The Xochipilli: Medicine in Mesoamerica...
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Name: _____________________________ Score: ______/40______ Date: / / RIO HONDO COLLEGE - DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES Humanities 125: Introduction to Mexican Culture (Web & Honors) / Anthropology 102: Cultural Anthropology Professor Garcia / [email protected] / http://www.santiagoandresgarcia.com The Xochipilli Worksheet: On the Medical Significance of Xochipilli Rev. 08/10/2015 Instructions: In our survey of the anthropomorphic personas of Mesoamerica we discussed the Xochipilli-Mexica volcanic sculpture in the context of flowery love, music, and dance. In this writing exercise, I want you to read the following two articles Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture by F.J. Carod-Artal (2015), and Psilocybin – Summary of knowledge and new perspectives by Filip Tylš and his colleagues (2014), in order to better understand the medical significance of the plants and fungi depicted on the Xochipilli. 1. What are hallucinogens? What evidence supports their use by the people of Mesoamerica … and in what social and ritual contexts did people use hallucinogens? _____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________. 2. Describe some of the symptoms of an altered state of consciousness? List at least four. __________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________. 3. What is Pulque? How does one say Pulque in the Mayan language? How is it made? How do we know the people of Mesoamerica consumed pulque? _______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________. 4. Describe three uses of tobacco (Nicotiana rustica) among the Maya. How does one say tobacco in Maya? ___________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 1
Transcript of The Xochipilli: Medicine in Mesoamerica...
Name: _____________________________ Score: ______/40______Date: / /
RIO HONDO COLLEGE - DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCESHumanities 125: Introduction to Mexican Culture (Web & Honors) / Anthropology 102: Cultural Anthropology
Professor Garcia / [email protected] / http://www.santiagoandresgarcia.com
The Xochipilli Worksheet: On the Medical Significance of Xochipilli Rev. 08/10/2015
Instructions: In our survey of the anthropomorphic personas of Mesoamerica we discussed the Xochipilli-Mexica volcanic sculpture in the context of flowery love, music, and dance. In this writing exercise, I want you to read the following two articles Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture by F.J. Carod-Artal (2015), and Psilocybin – Summary of knowledge and new perspectives by Filip Tylš and his colleagues (2014), in order to better understand the medical significance of the plants and fungi depicted on the Xochipilli.
1. What are hallucinogens? What evidence supports their use by the people of Mesoamerica … and in what social and ritual contexts did people use hallucinogens? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. Describe some of the symptoms of an altered state of consciousness? List at least four. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
3. What is Pulque? How does one say Pulque in the Mayan language? How is it made? How do we know the people of Mesoamerica consumed pulque? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. Describe three uses of tobacco (Nicotiana rustica) among the Maya. How does one say tobacco in Maya? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
5. Describe in detail the importance of caves in Maya ritual and ceremony. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
6. Describe in detail the ritual and sacramental use of the Psilocybe aztecorum mexicana among the Mazatec people. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
7. Based on the description of Carod-Artal (2015), the Xochipilli was found ____________________________________________, is the Aztec/Mexica God of _____________,and features which medicinal and hallucinogenic plants and fungi? List them all! _____________________________________________________________________________.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading Carod-Artal (2015), and Filip Tylš et al. (2014), and after answering all twenty questions, you should be able to: (1) identify the plant and fungi life on the Xochipilli sculpture, (2) describe the medical use of the plants and fungi symbolized on the Xochipilli, (3) articulate ritual and ceremony involving medicine use, and (4) explain the chemical characteristics of psilocybin and its associated effects on the human body. Psilocybe aztecorum. Photo by Alan Rockefeller
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Name: _____________________________ Score: ______/40______Date: / /
Drawing by Wilson G. Turner from “Aztec Designs” Copyright © 2005 by Dover Publications
References
Tylš, F., Páleníćek, T., Horáćek, J. (2014). Psilocybin – Summary of knowledge and new perspectives. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 24(3), 342-356.
Carod-Artal, F. J. (2015). Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. Neurología (English Edition), 30(1), 42-49.
Further Reading
Avila, E. (1999). Woman who glows in the dark. New York: Teacher/Putnam Press.
Estrada, A. (1981). Maria Sabina: Her Life and Chants. Ross-Erikson Inc., Publishers.
Schultes, E. E. (1940). Teonanácatl, the narcotic mushroom of the Aztecs. American Anthropology, 42, 429-443.
Wasson, R.G. (1974). Maria Sabina and Her Mazatec Mushroom Velada. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press.
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8. Describe the facial expression (1) of Xochipilli: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
9. Describe the ear-lob (2) insignia: ____________________________________________________________________________________.
10. The main active ingredients in teonanácatl (3) (Psilocybe aztecorum):___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
11. Describe the medicinal properties of sinicuichi (4) (Heimia salicifolia): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
12. List the psychotropic effects induced when taking seeds of ololiuhqui (5) (Turbina corymbosa), the “Morning Glory.” Describe the account of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, concerning the effects of ololiuhqui on people. ___________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
13. Identify the psychoactive ingredient in flor de tabaco (6) (Nicotiana tabacum). What is the pronunciation for tobacco in Mayan? Which Maya God is associated with tobacco? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
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Name: _____________________________ Score: ______/40______Date: / /
Turbina corymbosa flowers
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In this last section, you will dive further into the chemical characteristics of psilocybin, and its medical associations after oral ingestion. After reading Filip Tylš et al. (2014), proceed to answer the questions. SLO: As mentioned above, after completing these questions you should be able to describe the psilocybin compound and its effects on the human body.
14. What two psychedelic ingredients exists in hallucinogenic mushrooms? Why are such psychedelics the most used in human studies? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
15. Psilocybin is comprised of what two chemical characteristics (A)? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
The conversion (metabolic activity/dephosphorylated) of psilocybin to psilocin
16. In what three parts of the body does the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin occur: _________, _________, ________After oral administration, traces of psilocin find their way into the _______________, and the ______________________.The majority of the psilocin leaves the body after ___________ hours, and completely eliminated after _________ hours.
17. What are the Psychotropic and neuropsychological effects on psilocybin in very low doses? In medium does? In high doses? Describe these in detail. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
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18. What does the summary of research provided by Filip Tylš and his colleagues (2014) say about the long-term effects of psilocybin? List at least five different human experiences. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
19. What is the potential of psilocybin intoxication?List three dangers associated with the consumption of psilocybin mushroom. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Dried Psilocybe mushrooms. Photo by Erik Fenderson
20. List three safety procedures one should take when ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Worksheet developed by Santiago Andres Garcia (see http://www.santiagoandresgarcia.com), Division of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier CA, 90601.
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