Names are anthems in our society.
The tone for a person’s identity is set from the moment they are named. But is this the case with Ayahuasca’s names? We are talking about a spirit beyond our understanding, sung to us by plants.
But before we jump into the names of Ayahuasca, there are some interesting facts about names.
The Power of Names
Psychologist and psychoanalyst Mavis Himes, in her book ‘The Power of Names’, considers names to be “an elongated shadow attached at our heels”. She invites the reader to become aware that names are given to us, “gift or curse, our name initially defines us in relationship to those who have given it”. More than 90 indigenous tribes across the Amazon Forest are known to have worked with Ayahuasca and have named her according to their direct experience and language.
Just how many names is Ayahuasca known by?
The Romans believed in “nomen est omen”, meaning the name is destiny.
Could they have been aware of things we are just now learning to understand? Like the fact that the future can energetically influence the past? Could Ayahuasca’s names be inspired by a future wave of knowing the influence she will have in our lives? Those who have experienced Ayahuasca ceremonies know that time is no longer linear where she is. All become connected in a chaotic order, all can be reached in the blink of an eye, yet nothing can really be touched.
Biologists have proved that serotonin and dopamine are released into our brains when we hear our names out loud. A powerful fact is that our brains involuntarily respond to the sound of our names even if we find ourselves in a state of unconsciousness, unable to respond or act. An instant energy force is created between the speaker and the receiver when names are involved in the conversation. Ayahuasca would certainly feel our desire to connect with her, but here is yet another example of how powerful stating her name can be.
Trigger Names
A trigger is a stimulus that causes memory to resurface. It can be any sort of memory, but usually, people connect triggers to painful memories.
Could Ayahuasca names become a trigger? They can. Any of Ayahuasca’s names can trigger bliss or painful memories. The bitter taste, textures, or strong smell of the brew are things often triggered by the name of Ayahuasca.
True names
Many cultures refer to ‘true names’ as something not to be used casually. At the base of this belief is that many times, knowing a person’s name gives one power over the person with that name. Fortunately, the Ayahuasca names are pathways to her, to what she represents to us and the world.
In Native American cultures, names are given and inspired by nature, animals, or spiritual experiences.
In Hinduism, spiritual names come from Sanskrit Vedas, ancient texts with philosophical teachings.
In Christianity and Judaism, from the bible. Here God is known by many names that are supposed to reveal different aspects of him.
The Islamic religion believes that Allah has 99 names that are attributes describing his qualities and characteristics.
Universal Kabbalah presents choosing and changing names as a spiritual science where one’s life gets to be designed as desired by a certain arrangement of symbols that becomes your name. Numbers and symbols are thus attributed to names, and their very vibration determines in return, the destiny and path of the person.
Now that we’ve got an idea of what names are through different times and cultures, what are the actual names that Ayahuasca is known by?
Ayahuasca’s many names
Considering there are up to 100 indigenous tribes across Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Panamá, Venezuela, and western Brazil, what should one expect regarding names?
In his book ‘Vegetalismo: Shamanism among the Mestizo population of the Peruvian Amazon’, Luis Eduardo Luna identified 42 names for the same drink.
Ayahuasca, the most known name, has its roots in the Quechua language. According to ICEERS, ‘Aya’ is usually translated into corpse, dead human body, dead, and ‘waskha’ means rope, cord, braided, or twisted wire. Together, they are known as the ‘vine of the dead’ or the ‘rope of the dead’. This name is used mostly in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, where she is known to allow the spirit to leave the body without being dead, offering the unique experience of transcendence while alive and aware.
Ayahuasca names derived from botanicals and their appearance
As we look at the names Ayahuasca is given, we can’t help but notice that they are inspired by the physical attributes of the plants used to make the brew, the way it is being prepared, and the effects it has on those participating in ceremonies. Some of the most known Ayahuasca names are classified according to these criteria.
Ayahuasca is a decoction of the Amazonian Banisteriopsis caapi, a vine from the Malpighiaceas family, and (most commonly) Psychotria viridis, known as chacruna, a perennial shrub from the Rubiaceae family.
According to Wikipedia, “The naming of the genus Banisteriopsis was dedicated to John Banister, a 17th-century English clergyman and naturalist. An earlier name for the genus was Banisteria and the plant is sometimes referred to as Banisteria caapi”.
The most common Ayahuasca names that come from botanicals and their physical appearance are the following.
