Revised May 1, 2002
Copyright 1997, 2001 by John W. Allen
TEONANACATL:
Ancient Shamanic Mushroom Names
of
Mesoamerica
and
Other Regions of the World
Page 3
|
with a collection of Psilocybe caerulescens Murr.
Photo: Gastóm Guzmán
THE MEXICAN MAGIC MUSHROOM NAMES
| Shamans, brujos, curanderas, sabios, peasants, mezticos, and Mexican natives throughout southern Mexico have provided researchers and independent investigators, numerous names for many species of entheogenic mushrooms still used traditionally in magico-religious healing and curing ceremonies. |
| The most common name applied to mushrooms in traditional societies residing in Mesoamerica is the Mexican word nanácate (mushroom). It is of Mexican origin as is the word "hongo" (mushroom, Spanish derivation). Nanácate is derived from the Nahuatl name nanácatl. The common Indian word for nanácate is she-to and kee-sho. Both are mis-spellings of the original word xi-tjo which implies "eruption of the earth". |
| Throughout Southern México, different tribal groups employ words and phrases which describe the sacred mushrooms used in traditional healing and curing ceremonies; many which are of Spanish origin: hongo (mushroom), honghi (mushroom), hongos (mushrooms), honguito's (little men), honguillos negros (little black mushrooms), duendes (the spirits), los ninos santos (the little saints), cositas (little things), durrumbe (landslide), paquenos (little ones), inebriating flowers, ntixti (dear little children), sasa (the clowns), and paquenos que brotan (little ones that spring [leap] forth). |
| Hernandez (see Wasson, 1959:2728, The Herbalist), described a mushroom used by Mexican Indians that allegedly caused pura risa (sheer laughter). Tso-ska (loco mushroom), is another phrase used by both Mexican and Indian Mezticos who peddle or provide entheogenic mushrooms to foreigners. Guzmán (1983 also reported that cauigua-teréqua (Purepecha =the mushroom that inebriates) referred to some unknown mushroom species which occurs in the Mexican State of Michoacan. |
| The Mixe (Mijes) who always consume their mushrooms in pairs, referred to them as nwintson ahtom nashwin mush (our masters, the mushrooms of the world). When eaten thus (in pairs), the Mixe refer to this practice as casada. The Mixe have even named one species tu.m-t.um (Tu muh) for when the sacred mushrooms are picked each year on June 1st. Tu muh implies "that which sprouts by itself" i.e., without seed (also described by Maria Sabina in Wasson, 1980 as "that which springs forth"). |
| Another tribal group, the Coatlan refer to the sacred mushrooms as "Los Senors" while the Matlanzinca shamans refer to Psilocybe wassonii (=Psilocybe muliercula) as netocuhuatata (the most holy of lords) and the Nahuatl of San Pedro Nexapa refer to them as "the noble prince of the waters." (Schultes, 1939, 1940, 1969:136; Singer & Smith, 1958; Heim, 1963; Schultes, 1978; Guzmán, 1977, 1983, 1990; Wasson, 1957, 1974; Schultes & Hofmann, 1979; Santesson, 1939; Rubel & Gelter-Finger Krejci, 1976; Miller, 1966; Lipp, 1990, Hoogshagen, 1959; Hernandez, 1651; Serna, 1892; Kingsbourough, 1848. |