Description
This beaded bag/wallet was handmade by the Huichol Indians in Mexico. Upon it is the eagle, which is holding two snakes and flying above the desert. It measures 3″ x 4.25″ Snakes: Snakes instruct shamans to become healers. The rattle on the Rattlesnake is believed to be the tongue of the greatest shaman of all, which is the fire god. Snakes may also be associated with the rain goddess. The Mother Goddess of the Sea is pictured as a huge coiled serpent forming herself into a cyclical storm cloud from which rain falls. The Huichols believe that rain itself consists of millions of small snakes. They are valued for their work in the cornfields where they eat the rodents and pests harmful to the corn harvest. Birds: Believed to be messengers to and from the gods, all birds are held in great regard. The shamans use tail and wing feathers of eagles and hawks in their rituals and ceremonial chanting. The double-headed eagle is another common design, representing the shaman’s omnipotent power to see in all directions. Eagles: Believed to be the embodiment of a goddess known as Mother Eagle, Mother of the Sky and Queen of Heavens. Huichols admire Werika, the eagle as the most magnificent among all birds. White: Cloud Spirits Red: The East, fire, masculinity. Blue: The South, Pacific Ocean, water, rain, femininity. Green: The Earth, the Heavens, healing, the heart, grandfather, growth. Yellow: A special root from Wirikuta used for face paint in ceremonies. Orange: Wirikuta the sacred land where the Huichol believe life began and also where they gather peyote.
