This document provides an introduction and overview of the Shipibo shamanic language known as icaros. Some key points:
- Icaros is a visual, spiritual, and kinesthetic language that is completely different from traditional Shipibo spoken in villages. It has no grammar.
- Words can have different meanings based on the shaman's level of consciousness and intentions. Translation is challenging.
- Elements of the language include plants, worlds/dimensions, body parts, pronouns, energies (good and bad), and common verbs/expressions for healing songs and prayers.
- Suffixes are commonly added to change word meanings and align with melodic aspects of icaros singing.
This document provides an introduction and overview of the Shipibo shamanic language known as icaros. Some key points:
- Icaros is a visual, spiritual, and kinesthetic language that is completely different from traditional Shipibo spoken in villages. It has no grammar.
- Words can have different meanings based on the shaman's level of consciousness and intentions. Translation is challenging.
- Elements of the language include plants, worlds/dimensions, body parts, pronouns, energies (good and bad), and common verbs/expressions for healing songs and prayers.
- Suffixes are commonly added to change word meanings and align with melodic aspects of icaros singing.
This document provides an introduction and overview of the Shipibo shamanic language known as icaros. Some key points:
- Icaros is a visual, spiritual, and kinesthetic language that is completely different from traditional Shipibo spoken in villages. It has no grammar.
- Words can have different meanings based on the shaman's level of consciousness and intentions. Translation is challenging.
- Elements of the language include plants, worlds/dimensions, body parts, pronouns, energies (good and bad), and common verbs/expressions for healing songs and prayers.
- Suffixes are commonly added to change word meanings and align with melodic aspects of icaros singing.
Introduction to Shipibo icaros language By Sanken Ronin, August 2011
Introduction The first point is that shamanic! shipibo is completely different from idiom talked in the "illages, the traditional Shipibo# $hat are common are %orlds about concrete thing like parts of the body, pronouns, animals& In shamanic! shipibo there is no grammar 'luckily()# It*s a "isual+ special and kinesthetic language# The kinesthetic part %ill not be e,plained here, no need for basic singing 'and I don*t ha"e it()# -or e,ample, jacon means good!, nice! in talked shipibo but the "isual and kinesthetic meaning is to call energy to myself!# Therefore it is a problem for the translation of the sentences, like in jacon shaman aquinra, %hich is translated by nicely! in Ricardo*s ./s but a deepest meaning is I call deeply the energy to myself in order to help!# In this document, I %ill gi"e the basic translation# -or the grammar, in traditional Shipibo, the plural is "ery comple, 'depends of the number of syllabus, termination %ith an accented or a nasali0ed sound&)# In shamanic shipibo, the plural is made by the suffi, 1bo 'cano "ision!, canobo "isions!)# There are e,ceptions, like for maque "ibration of the "oice!, %hich plural is the same than in traditional Shipibo, maquecan 'suffi, 1can because maque has t%o syllabus and the last syllabus is accentuated)# 2sing Spanish %ords is common 'Santo Espiritubo 3oly Spirit!, medicina)# $ords can be shortened or lengthened in order to accord %ith the melody# -or e,ample medicina can become medico or medicinaman# 4ast but not least, there are lots of %ords to say to do something! and au,iliaries, depending in %hich le"el of consciousness the curendero is %orking# As %e ha"en*t access to these le"els, %e can*t understand these nuances# 5ach curendero uses the basic language described here