Piraha Spirit Story
A story from the Piraha people of the Amazon, an excerpt from Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes.
A mythlike account of an encounter with a jaguar.
Mostly understood as an encounter with a spirit jaguar.
Xipoógi heard a brother call.
He spoke, Xitahá’s parent. What did the parent yell?
Xipoógi spoke. Go see
He spoke, Xipoógi. It is a jaguar.
He spoke, Xipoógi. Throw your bow.
The jaguar already grabbed Xitihoixoí.
She spoke. Boai, you go too.
You go see.
The jaguar roared.
She spoke. the jaguar went far.
It has already grabbed him.
Perhaps it ate the partner dog. He took the dog with him.
The woman spoke. Let’s go; the jaguar may get away.
He may have seen the dog partner. The dog partner left. The dog went into the jungle.
He spoke. Bring your machete. Sharpen the arrows.
The woman was afraid.
He had become tired.
It hit him in the face then.
It bit him.
It scratched his arm.
It scratched his shoulder.
He said, the arrows are all gone.