Abstract

ZALAQUETT ROCK, Francisca et al. The Songs of Birds in the Perceptions, Experiences and Myths of the Lacandones of Nahá and Metzabok, Chiapas. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2024, vol.64, pp.217-249.  Epub Mar 11, 2025. ISSN 0185-2574.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.64.2024/0011wx00s897.

Birdsong has been explored through zoological disciplines and has gained significance for its interaction with humans. Consequently, interdisciplinary studies have made substantial progress in unraveling its complexity. This study showcases the latest advancements in our research regarding the auditory interpretations of avian sounds among the Lacandon people in the Nahá and Metzabok community of Chiapas. We comprehensively document various modalities and auditory facets intertwined with their worldview, seasonal cycles, onomatopoeias, ideophones, myths, and day-to-day encounters. Within these contexts, birds play an integral role, serving as conduits of communication between diverse realms -both human and non-human. Through their melodies and behaviors, birds not only signal impending dangers but also convey messages from supernatural entities, bearing auspicious or inauspicious omens. We present illustrative instances of this ongoing dialogue to underscore the pivotal role of sound as a mode of communication. This role integrates into the collective memory, knowledge, experiences, and emotions of the Lacandon people from Nahá and Metzabok, as these components are uniquely shaped by sensory perceptions and specific to each human community.

Keywords : Birds; Onomatopoeia; Lacandon; Soundscapes; Maya; Vocalizations.

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