{"id":49295,"date":"2022-11-01T10:56:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T15:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=49295"},"modified":"2022-11-01T10:56:31","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T15:56:31","slug":"cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/","title":{"rendered":"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>by Reverend Ramiro Gutierrez, Bishop<br>Evangelical Pentecostal Union of Venezuela<br><em>Epieyuu<\/em> clan member, Wayuu ethnicity<br>Zulia State, Venezuela<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the upper, middle or lower guajira, wayuu communities have an <em>amuyuu<\/em> space (cemetery) for each clan or family. Every clan has an amuyuu as it corresponds to the territory assigned to that ethnic group according to its matrilineal affiliation. In that space are the vaults, ossuaries and the pantheons, if applicable. In the days of <em>E&#8217;peja,<\/em> which means \u201clight\u201d, the Wayuu visit their deceased. For some Wayuu clans there is no specific day to visit their deceased.\u00a0 Whenever we feel the need, we go and visit our loved ones. Others have been adapted to commemorate it on the days that correspond to the auspicious date, such as November 1 and 2 of each year. Families promote these events to strengthen the family life of the clan. \u00a0We leave a day earlier to wake up at the <em>amuyuu<\/em>. Once we get there, we look for the branches of the most resistant <em>wunulia<\/em> (tree or plant) or aromatic branches.\u00a0 We always prefer to look for the <em>aipio&#8217;yoilia <\/em>(dividive, medicinal plant), the branches of the sajarito (another type of ornamental tree, with white flowers) for the ceremony.\u00a0 As we have all of the elements needed, we open a hole or a small ditch, gather and throw the branches into that hole to keep the fire burning. In this way, we can form a campfire in a more open space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Wayuu do not use candles or candles to light. At night we gather around the campfire. The Wayuu believe in the kind of fire that distills and consumes fire. With fire, hatred is consumed, the presence of death is consumed, the curse that diminishes the family or divides the clan is consumed. In that fire, the negative values \u200b\u200bthat divide and distance the family are consumed. That space often becomes one for CONVERSATORIES with the wise elders, maternal uncles, aunts, grandfathers, and grandmothers, and to organize an exhumation of the bodies that are in the vaults. Many of these bodies were victims of murder, accidents, or some natural disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other sense with which we make this fire is to seek for the brightness and the light that comes from it. &nbsp;We take that brightness in the sense of lighting the way for the deceased, and the colors of life, lighting the way to continue building life, peace, harmony within our own family. May that brightness and that light that springs from the fire continue to fill the deceased and us with new strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We then spend the next day in the <em>amuyuu<\/em> (cemetery) giving honor, homage, reminder to that being who was important within the family for his qualities and characteristics. The virtues that the deceased possessed are remembered. If the person was a <em>jayeechi&#8217;p\u00fci,<\/em> or a community singer and composer, we interpret his songs to affirm that his legacy has not died, that his work continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the history and meaning of <em>E&#8217;peja <\/em>(lighting) from the Wayuu culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SIGNIFICADO CULTURAL DIA DE LOS DIFUNTOS Y DIFUNTAS DESDE<\/strong> <strong>LA ESPIRITUALIDAD PROFUNDA WAYUU.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reverendo Ramiro Gutierrez, Obispo<\/strong><br>Uni\u00f3n Evang\u00e9lica Pentecostal Venezolana<br><em>Miembro del clan Epieyuu<\/em>, Etnia Wayuu<br>Estado Zulia, Venezuela<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>En la guajira alta, media o baja existe lo que es el espacio <em>amuyuu<\/em>(cementerio) de cada clan o familia.&nbsp; Ese espacio se da en cada territorio conforme le corresponde al clan de la etnia seg\u00fan el territorio que le corresponde clan por filiaci\u00f3n matrilinial.&nbsp; En ese espacio est\u00e1n las b\u00f3vedas, osarios y tambi\u00e9n los panteones, en el caso que aplique.&nbsp; En los d\u00edas de <em>E&#8217;peja<\/em>, que significa \u201calumbrar\u201d, los wayuu visitan a sus difuntos.&nbsp; Esto, dado que para algunos wayuu no existe d\u00eda espec\u00edfico para visitar a sus difuntos, sino cada vez que sienten el deseo van y visitan a sus seres queridos.&nbsp; Otros se han adaptado para conmemorarlo en los d\u00edas que corresponde la fecha propicia, como son los d\u00edas 1 y 2 de noviembre de cada a\u00f1o. Las familias se organizan para estos eventos sobre todo en la log\u00edstica porque lo hacen con ese sentido de fortalecer la convivencia familiar del clan.&nbsp; Se van un d\u00eda antes para amanecer en el <em>amuyuu<\/em>(cementerio). Una vez llegan all\u00ed, buscan las ramas del w<em>unulia<\/em> (\u00e1rbol o planta) m\u00e1s resistente o ramas arom\u00e1ticas, siempre prefieren buscan la <em>aipio\u2019yoilia (<\/em>dividive, planta medicinal) las ramas del sajarito (otro tipo de \u00e1rbol, de flores blancas), abren un hueco o una zanja peque\u00f1a, juntan y echan las ramas en ese hueco para conservar el fuego. &nbsp;De ese modo, forman una fogata en un espacio m\u00e1s abierto.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Los wayuu no usan velas o velones para alumbrar. Por la noche se re\u00fanen alrededor de la fogata.&nbsp; El wayuu cree mucho en el fuego que destila y consume fuego.&nbsp; Con el fuego se consume el odio, se consume la presencia de muerte, se consume la maldici\u00f3n que disminuye la familia o divide el clan.&nbsp; En ese fuego se consumen los antivalores que fraccionan y que distancian a la familia.&nbsp; Ese espacio muchas veces se torna en uno para CONVERSATORIOS con los ancianos sabios, los t\u00edos maternos, las t\u00edas, los abuelos y las abuelas, y para organizar una exhumaci\u00f3n de los cuerpos que est\u00e1n en las b\u00f3vedas.&nbsp; Muchos de estos cuerpos fueron v\u00edctimas de asesinato, accidentes, o por alguna enfermedad natural.