Origin of the Woolly Monkey, analysis

 

This story  accounts for the origin of a particular primate species, the woolly monkey.   The speciation occurs as a break off from a previously human state.  The species break occurs as an intensification of a divorce or separation between a husband and a wife.   What causes the break in this case is not infidelity.  It is break down in the collaborative working relation between the man and the woman.   It was the normal job of a husband to clear forest for his wife to plant a manioc garden.  To do this he would ask his male relatives.   His male relatives would then clear a beautiful garden to honor his wife.  And the wife would then honor her husband by going all out to make large quantities of drink which he could then serve to to his male relatives.  Thus the man honors his wife by brinigng together a large group of men to work in her service and she honors her husband by allowing these men to drink copiously out of her husbands generosity.  Although the wife may not even be present at the drinking he is able to show that he has a capable wife who loves him enough to do this.  This drinking and eating together is the core of conviviality.  Life itself depends on food and food is produced by working together.  Serving and drinking chicha while working together laughing and joking is the convivial bond that holds a group of relatives  together.

 In this story the bond of trust is broken when the wife keeps her end of the bargain by making a great quantity of manioc beer and setting it out elegantly to honor her husband and his guests.  However the husband just drinks up the beer in the middle of the night without honoring her by clearing land for her garden.This is not a story of a controlling wife who shames her husband because he is having a little fun with the boys.  It is not a story about a woman who gets mad because her husband drinks.  Rather it is a story about disrespect, ingratitude, and long suffering love that is not reciprocated.  

 

The word musiana is interesting.  It means to become aware of something that is a bout to happen, or to become