Tribute to Ekkeko seeks to bring prosperity to Amazon

By Bolero News Services
Photos by Namida Giulia
 
AMAZON -- The Amazon erupted with drums, tambourines and horns as a procession of about 30 devotees of the god Ekkeko paraded through the jungle, shouting praises to this god of prosperity and abundance. 

The parade began at Mapinguari and moved northwest, past Cenote, before finally arriving at a makeshift altar in the box canyon north of the dolphin pond.
 
The faithful then laid down offerings of gold, booze, flowers and coins at the foot of an altar revering Ekkeko, a god portrayed as a man holding a cigar in his mouth and carrying trunks of wealth.
 
Priestess Eve Fintan, who was a key organizer of the tribute, said she believes the ceremony will bring greater contentment to the god’s worshipers.

“I hope they get to experience the joy that Ekeko brings into so many people's lives if they just acknowledge him,” Fintan said.

She also warned that she believes a lack of faith could present an existential threat to all mankind.

I am “hoping the world doesn't end and all, given how people forget to worship,” the priestess said ominously. 

The tribute to Ekkeko is the latest in a number of other reverential ceremonies over the past few months to other native gods and goddesses. A tribute to Mamma Alpa revered the goddess with an orgy at the Love Temple. A tribute to Chasca Coyllur, goddess of flowers and protector of maidens, blessed children of the Amazon.

At a tribute to the sun god Inti, Fintan, in her capacity as a priestess, ended the virginity of a young man, in a bold display that quite possibly converted a few men to the native faiths.

A tribute to Mama Chocha last month was disrupted by a tornado, which rained down blue fish from the sky.Perhaps owing to Ekkeko’s influence on prosperity, the weather for the latest tribute this past weekend was much more pleasant.

The mythology of Ekkeko dates back to the Tiwanaku, a pre-Columbian civilization that existed in what is today western Bolivia, from about 550 to 1000. The god is associated with prosperity and fortune.

Xocó Chieftess Khraing Zar, after consuming a healthy amount of rum, led a prayer at the altar.

“Oh great lord, Ekkeko, your infinite spirit is our source of abundance,” the chieftess said, her words taking on a bit of a slur. “We know that you guide us in getting our blessings according to our inner desires.So, we put our faith in you. Please make our lives rich and abundant.”

The chieftess also spoke of Honey Katz, a Xoco sister, who is currently battling an illness. Zar asked everyone to keep her in their thoughts and prayers. 

“She’s a genuinely kind, caring soul, who even fed Harold [a notoroious Raider], with Xocó pies. So she’s much loved by us,” Kar said.
Mantis Battle, an Amazon native with no tribal associations, described some of the mythological background of Ekkeko. Battle said the story of Ekkeko goes back to a man named Iqiqu, who was full of such goodness he brought harmony wherever he went.

“All the people in his village loved him,” Battle said.

Battle also warned of Ekkeko’s jealous side. He said a single woman who has a statue of Ekkeko in her house will remain single, as the god will undermine any attempts to find a suitor.

“He would see to it that all male suitors refrain from courting that woman. He will adore her and will not permit a new man into the home,” Battle said, speaking at a celebration after the offering.

He said a single woman can still revere Ekkeko with a shrine outside the home in a prominent place where it would be seen.

Cento, who is a non-native, spoke on Ekkeko’s significance to settlers. He attributed his survival in the Amazon to the god. Cento explained that he was shipwrecked and nearly starved to death, and then the god visited him in a dream to give him reassurance.

 "Fear not stranger, he implored, you are not forsaken but all shall be provided for you. I am a gracious and generous god,” Cento told the audience at the offering. “And so it was that upon awakening I began my new life, my new journey with renewed strength and a confident spirit.”

At the dance following the ceremony, Cento said he was pleased he was asked to speak at the offering.

“I was chosen to speak for the settlers. I was quite surprised but consider it a great honor,” he said.

With regular tributes to the native gods and goddesses occurring frequently in the Amazon, Fintan commented with cautious optimism on what it could mean to the people that call the jungle their home -- and possibly the entire world.

“With more people showing proper faith and reverence to the gods and goddesses that rule over the world, there just may be some hope for all mankind,” Fintan said.