&nbsp; El otro sentido con el que hacen la fogata es el brillo y la luz que alumbra el fuego surgido de esa fogata.&nbsp; Ese brillo lo toman en el sentido de alumbrar el camino para el difunto, y tambi\u00e9n los colores de la vida, iluminar el camino para seguir construyendo la vida, la paz, la armon\u00eda entre la familia.&nbsp; Que ese brillo y esa luz que brota del fuego les siga llenando de nuevas fuerzas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As\u00ed pasan el d\u00eda siguiente en el <em>amuyuu<\/em>(cementerio) d\u00e1ndole honor, homenaje, recordatorio a ese ser que fue importante en el seno de la familia por sus cualidades y caracter\u00edsticas.&nbsp; Se recuerdan las virtudes que pose\u00eda el difunto o la difunta.&nbsp; Si la persona &nbsp;era <em>jayeechi&#8217;p\u00fci<\/em>, \u00f3 compositor de su propia historia, interpretan sus canciones para afirmar que no ha muerto su legado, que su obra contin\u00faa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Esto es la historia y el significado de E&#8217;peja (alumbrar) desde la cultura del pueblo wayuu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Reverend Ramiro Gutierrez, BishopEvangelical Pentecostal Union of VenezuelaEpieyuu clan member, Wayuu ethnicityZulia State, Venezuela In the upper, middle or lower guajira, wayuu communities have an amuyuu space (cemetery) for each clan or family. Every clan has an amuyuu as &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20221,"featured_media":49296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[],"topic":[20433,20432],"region":[20015,20079],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Reverend Ramiro Gutierrez, BishopEvangelical Pentecostal Union of VenezuelaEpieyuu clan member, Wayuu ethnicityZulia State, Venezuela In the upper, middle or lower guajira, wayuu communities have an amuyuu space (cemetery) for each clan or family. Every clan has an amuyuu as &hellip; Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-01T15:56:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-01T15:56:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/UEPV-960x720-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Global Ministries\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\",\"name\":\"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-01T15:56:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-01T15:56:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fd55f1d77b4604c30516841d557532c5\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/\",\"name\":\"Global Ministries\",\"description\":\"Global Ministries is a common missional witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Global Ministries works with approximately 290 faith-based international partners in close to 90 countries. Our Vision: That all of God\u2019s people and creation share in God\u2019s abundant life.  Our Mission: To receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ by joining with global and local partners to work for justice, reconciliation, and peace.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fd55f1d77b4604c30516841d557532c5\",\"name\":\"Global Ministries\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e0c009fc3e1326def9a9a5c747040b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e0c009fc3e1326def9a9a5c747040b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Global Ministries\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/author\/global-ministries\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries","og_description":"by Reverend Ramiro Gutierrez, BishopEvangelical Pentecostal Union of VenezuelaEpieyuu clan member, Wayuu ethnicityZulia State, Venezuela In the upper, middle or lower guajira, wayuu communities have an amuyuu space (cemetery) for each clan or family. Every clan has an amuyuu as &hellip; Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/","og_site_name":"Global Ministries","article_published_time":"2022-11-01T15:56:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-11-01T15:56:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/UEPV-960x720-1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Global Ministries","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Global Ministries","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/","url":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/","name":"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela - Global Ministries","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-11-01T15:56:29+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-01T15:56:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fd55f1d77b4604c30516841d557532c5"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/cultural-significance-of-the-day-of-the-dead-from-wayuu-spirituality-in-venezuela\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cultural Significance of the Day of the Dead from Wayuu Spirituality in Venezuela"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/","name":"Global Ministries","description":"Global Ministries is a common missional witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Global Ministries works with approximately 290 faith-based international partners in close to 90 countries. Our Vision: That all of God\u2019s people and creation share in God\u2019s abundant life.  Our Mission: To receive and share the Good News of Jesus Christ by joining with global and local partners to work for justice, reconciliation, and peace.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/fd55f1d77b4604c30516841d557532c5","name":"Global Ministries","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e0c009fc3e1326def9a9a5c747040b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85e0c009fc3e1326def9a9a5c747040b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Global Ministries"},"url":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/author\/global-ministries\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49295"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49295"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49298,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49295\/revisions\/49298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49295"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=49295"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=49295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}