but add his o%n %ords and formulations %hich are his tools for healing# 3ere is described the basic langage used by 6uillermo and close of the one used by Ricardo and 7ames# As this document is my o%n comprehension of shamanic Shipibo language no%, I can*t be sure that there are no mistakes in the subtler points# 2 Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Medicine medicina8 medicine Rao8 %orld of the medicine plants behua8 songs 'icaros) Plants vare roncan8 ayahuasca josho pionis8 pi9on blanco huiso pionis8 pi9on colorado cahua8 chacruna kanachiari8 toe Some plants ha"e the same name than in Spanish like marosa, coca& Worlds or dimensions paen8 mareacion cano8 "ision, energy sama8 diet Riossen8 6od Elements and space nete8 %orld or uni"erse nihue8 air nai8 skies mai8 5arth paro8 %ater, ocean shobo8 house Pronouns I ea :y nocon ;ou < 'doing to) you = singular mia ;our's) min 3e she it< 'doing to) him her ja 3is her its jahuen The, this ja $e < 'doing to) us noa >ur's) non ;ou or 'doing to) you = plural mato ;our's) maton They < 'doing to) them jaton Their's) jaton
'for beginners, only my! and you!<!your! are useful)# 5a I! is rarely used# $ith these last three categories, it is possible to make simple sentences Nocon pae netebo8 in the %orlds 'space) of my mareacion nete '%orld) and bo8 plural Min sama canobo8 in the energy '"isions < process) of your diet Parts of the Self yora8 body shinan8 mind, senses, thoughts caya8 Spirit mapo8 head jimi8 blood puno8 blood "essels poko8 stomach joi8 "oice, breath jointi8 heart ? Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language manshonbina8 cro%n center nocon jointi canobo8 in the energy < "isions of my heart Good energies jacon 'less intense) metsa soe 'more intense) beautiful, nice, good raro8 @oy noi8 lo"e inin8 perfume $orld of 6od Riossen8 6od Ibo8 4ord, :aster Joe8 light Bendicionma8 Benediction Sabiduriane8 $isdom oderosoran8 Ao%er Jesus !hristo8 7esus .hrist "ir#en Maria8 Birgin :ary Santo Espiritubo8 3oly Spirit $#ua de %a "ida8 $ater of 4ife !ienca8 Science Nete Ibo Riossen8 %orld or uni"erse of 6od, the 4ord Joe nete8 %orld or uni"erse of the 4ight of 6od The icaros behua8 songs 'icaros) maque& "ibration incanto8 song of medicine toninram8 echo oran8 prayer maquecan toninram8 %ith the echo, "ibrations of my "oice nocon behua medicinaman8 %ith my medicine songs Bad energies 5nergies of %itchcraft8 shane8 bru@o shintana8 black energy boman8 spell incanto8 songs of %itchcraft 'incanto can be used for medicine songs) oran8 black prayer 'oran can be used for medicine songs) yoshinbaum8 daemon 'mahua yoshinbaum8 spirits of the dead) huiso espiritubo8 black spirit mayanihue8 bad airs 'from the prefi, maya=8 bad and nihue8 air) capo quiribo8 the aura of "ermin Bad energy of the mind, of the psyche socase8 fear massa shinan8 bad thoughts, preoccupations, sadness rate8 susto 'lost of a fragment of soul after a trauma, an accident or an intense fear) C Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language tranca8 traumas 'shinan tranca, also yora tranca8 trauma of the body) isin8 pain 'of the body) or illness nocon pecca isinbo8 my back*s pain's) sheponi8 %hat is closed coniaca8 %hat is blocked, %hat has blocked min nete coniacabo8 all %hich has blocked your %orld rami8 %hat has turned bad 'sama rami8 degraded diet, pae rami8 bad mareacion) jaconmabo8 bad jaconmabo from jacon good! and the suffi, 1mabo not! tapon8 roots used as the root of something bad in order to thro% it a%ay pishi8 stinking smells 'pishi canobo) To do something The basic form for saying doing something! is ayon 'or yon or mayon) like in the follo%ing %ords8 ayonquin, ayonban, ayonshon, ayonan, yonbanon# Another %orld is ashon or shon like in shonbanon, ashonban, ashonquin# $shon ha"e a meaning of doing something inside someone, me or another one, as someone contains different things! as ayon is doing something in general# The t%o %ords can be @ointed in the "erb shonyon like in shonyona, shonyonquin, shonyonban# Some %ords are @ust permutations of the same syllabus# The kinesthetic or spatial 'four dimensions) aspect plays a big part, for e,ample ayonquin to do something here and no%! ayonban to do something here and beyond, no% and all the time!, for e,ample in the malloca and in the space of the diet, for the night and the day# There are plenty of other %ords for doing something!