First extensive ethnography of the Mixe, with a special focus on Mixe religious beliefs and rituals
The Mixe of Oaxaca was the first extensive ethnography of the Mixe, with a special focus on Mixe religious beliefs and rituals and the curing practices associated with them. It records the procedures, design-plan, corresponding prayers, and symbolic context of well over one hundred rituals. Frank Lipp has written a new preface for this edition, in which he comments on the relationship of Mixe religion to current theoretical understandings of present-day Middle American folk religions.
"This elegantly written and thoroughly researched ethnography substantially enhances our understanding of this ancient Mesoamerican culture and its present-day expression.... It is already rightly considered a classic and fills an immense void in the ethnographic literature for southern Mesoamerica. It is destined to be read and consulted continually and, as a definitive study, should serve as a model for future ethnographies." - Ethnohistory
"A solid ethnography of Mixe ritual life. . . . Taken as a whole, the book represents a major contribution to an understanding of the Mixes and provides much of the data required to situate their religious beliefs and practices within the framework of Mesoamerican religion in general." - Journal of Ritual Studies