Skinwalkers? (Navajo: vehicles, reservation, warm)

[tecpatl]

There's something a bit similar to the skinwalker (literally) in ancient Aztec culture, the God Xipe Totec (The Flayed One), who is the god of Spring, new growth, fertility and also a companion to goldsmiths.
Xipe Totec is represented as a priest who wears the skin of another person, who is sacrificed and carefully skinned for this purpose. The skin is dyed or colored yellow or golden, and is stitched onto the priest, who wears it for 20 days until it cracks and bursts apart (representing the skin of a corn kernel bursting so that the plant may grow and flourish) and gradually falls off the priest's body. Yum!
This is called [SIZE=4]teocuitlaquemitl ("golden clothes"). [/SIZE] It was thought a great thing to touch this skin, so many families made sure their children were at these ceremonies.
This also has to do with the "this is my body, this is my blood" rituals that Christianity celebrates in communion, though many Christians may not see, or want to see, the parallels.
In any case, it's certainly as creepy as a skinwalker....
Xipe Totec - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by cyndiblues

Wow, great thread! I have a great respect for the unkown, I try to walk in peace with everyone and everything. I will be mindful on my trip, I don't plan on any night driving outside the city, but want to be aware of any sacred places to stay away from...out of respect.

I think respect is the key word here. When I worked on the NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) project, we dealt with all the tribes in NM, TX, and OK. We dealt not just with tribal government officials, but with spiritual leaders and elders from the various tribes.

The strangest occurrence came from a non-Indian PhD who had absolutely no belief in Native American superstitions. The anglo PhD was witched by a tribal member and laughed it off. Of course, he had some strange occurrences that led him to retract his disbelief in Native superstitions. And the only reason he was witched was because he was being disrespectful.

[GregW]

I believe Skinwakers and witches exist. Some of them work in my office. They call themselves managers and can make you ill.

[hoppybunn]

Originally Posted by txroughneck

My wife seems to be extremely sesitive in spirituality as well. It really freaks her out but I don't really have the same feelings. I guess I have felt and seen things thoughout my past but nothing on the level that she seems to. I gave her alot of hell at fist but it seems to really bother her. We both felt overly comfortable on the rez and around natives. I'm not really sure why this is but who knows. The farm that I grew up on in TX has alot of native history. We have found hundreds of arrow heads and other tools used by them. I think it's kinda wierd that we are so drawn to the Ruidoso area. We were just talking about that the other day. It is where we were married and we couldn't figure out why we chose that place. Now, just a few years later, we are moving there because of the same feeling. We have the upmost respect for the natives and their culture. We both feel that they were done a grave injustice and that their history and culture is very important. We want to understand as much as we can.

Understand what exactly?

[txroughneck]

Originally Posted by hoppybunn

Understand what exactly?

Cultures other than our own.

[Wicked Felina]

Four Corners can be dangerous if one does not have protection.

Northern New Mexico is blessed, but there are many charlatans who pose as good spirits. Even the Dalai Lama has recognized this.

I try to live with respect of all beings. I am not always successful but as people have said, one must respect life in all its forms and powers.

[Tim Rankin]

Originally Posted by HTC

I never believed in them until 2003 when I was driving a school van full of kids from a basketball in Cuba back to Farmington late one night and we were about 2 miles S. of Lybrook when the the coach told me to speed up. I ask him why and it probably was one of the scariest things I ever saw. There was this old man dressed in what looked like animal skins running beside the van at 60 mph.

I just find this extremely hard to believe. More than likely, the skinwalker/shape shifter stories are made up to scare gullible, white people into staying off Native American lands. If I was NA, I would make them up too.

I read most of the Carlos Castaneda books many years ago, which were fascinating. Supposedly they were non-fiction, but there are many who think Castaneda made it all up. In the books, the last person a Yaqui sorcerer wanted as an apprentice was someone who was "into" all this craziness. They looked for skeptical, level-headed people, and then proceeded to trick them into becoming their students.

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by Tim Rankin

I just find this extremely hard to believe. ...the skinwalker/shape shifter stories are made up to scare gullible, white people into staying off Native American lands.

...In the books, the last person a Yaqui sorcerer wanted as an apprentice was someone who was "into" all this craziness. They looked for skeptical, level-headed people, and then proceeded to trick them into becoming their students.

Skepticism is a good thing. However, these legends and stories are not new with the arrival of Anglos. They weren't made up to scare the newcomers.

All of these stories have more to do with energy and the earth's meridians rather than anything other-worldly, IMO. With my very limited knowledge of physics, I understand that energy is the one thing that cannot be destroyed.

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by SeeBee

Skepticism is a good thing. However, these legends and stories are not new with the arrival of Anglos. They weren't made up to scare the newcomers.

All of these stories have more to do with energy and the earth's meridians rather than anything other-worldly, IMO. With my very limited knowledge of physics, I understand that energy is the one thing that cannot be destroyed.

Are we talking mystery vortex here?

[Wicked Felina]

No, we're talking physics & mathematics. "Mystery vortexes" are really not so mysterious after all.

For instance, energy is the way doctors can calculate nerve damage by sending energy (aka electrical current) from one point in a person's body to another point. It's a way to measure time and distance. You can't see the energy, but you can feel it and measure it.

It's a basic law in physics that energy cannot be destroyed. Energy is real and not the least bit mysterious.

I don't think there's anything strange about these stories (or I should say, most of them ). They exist beyond most of us having the ability to understand them.

Now, this is my opinion from what I understand - which isn't saying much. And you know what they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing ~