Xapiri
Yanomami · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
The xapiri (or hekura): the luminous ancestral image-spirits, created by Omama, who descend to the shaman drinking yãkoana. They heal, defend the people, and work to keep the sky from falling. A living shamanic tradition.
Domains
- shaman auxiliary spirits
- forest image beings
Powers
- Aid shamans to heal and hold up the sky
Sources
- existence: Kopenawa & Albert, The Falling Sky (2013) (primary); Lizot, Yanomami ethnography (secondary)