí a Biraci que dijera unas palabras sobre Haux dijo lo siguiente:
“We Yawanawa we use the word Haux when we start a prayer, We pray with our jar (a traditional Yawanawa way of praying with a clay por filled with Caicuma or some other preparation) to heal someone, or to initiate someone into our spiritual world. It is an affirmation of a spiritual commitment of prayer. Every shaman that heals by prayer takes his jar and says Haux. Our Huni Kuin cousins they say Haux for nearly everything, I don’t understand it very well but for us it is a very serious word.”
Y aquí añadiremos otro texto que Tashka escribió sobre el tema compartiendo sus conocimientos y sabiduría:
“Haux is not a greeting…it is a sacred word used in healing rituals. Haux in Sheyuki. Sheyuki, it’s like a massage that the pajé uses his hands to massage over the sick part of the body and at the end he puts both hands together and blows to the heavens, saying Haux!!!!! Let the cure come!!!! Haux em Rakushakin – After a night of Uni, the shaman has a divine power in his body and power in his mouth. He was exuding the force of the miracoes last night… So he calls the children and old people and `atu rakushakin`, he goes to blow so that his words vaccinate and ward off people’s disease… he blows without in people’s heads, then he joins both hands blows to the sky saying Haux!!!! Let the cure come!!!! Haux in Vekushi… Spiritual cleansing, the shamans burn Sepa, our sacred medicine that exudes the perfume of the spirits.
Rapé Chief comes straight from Nixiwaka,
also known as Biraci Brasil,
Chief of the Yawanawa tribe.
