Oloniti and the punishment of the wrong party: relashionships between mith and ritual among the Paresi

Abstract

This article is an ethnographic exer-
cise intending to describe an intercommunity ritual
known as oloniti, that we collected among the Paresi,
an Arawak group of Central Brazil. The study of
this ritual, especially regarding its symmetrical and
reverse relationship with the so-called myth The
punishment of the wrong party, that also originated
from the Paresi, allow to watch certain codes that
govern social relationships, and such codes consist
of values like reciprocity and predation. In spite of
its ethnographic aspect, we believe that the case
presently analyzed can contribute to a theoretical
reflection done at present at South-American Eth-
nology about the question of war and partnership
among the people of this region.