Encounter with the spirit of the hikuri

Encountering the spirit of the hikuri

The old people say that a long, long time ago, in the huichol highlands the grandparents met to talk about the situation they were in. Their people were sick, there was no food, no water, the rains were not coming and the land was dry.

They decided to send four young people from the communityThe mission was to find food and bring it to their community to share, whether it was too much or too little. Each one represented an element, i.e. fire, water, air and earth. The next morning the four young men set out on their journey, each carrying his bow and arrow. They walked for days on end until one afternoon a big, fat deer jumped out of some bushes. The young men were tired and hungry, but when they saw the deer they forgot everything; they began to run after it without losing sight of it.

The deer saw the youngsters and took pity on them. He let them rest one night and the next day he picked them up to continue the chase. Weeks went by until they reached Wirikuta (desert of San Luis Potosi and sacred path of the Huichol people). They were right at the door next to the hill of the Noses, where an earth spirit lives, and they saw the deer jumping in that direction. They swore it had gone that way, they looked for it but could not find it. Suddenly one of them shot an arrow that landed on a large deer figure formed in the earth of peyote plants.

All together they shone in the sun, like emeralds looking in one direction. Confused by what had happened, the young men decided to cut the plants that formed the figure of the deer (marratutuyari) and take them back to their village. After days on the road, they arrived at the Huichol highlands where their people were waiting for them. They immediately introduced themselves to the grandparents and told them about their experience. They began to distribute the peyote (híkuri) to all the people and after a while it cured them, fed them and quenched their thirst.

They began to distribute peyote (híkuri) to all the people and after a while it cured them, fed them and quenched their thirst.

From that moment on, the Huicholes venerate the peyote that is both deer and corntheir guiding spirit. Thus every year, until today, they continue walking and making pilgrimages, keeping alive this route from the Huichol highlands to Wirikuta, to ask the God for rain, sustenance and health for their people.

Pampariusi (thank you in the Wirrarika language).