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STATES OF HEART

An ethnohistorical approach to Kaqchikel Maya ethnopsychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 1999

Robert M. Hill  and
Edward F. Fischer
Robert M. Hill
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Edward F. Fischer
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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Abstract

This article examines early colonial Kaqchikel Maya notions of the self, souls, and the heart. By integrating ethnohistorical data and contemporary ethnographic observations, we show that Kaqchikeles viewed the self as contingent on a dynamic balance of cosmic forces acting on the individual. The ways in which these forces are seen to effect one's state of being are documented through an extensive discussion of Kaqchikel metaphors of the heart and soul. We conclude by noting the importance of understanding processes of continuity (as well as change) in cultural constructions and argue for the continued utility of such approaches in ethnohistorical research.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , July 1999 , pp. 317 - 332
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

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