# 4ike said in the introduction, it depends in %hich le"el of consciousness the curendero is %orking# -or beginners, the best could be to use only the %ord ayonquin#
D Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Suffixes 4ast %ord of each sentence has a suffi, %hich is not the same if this %ord is a "erb, an ad@ecti"e& Berbs 4ike for the e,ample of the "erbs for saying to do!, the same "erb can ha"e different suffi,es# Suffi, ayon to do! ashon to do! shonyon to do! punte straighten! 'quin ayonquin ashonquin shonyonquin puntequin 'ban ayonban ashonban shonyonban 'shon ayonshon punteshon 'a or an or 'i ayonan shonyona puntea
4ike in the e,ample of ayon, pre"iously =quin means here and no%! =ban means here and beyond, no% and all the time! =shon a first meaning is to do something good but I don*t kno% the e,act meaning =a 1an 1am ha"e no meaning, it has for purpose to lengthen the sentence in order to accord %ith the melody >ther %ords At the end of the sentence shaman deeply! and vain %hat is currently done! ha"e suffi,es too#
The suffi, 1mea is added to shaman in order to gi"e the sense of from, coming from! min shinan shamanbi8 deeply in your mind nocon shinan shamanmeabo8 deeply from my senses and thoughts the suffi, 1ra I don*t kno% e,actly its meaning+ it can be used in t%o different manners8 alternati"e plural, like canora 'cano8 "isions), %hich means all the colors of the "isions suffi, after the plural 1bo, like shintanabora or incantobora banore banore 'see belo%) can be a sentence ending, too Suffi, shaman vain 'quin shamanquin vainquin 'shon shamanshon vainshon 'a or an or 'am shamanam vaina 'bo 'plural) shamanbo 'bi shamanbi 'mea 'from) shamanmeabo shamanmeabi
E Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Common words and expressions ani8 big e(a8 giant matsi8 cold cuin8 smoke rome8 tobacco pipa8 pipe rama8 no% enque8 I*m going to 'do something) 'mea8 suffi, meaning from!, coming from! shaman8 deep, deeply 'see abo"e) vain8 literally the track!, %hat is done at the moment 'see abo"e) Sua sua vainquin the cleaning action is going on! banore8 the fact of doing something, %hich it currently made sua yonbanore8 the action of cleaning is currently happening 'sua8 clean, yon8 do) mesco8 all mesco medicinabo8 all my medicines yabi8 %hole nete yabi8 %hole space senen para mayonan or senen para maboquin & %ith harmony para mayo shamanan para mayon shamanquin rama caya cayara in reality, it is used as a transition bet%een t%o actions jacon shaman aquinra nicely 'see introduction abo"e for the problem of translation) .olors josho8 %hite panshin8 yello% curo8 grey huiso8 black yancun8 blue or green oshin8 red jahuen huiso mayanihuebo8 their black fog 'bad air) Josho Joe8 $hite 4ight 'of 6od) ctions .leansing sua8 clean payan8 blo% pisha8 thro% a%ay churo8 thro% a%ay choca8 %ash 'mainly %ith a liFuid) queyo8 finish %ith tsinque8 @oining '%hat is bad before cleaning) enque payan ayonquin I*m going to blo% G Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language pisha yon shamanquin I do thro% a%ay deeply churo yon banore the action of thro%ing a%ay is currently happening nocon yora suaquin I %ash my body yora choca ayonquin I do %ash the body queyo queyo vainquin finishing is going on All the %ords for