Ritual dances, movements and masks at argentine northwest (southern-central Andes)

Authors

  • María Fernanda Rodríguez

Abstract

This research proposes an approach to ritual development at the Argentine Northwest (ANW) from the perspective that Anthropology of the Body offers, considering different localities at the northern Puna and Pre-puna, Jujuy Province (ca. 3000 - 3500 m.a.s.l.), as study area. The theoretical framework corresponds to Phenomenology and the methodology is based on fieldwork linking to ethnography methods. From this, the overall objective is to analyze the presence of rituals at the ANW, and how they acquire presence through dances, ritual movements and gestures, masks and costumes in some Andean communities during Carnival time and Virgen de la Asunción festivity at Casabindo, where Toreo de la vincha and different dances take place. Moreover, the hypothesis holds that rituals are fully applicable in this sector of the Southern-Central Andes as part of both human groups social-economic life and belief world, which is demonstrated throughout this work.

Keywords:

rituals, dances, carnival, Virgen de la Asunción festivity, Argentine Northwest.