the role of words in Aguaruna hunting magic

Abstract

In their interpretations of magical acts and utterances, anthropologists frequently argue that magic and technology are informed by two different kinds of logic, the former “expressive” in character, the latter “instrumental.” A close analysis of magical hunting songs used by the Aguaruna of Amazonian Peru reveals that the songs are part of a general ordering process that encompasses the strategic use of thoughts, speech, objects, and acts to achieve practical ends. In Aguaruna thought the expressive imagery of magical songs is an instrumental tool that shapes events in the performer's world.