An Ethnobotany of Firewood in Osage Big Moon Peyotism: Practical knowledge, ritual participation, and aesthetic preference

Authors

  • Daniel C. Swan University of Oklahoma
  • Lauren M. Simons Unversity of Oklahoma

Keywords:

Firewood, Peyote Religion, Osage Indians

Abstract

This article examines firewood in the context of the modern practice of the Big Moon Peyote Religion by the Osage Indian community of Osage County, in northeastern Oklahoma, U.S.A. The fire and its ritual maintenance is a major component of the all night ceremony of Peyotism. The selection and preparation of the wood used in the ritual fire incorporates botanical knowledge, ceremonial experience, and aesthetic considerations to satisfy a range of preferences and criteria. We also discuss the manners in which firewood, through its ritual use and sacred properties, extends the spiritual benefit and social relationships of Peyotism to the greater Osage community.

Author Biographies

Daniel C. Swan, University of Oklahoma

Curator of Ethnology, Professor of Anthropology, Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Lauren M. Simons, Unversity of Oklahoma

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Ethnology, Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

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Published

2014-08-24

How to Cite

Swan, D. C., & Simons, L. M. (2014). An Ethnobotany of Firewood in Osage Big Moon Peyotism: Practical knowledge, ritual participation, and aesthetic preference. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 12, 325–339. Retrieved from https://ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/970

Issue

Vol. 12 (2014)

Section

Research

License

All articles are copyrighted by the first author and are published online by license from the first author. Articles are intended for free public distribution and discussion without charge. Accuracy of the content is the responsibility of the authors.