Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Sabine Hyland In brief Speaker - Professor Sabine Hyland (University of St Andrews) Title - Khipus to Keep away the Living Dead: The Revival of Khipu Traditions in Peru during COVID Abstract By Sabine Hyland In the peaks of the Andes, fearsome beings called condenados are believed to roam the hills, searching for human prey to devour. Condenados are a "living dead" – people who committed great sins when alive and therefore are unable to pass into the afterlife. According to Central Andean folklore, the only reliable way to defeat a condenado is to grab its khipu – a knotted cord that was used for communication in the Inka Empire – and put it out of reach. Without the khipu, the condenado cannot walk and its intended victim will escape. The knots on funerary khipus embodied prayers that allowed the deceased to walk and to successfully negotiate the afterlife's many obstacles. The centuries-old custom of burying the dead with a khipu was dying out in the Central Andes. However, our research reveals that during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been devastating in rural areas, funerary khipus are undergoing a resurgence. Elderly khipu experts who had given up the art have been called out of retirement to create khipus for the dead. During the pandemic, I have been conducting remote fieldwork with a Peruvian collaborator to gather information on the poorly understood tradition of funerary khipus in the Central Andes. The trauma of the pandemic has led to a return to this very traditional method of mourning through the binding together of threads – a custom that was practiced in the Central Andes during previous pandemics. Image Artwork by Emily Thiessen All seminars take place fortnightly on Fridays between 13.00 and 14.00. Please contact Dr Neill Martin to receive a Zoom invitation and password. We extend a warm welcome to all with an interest in the topics presented and look forward to seeing you. NB The Zoom invitation will indicate a 13.00 start but the seminar will commence at 13.15. About the Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series As the longest established department of its kind in Scotland, Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh is a major international hub for research, teaching and learning. Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a lunchtime seminar on their work. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Celtic and Scottish Studies? We offer three undergraduate degrees and a number of postgraduate programmes, both taught and research-led, drawing on excellent teaching and research and access to world-leading collections and archives. Find out more Oct 29 2021 13.15 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Sabine Hyland Join us for an online seminar by Professor Sabine Hyland (University of St Andrews) on the revival of khipu traditions in Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online via Zoom Email Neill Martin for joining instructions
Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Sabine Hyland In brief Speaker - Professor Sabine Hyland (University of St Andrews) Title - Khipus to Keep away the Living Dead: The Revival of Khipu Traditions in Peru during COVID Abstract By Sabine Hyland In the peaks of the Andes, fearsome beings called condenados are believed to roam the hills, searching for human prey to devour. Condenados are a "living dead" – people who committed great sins when alive and therefore are unable to pass into the afterlife. According to Central Andean folklore, the only reliable way to defeat a condenado is to grab its khipu – a knotted cord that was used for communication in the Inka Empire – and put it out of reach. Without the khipu, the condenado cannot walk and its intended victim will escape. The knots on funerary khipus embodied prayers that allowed the deceased to walk and to successfully negotiate the afterlife's many obstacles. The centuries-old custom of burying the dead with a khipu was dying out in the Central Andes. However, our research reveals that during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been devastating in rural areas, funerary khipus are undergoing a resurgence. Elderly khipu experts who had given up the art have been called out of retirement to create khipus for the dead. During the pandemic, I have been conducting remote fieldwork with a Peruvian collaborator to gather information on the poorly understood tradition of funerary khipus in the Central Andes. The trauma of the pandemic has led to a return to this very traditional method of mourning through the binding together of threads – a custom that was practiced in the Central Andes during previous pandemics. Image Artwork by Emily Thiessen All seminars take place fortnightly on Fridays between 13.00 and 14.00. Please contact Dr Neill Martin to receive a Zoom invitation and password. We extend a warm welcome to all with an interest in the topics presented and look forward to seeing you. NB The Zoom invitation will indicate a 13.00 start but the seminar will commence at 13.15. About the Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series As the longest established department of its kind in Scotland, Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh is a major international hub for research, teaching and learning. Each semester, we welcome a fantastic range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a lunchtime seminar on their work. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Celtic and Scottish Studies? We offer three undergraduate degrees and a number of postgraduate programmes, both taught and research-led, drawing on excellent teaching and research and access to world-leading collections and archives. Find out more Oct 29 2021 13.15 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Sabine Hyland Join us for an online seminar by Professor Sabine Hyland (University of St Andrews) on the revival of khipu traditions in Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online via Zoom Email Neill Martin for joining instructions
Oct 29 2021 13.15 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Sabine Hyland Join us for an online seminar by Professor Sabine Hyland (University of St Andrews) on the revival of khipu traditions in Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic.
