The ancestors tell us that a long, long time ago, in the Huichol
Forest, the elderly met to discuss their situation: their people were sick, dying. There was shortage of food, water.
The rains were delayed and the earth was dry. They’ve decided to sent hunting, four young man, to bring food for the
community and to share whatever they brought back with them, be it large or small. Each one of the young man represented an Element, The Fire, The
water, The Air and The Ground. The very next morning, the four young man learned of their journey and
each man has brought with him a bow and
arrow set.
They’ve walked for days until one afternoon a deer jump from out of
the bush. The deer was big and fat and the young man were tired and hungry but
when they saw the deer they fought their hung and thirst and they started
running after him, never letting him out of their sigh. The deer looked at the
young man and saw a sorry bunch so he allowed them to rest the night and
continued the chase the next morning.
This went on for a week or so until they’ve reached Wirikuta ( a
place located in the San Luis Potosi Desert and considered a sacred place for the Huichol People). There,
they’ve arrived to the door at the side
of The Forrest of Los Narices, where The
Spirit of the Earth resides. The deer jumped to the other side (over the end), one of the young man shot his bow but the
arrow fell short and landed on a figure on the dirt that looked just like the
shadow of a deer. The Shaped formed just
nearby of the shadows from some Peyote plants. The plants were shining like Emeralds
in the sun, all of them facing the same direction. Confused, the young man decide
to collect the strange plants which were forming the shadow of the deer that
has just jumped and bring them back with
them to the village.
After days of walking, they’ve arrived to the homestead Huichol forest,
where their people were waiting for them. They’ve shared the Peyote Plants
between all of the villagers and the strange plants cured their thirst and
their hunger.
Since then the Huichol worship the Peyote, the same way they worship
the Corn and the deer, its guiding spirit. And so each year, until this day, the Huichol keep walking and
wandering, keeping the path alive in the Sierra Wirikuta (the Wirikuta
homestead forest), asking ask God for rain, livelihood and health for its
people.
By Elizabeth Méndez
http://www.realdecatorce.net/
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