The Role of Sacred Musical Instruments in Food Production Among the Yagua People of Northwestern Peru

Abstract

This study examines the links between a specific form of representation, the instruments used in sacred music, and certain aspects of the Yagua’s food production in the eastern Amazon region. The study shows that the Yagua view the abundance of protein-rich animals as a gift from the forest and that this abundance is closely tied to a ritual in which sacred musical instruments play a central role.