Caapi, Kahpi, or Cipo – this is a name given to Ayahuasca by the Tukano tribe located mostly in Colombia but also in Brazil. According to English botanist Richard Spruce (fist ethnobotanical account of Ayahuasca), caapi translates as herb or thin leaf and comes from the Ñe’engatú language of the Tupi-Guarani linguistic family. This name is used in Brazil for the B. caapi plant and the drink. Cipo means liana (or woody climbing vine) in Portuguese.
Vegetal – is a name used by Adherents of União do Vegetal (Union Of Plants), a religious society founded in ’61 in Porto Velho, Brazil. In this case, UDV members drink the tea for mental concentration. Other names they use are Hoasca and Cha.
Yagé or Yajé – is a Cofán name given to Ayahuasca in Colombia, Ecuador, and parts of Peru close to the border of these two countries. For them, Yagé is sacred and seen as a way of connecting with the divine. Aside from Psychotria viridis, these indigenous tribes also use a plant called Diplopterys cabrerana, also known as chaliponga, oco-yajé, or yajé-uco. Those calling themselves Yagé associate the spirit of the brew with the masculine lineage.
Ayahuasca names that relate to the spiritual experience
Dr. Frederick Bois-Mariage counts up to 19 names for B. caapi across South America, but what’s even more exciting is that curanderos (or healers), classify them further based on their effects. To them, ‘Ayahuasca Cielo’, which translates as ‘Sky Ayahuasca’, has the power of leading one to the realms of heaven, and ‘Ayahuasca Negra’, or ‘Black Ayahuasca’, would be used to work with darker energies, such as shadow selves.
Daime – is used by a religious group founded in the 1930s in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Acre by Raimundo Irineu Serra. The organisation’s name is Santo Daime, and it mixes various spiritual and religious traditions, among them Ayahuasca. The word ‘dai-me’ means ‘give me’ in Portuguese, and Dai-me força, dai-me amor (“give me strength, give me love”) is one of the group’s hymns. For them, Ayahuasca is not recreational but a door to self-awareness and a life driven by the heart.
Natem – is used by the tribes of Achuar and Shuar in Ecuador and Peru. For the people of Shuar, Natem and Tobacco are the spirits of men and thus can only be manipulated by men. For them, these two go hand in hand and have magical, therapeutic, and religious meanings.
Shori – is the name given to Ayahuasca by the Sharanahua (Good People), a tribe located primarily in Peru but also in Brazil. For them, Shori is a hallucinogenic drink for medicinal and social purposes.
Uni – is used by the Yawanawá or Yaminawá tribe from Brazil. Their name translates to ‘The People of the Wild Boar’ because of how united the people of the tribe are. Uni and rumê (snuff tobacco with the bark of a specific tree) are sacred medicines that the tribe has been using for centuries with the utmost respect. Yawanawá is one of the few tribes, if not the only one, that allows women to share the Uni.
Ayahuasca names that come from the physical effects of the brew
La medicina – the Spanish word for medicine. The unique ways in which this brew supports people have led to it being named ‘the medicine’. Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention – this fantastic spirit assures all of that.
La purga – translates to ‘the purge’ and comes from the cleansing effects of the plants. Primarily, Ayahuasca cleanses the body so that the spirit’s wisdom can be perceived with ease.
Ayahuasca names that come from the preparation of the plant
The tea & the brew – both come from the preparation mode of Ayahuasca. It takes about 15 hours to boil the ingredients, with songs and prayers. What led to Ayahuasca being called purely ‘the tea’ or ‘the brew’? None other than her power, experienced more frequently than ever by the Western world where these names are mostly used.
Nixi Pae – is used by the Huni Kuin (‘the genuine people’) tribe based in Peru and Brazil. In the Kaxinawá language, ‘nixi’ means drink, and ‘pae’, strong. For this tribe, Nixi Pae is a source of strength and self-knowledge, one that they can share with the entire world.
Some other names given to Ayahuasca that are less common are kamarampi (Asheninka tribe), bejuco, nucu huasca, remedio, shillinto, nepi, pindé, iona, mii, xono, dápa, mihi, kahí, mado, punga and huasca.
We take great honour in being part of the journey that many of these tribes are on. That of bringing Ayahuasca, be it a she or he, closer to those willing to learn and understand what life is.
Learn more about our methodology and future retreats at Avalon’s Ayahuasca retreats in Europe.
