Abstract
This paper reports on the knowledge and useful applications of various fungi by the Hotï, a recently contacted Native American society inhabiting the Sierra Maigualida region of the Venezuelan Amazon. At least 31 folk taxa of fungi are esteemed as sources of nutrition, powerful media for hunting magic, protective charms against black magic, human medicinal agents, or body adornments. Even though the results presented here probably do not exhaust the total number of species known and used by them, they nevertheless suggest that the Hotï constitute one of the rare mycophilic societies in the Venezuelan Amazon. Further research is needed in order to obtain a more complete picture of the complexity of humanfungi relationships in this society.
Résumé
La investigación etnomicológica en la tierras bajas amazónicas suramericanas es notablemente escasa. La gran mayoría de los estudios disponibles acerca del conocimiento y las prácticas etnobiológicos de los grupos étnicos locales de esta región no incluyen a los hongos, o bien, señalan que estos no tienen valor económico, o son alucinógenos o peligrosos para el consumo humano. Este trabajo reporta sobre el conocimiento y usos dados a varios hongos por parte de los Hotï, un grupo de indígenas suramericanos recientemente contactados que ocupan la Sierra de Maigualida del Amazonas venezolano. Los Hotï consideran al menos 31 taxa de hongos estimados como fuentes de alimentos, poderosos medios de cacería, protectores contra la magia negra, agentes medicinales o bien como adornos corporales. Los datos presentados aquí sugieren que los Hotï constituyen una de las pocas y raras sociedades micófilas en el Amazonas venezolano, pese a que los resultados analizados no agotan el número total de especies conocidas y usadas por ellos. Es necesario profundizar la investigación para alcanzar una idea más completa de la complejidad de las relaciones hombres-hongos en este grupo étnico.
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Zent, E.L., Zent, S. & Iturriaga, T. Knowledge and use of fungi by a mycophilic society of the Venezuelan Amazon. Econ Bot 58, 214–226 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0214:KAUOFB]2.0.CO;2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0214:KAUOFB]2.0.CO;2