cleansing can be used %ith the different e,pressions# :any other %orlds for cleansing e,ist# cushi8 strength or strengthen# This is the only %ord %hich is an ad@ecti"e and is used %ith to do! for an action# yora cushi ayonquin8 strengthen the body 'ayon8 to do) cushi cushi medicinaman8 po%erful medicine 'here cushi is used as an ad@ecti"e) punte8 straighten nocon pae puntequin8 straighten my diet min shinan puntequin8 straighten your mind pana8 protect pana yonbanore8 doing a protection is going on enque pana ayonquin8 I do protect mepin8 connect 'mainly %ith 6od) nocon shinan mepinan8 I connect my mind Nete Ibo Riossen8 %ith the $orld of 6od, The 4ord quepen8 open Joe nete quepenquin8 open the %orld of 6od*s 4ight Nete yabi quepenquin8 open the %hole %orld abanon8 open 'the "isions) rama cano abanon8 no% I open the "isions beshon8 bring back min shinan beshonban8 brink back your mind nichin8 center oneself or center something into somebody enque nichin ayonquin8 I*m going to center myself onan8 learn min onan ishonra8 you can learn 'ishonra8 au,iliary)
H Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Conclusion to shamanic Shipibo concepts and words
$ith these e,planations you can see the high le"el of sophistication of the shamanic Shipibo language# -or me it is close to sacred languages like 5gyptian 3ieroglyphs and :andarin, e"en if it uses %ords and not graphic symbols# $ith the teaching of the plants, the Shipibo idiom has e"ol"ed to become operati"e tools for healing# $hat is important for e"eryone %ho %ants to use shamanic Shipibo is to construct his o%n tools %ith this language# Aerhaps at the beginning you %ill feel like saying your lesson at school but %ith training and the help of the plants these %orlds %ill become filled %ith energy# >ne step further, the shamanic energy passing through you, the %ords %ill come by themsel"es %ithout thinking, %ith the "isions leading them# -or learning this shamanic Shipibo the best method, for me, is to learn the %ords %hen singing a recorded icaros %ith the %ords %ritten and translate, then listen to the curendero in ceremony, trying to understand %hat he is singing, then singing %ith him# But e"eryone has her<his method & $hen you sing to yourself or to another person the process is8 3a"e a "ision of %hat has to be done or, if you don*t ha"e "isions, the feeling A specific kind of "ibration %ill come %ith the "oice# :ore than the %ords, the "ibration is the most important >n this "ibration you put the %ords# The most important thing %hile singing in ceremony is the intention, %hat do you %ant to do# If you don*t kno% a %ord in shamanic Shipibo, you can use the Spanish %ord or you can sing %ith the %ords of your o%n langage# After, singing to another person is like surgery, the more precise you %ill be and the more it %ill %ork# Aerhaps after reading this document until here you %ill find that this is too comple, for you no%# In order to sho% you that you are %rong, %e %ill see no% ho% to construct simple tools to help yourself in ceremony#
I Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Construction of simple sentences )* ;ou feel bad in your mareacion Nocon pae puntequin I straighten my mareacion But if it*s the "isions %hich are bad8 Nocon pae canobo the "isions in my mareacion Enque punte ayonquin I do straighten An action can take one or t%o sentences depending on its precision# It can take time to straighten the "isions of the mareacion so you can sing more about that# Nocon pae canobo the "isions in my mareacion Enque punte ayonquin I do straighten unte punte vainquin ,? Straightening is going on, going on, going on But before straightening the "isions you feel that this is black energy in the malloca that gi"es you bad "isions# ;ou %ant to clean this black energy in you# Rama cano abanon no% I open the "isions Nocon pae canobo the "isions in my mareacion Jacon mabo canobo bad "isions Jahuen shintanabora their dark energy +uiso mayanihuebo the dark bad air Enque sua ayonquin I do clean Sua sua vainquin ,2 cleaning is going on, going on unte punte vainquin ,2 straightening is going on, going on After cleaning the black energy you %ant to open nice "isions# Rama cano abanon no% I open the "isions Nocon pae canobo the "isions in my mareacion Jacon mabo canobo bad "isions Jahuen shintanabora their black energy +uiso mayanihuebo the dark bad air Enque sua ayonquin I do clean isha pisha vainquin ,2 thro%ing them a%ay is going on, going on unte punte vainquin ,2 straightening is going on, going on Rama caya cayara no% 'transition) Enque cano abanon I open the "isions Nocon pae shamanmeabi deeply from my mareacion Metsa cano ayonquin Jice "isions Shinan nichin shamanam I center them deeply in my mind and senses ;ou ha"e constructed a medicine song( 10 Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language ,* Suppose that, like Tat@ana one day, you ha"e eaten a melon @ust before the ceremony, or bananas, and your belly hurts# Nocon poko isinbo my stomach*s pains Sua sua vainquin ,2 cleaning is going on, going on If you feel that your diet is not straight and that*s %hy you ha"e eaten a melon you can straighten your diet# Nocon sama canobo in the energy of my diet !ano ayon banore I open the "isions Sama punte shamanquin I straighten deeply the diet Senen para mayonan %ith harmony Nocon poko isinbo my stomach*s pains isha pisha vainquin thro%ing it a%ay is going on Sua sua vainquin -, cleaning is going on, going on >r you can feel that the ambiance of the center or the others ha"e leaded you to eat this melon# ;ou %ant to straighten the %orld and the air of your diet and protect yourself# Nocon sama canobo in the energy of my diet !ano ayon banore I open the "isions Sama punte shamanquin I straighten deeply the diet Nete yabi puntequin I straighten the %hole %orld 'of the diet) Nihue yabi puntequin I straighten the %hole air 'space) 'of the diet) Senen para mayonan %ith harmony Sama pana ayonquin I do protect my diet ana pana vainquin protecting is going on ana yon vaina doing a protection is going on
.* ;ou %ant to connect %ith the $orld of 6od and Its 4ight, these are the usual %orlds# Nocon shinan mepinan I connect my mind Nete Ibo Riossen %ith the $orld of 6od, The 4ord Riossen nete quepenan I open 6od*s $orld Joe nete quepenan I open the $orld of 3is 4ight
Again it can take time to open the 4ight Nocon shinan mepinan I connect my mind Nete Ibo Riossen %ith the $orld of 6od, The 4ord Riossen nete quepenan I open 6od*s %orld Joe nete quepenquin I open the $orld of 3is 4ight /uepen quepenan vainquin -, opening is going on, going on /uepen yon shamanan I do open 'the $orld of 3is 4ight) deeply
Straighten the "isions < energy of your diet I do straighten deeply $ith harmony $ith harmony Straighten all your body Straighten all your mind and senses I do straighten deeply $ith harmony $ith harmony deeply $ith the "ibrations of my "oice 'boFuira8 au,iliary) $ith my "oice /oing %ith my "oice deeply I open the "isions >pening the "isions %ith harmony >pening the "isions deeply $ith harmony $ith harmony Jice "isions in your %orld >pening, opening I*m going to open your "isions >pening the "isions %ith harmony >pening the "isions deeply
12 Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language !"## "# !$ % WS&""&#' .ano abanon Rama cano abanon# :in sama canobo .ushi ayon "ainFuin :ia Fuepen shonyonban# Jete @acon FuepenFuin Sama nete FuepenFuin :ia Fuepen shonyona# Senen paramayonFuin Aara mayon shamanFuin ,2# 7oi maFue bobanon :aFue maFue "ainFuin ,2# 5nFue mia ashonban Rama mia ashonban# Aae @acon FuepenFuin Jete @acon FuepenFuin :ia Fuepen shonyona# Kuepen shonyon shamana ,2# :ia cano ayona Sama cano ayona .ano ayon shamanFuin &
