Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis

The Yanomamo language is complex; there is no written language. The Yanomamo people have a rich culture and storytelling is a favored pastime. Many of the storytellers take great liberties with the telling, elaborating in often funny and imaginative ways.

The Yanomamo people believe that everything can be classed either as "nature" or "culture." The difference is that things of the forest are "nature" while things of the village are "culture." The Yanomamo people have interesting ideas about cannibalism; any human may become a cannibal and that they must guard against the temptation. Many of their myths and legends revolve around the jaguar. In these he is typically of human form and his eating of man makes him cannibalistic in their eyes. In all the stories of jaguars, the animals are bumbling and stupid with man always easily outwitting the jaguar...