El mal de ojo entre grupos criollos e indígenas del Chaco argentino

SCARPA, G.F.

SCRIPTA ETHNOLOGICA

Centro Argentino de Etnología Americana

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2016 vol. 38 p. 9 - 24

1669-0990

Genuine and first-hand data about ?mal de ojo?among criollos and indígenous groups from Semiarid Chaco of northern Argentina,are presented and discussed here. Two modalities were found: a) onecharcterized among criollo people as a disease suffered usually by weak beingsas a consequence of a voluntary or involuntary action of a malicious person orwith an exceeding energy; and b) another one among criollo and choroteindigenous people described as a disease caused by the pervasive and harmful to visioncondition of a colorimetric optical phenomena, unmediated by any apparentsocial interaction. At the exegetical level this phenomenon would be producedby the bright yellow flowers of an herb (called ?quellusisa?,Verbesina encelioides, Asteraceae),  of a shrub (?pichana?, Senna spp., Fabaceae) or of a tree (?palo cruz?, Tabebuia nodosa, Bignoniaceae). Criollo?stherapy employs the curing ?por secreto? as well as the topical use orinstilation of plant products, while indigenous people resort to shamanichealing. Inter linkagesbetween etiologic and therapeutic conceptions of Criollo and indigenous people becomeundeniable respect to the latter mode, which would be associated to thesymbolic meanings of yellow color linked to corruption and contempt in thesesocieties.