Jumkuklaai, the Sun
Nivaclé · deity · Nivaclé traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Jumkuklaai, the Sun, is personified in Nivaclé narrative as a being who crosses the sky and whose light and heat order the rhythm of the day. Eclipses were understood as an attack upon the sun by a celestial predator, prompting communal noise-making to drive the aggressor off.
Domains
- sun
Powers
- crosses the sky giving light and heat
Sources
- The Sun is personified in Nivaclé narrative as a being who crosses the sky, with eclipses understood as an attack by a celestial predator.: Seelwische, José, Diccionario Nivaclé-Castellano (1990). (primary); Métraux, Alfred, 'Ethnography of the Chaco,' Handbook of South American Indians, vol. 1 (1946). (secondary)