>pening the "isions Jo% I open the "isions In the energy of your diet I do strengthen I do open you I open nicely your %orld I open nicely your diet I do open you $ith harmony $ith harmony $ith the sound of my "oice 'bobanon8 au,iliary) $ith my "oice, my "oice I*m going to do it to you Jo% I*m going to do it to you >pening nicely your mareacion >pening nicely your %orld I open you >pening deeply /oing 'producing) your "isions The "isions of your diet /oing 'producing) the "isions deeply
I %ill call the "isions and energy Jo% I call "isions and energy Jicely open >pen for you >pen the mareacion >pen its %hole %orld >pen open I %ill do it for you I %ill do it nicely for you Jicely >pen its %orld of light >pen open $ith harmony $ith harmony ;our mind and senses >pen open I %ill center %ell for you Straighten the mind Straighten Straighten $ith harmony The perfumed light I %ill bring it The %orld of perfumes Aerfume this house Bring perfumes
1C Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Senen cano mayonan ,? :aton yora isinbo ,? Bare roncan canora .honca paFue "ainFuin Sua sua "ainFuin ,2# ,2 Jete metsa ayonan Jihue metsa ayonan .ano @acon paranta ,? 5nFue para mayonban ,? Aara mayon shamanFuin ,2 :aton sama medico ,? Senen cano maboFuin ,2 .ano mayon shamanFuin &
$ith harmony The pains of your body The energy of the ayahuasca $ash .lean >pen nice %orlds >pen nice air The good energy I %ill open /eeply ;our medicinal diets $ith harmony $ith harmony
1D Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language .ictionar/
$banon8 open 'the "isions) $#ua de %a "ida8 $ater of 4ife $ni8 big $yon8 to do $shon8 to do B Banore8 the fact of doing something, %hich it currently made Bebon8 au,iliary Behua songs 'icaros) Bendicionma8 Benediction Beshon8 bring back Boman8 spell C !ahua8 chacruna !ano "ision, energy !apo quiribo8 the aura of "ermin !aya8 Spirit !hoca8 %ash !huro8 thro% a%ay !ienca8 Science !oniaca8 %hat is blocked, %hat has blocked !uin8 smoke !uro8 grey !ushi8 strength or strengthen E Ea8 I Enque8 I*m going to 'do something) Espiritubo8 Spirit E(a8 giant 0 +uiso8 black +uiso pionis pi9on colorado I Ibo8 4ord, :aster Incanto8 song Inin8 perfume Ishonra8 au,iliary Isin8 pain 'of the body) or illness 1 Ja& he, she, it, him, her, the, this Jacon& good, nice Jaconmabo8 bad Joe8 light Joi8 "oice, breath Jointi8 heart Josho8 %hite Josho pionis& pi9on blanco Jimi8 blood 2 0anachiari& toe M Mabo8 to do Maque& "ibration of the "oice Mahua yoshinbaum8 spirits of the dead Mai 5arth Manshonbina8 cro%n center Mapo8 head Massa shinan8 bad thoughts, preoccupations, sadness Mato8 you 'plural) Matsi8 cold Maton8 your 'plural) Mayanihue8 bad airs Mayon8 to do 'mea& from 'suffi,) Medicina& medicine Mepin8 connect Mesco8 all Metsa8 good, nice, beautiful Mia8 you 'singular) Min8 your 3 Nai8 sky Nichin8 center oneself or center something into somebody Nihue8 air 1E Introduction to Shipibo shamanic language Nishi8 ayahuasca Noa8 %e, us Nocon8 my Noi8 lo"e Non8 our 4 1nan8 learn 1ran8 prayer 1shin8 red P ae& mareacion ana8 protect anshin8 yello% aro8 %ater, ocean ayan8 blo% ipa8 pipe isha8 thro% a%ay ishi8 stinking smell oko8 stomach uno8 blood "essels unte8 straighten 5 /uepen8 open /ueyo8 finish %ith ( Rama8 no% Rami8 %hat has turned bad Rao& %orld of the medicine plants Rios Riossen& 6od Raro8 @oy Rate8 susto Rome8 tobacco S Sabiduriane8 $isdom Sama& diet Shaman8 deep, deeply Sheponi8 %hat is closed Shinan8 mind, senses, thoughts shintana8 black energy Shobo8 house socase8 fear Soe8 good, nice, beautiful Sua8 clean T 2apon8 roots 2oninram8 echo 2ranca8 traumas 6 "ain8 %hat is done at the moment "are roncan& illumination of the body %ith ayahuasca 7 3abi8 %hole 3ancun8 blue or green 3on8 to do 3ora8 body 3oshinbaum8 daemon