SAMER-006 - museum specimen
Eastern Mataco (Wichí), Bermejo River
Argentina - Gran Chaco - Bermejo River - South America
Play / practical
Source term: bullroarer; religious/ritual equipment
A wooden bullroarer from the Eastern Mataco (Wichí) of the Bermejo River, in the Gran Chaco of northern Argentina, accessioned by the British Museum in 1937. The Mataco are one of only two peoples of the Chaco known to have the bullroarer; Izikowitz, surveying South American instruments, judged that they had likely taken it, like several other elements, from the cultures of Amazonas to the north. Where the Caduveo whirled theirs at funerals, among the Mataco the instrument was a toy: Nordenskiöld recorded it as a plaything of Choroti and Ashluslay children, and Métraux noted that they gave their bullroarers to the young in the same way. The museum files the object under its general "religious/ritual equipment" heading, but no rite, no player, and no occasion of ceremonial use was written down with it.
- Object
- British Museum object Am1937,0316.28.a, an Eastern Mataco bullroarer from the Bermejo River region, cataloged as religious/ritual equipment.
- Function
- Among the Mataco the bullroarer was a child's plaything; no ritual use is recorded for them (Nordenskiöld 1913; Métraux 1946, via Izikowitz 1935 and Zerries 1953).
- Map confidence
- medium - Representative Bermejo River / Gran Chaco anchor.
- Source location
- British Museum Am1937,0316.28.a