"The Wayúu are where their ancestors are from and their ancestors are born from the northeast wind and the Goddess of the Rains" Guanipa, Wayuu word.
The magical-religious organization of the Wayuu is divided into two fundamental events: the dreams and events of their divinities.
DREAMS IN THE WAYUU RELIGION
When a Wayuu wakes up, the first thing he does is write down his dreams. For the Wayuu they are the space for conversation with the subconscious and their ancestors. They feel that a deceased family member or their own soul is trying to give them an important message.
In these dreams, your family member can alert you or advise you about the future. Because of a dream important decisions are made such as changing your destination, undertaking new projects or putting aside energy or customs.
To certain dreams they attribute meanings like:
- Climb a mountain or bathe in the sea indicates reaching old age.
- Dreaming of green snakes it means it is the perfect season to harvest beans.
- being bitten by a dog It is attributed to a conflict with the Jayaliyuu clan, whose symbolic animal on their totem pole is a dog.
- dream that a tooth falls out symbolizes the death of a family member.
Shamans (Ouutsu) They are the intermediary people who help in the communication between the spirits and their community. In addition to interpreting these dreams, they have the great role of healers.
DIVINITIES IN THE WAYUU RELIGION
The divinities are those spiritual beings that generate the events of nature and daily life. Everything has a sense and meaning.
Within cosmology the main deities are:
- Maleiwa is the central figure of the wayuu religion. Tradition says that he was born from a woman pregnant by thunder. Thus, He is the god in charge of sending the rain to the arid lands of La Guajira.
- Pulowi and Juya they are demigods and they are a married couple associated with procreation and life.
- Pulowi is the female figure and strength related to drought and winds. This divinity is associated with the chaos of the sea and the earth. Its presence can be appreciated when the sea is enraged or the bush is thick and tangled.
- Juya is the male figure Related to rain and the force of life.
- Wanülu is the evil spirit of sickness and death. It is the supernatural being from which all the Wayuu try to flee.
