[Aztlan] Tobacco in Enama?

[Justin Kerr]

Dear Friends,

I have just reposted in Portfolio, K6271, an image of 3 tobacco snuff
containers which brought to mind a question.. 

 

Is it possible that tobacco might have been one of the ingredients in the
enema mixture? One of the flasks in the image shows God N taking an enema
and although it has been argued that alcohol was the only recognized
ingredient (see de Smet; 1985. Rituals enemas and snuffs in the Americas),
it has also been argued that other hallucinogens might have been placed in
the mix. (See Stross and Kerr;1990. Notes on the Maya Vision Quest through
Enema).

 

Simon Martin has shown tobacco being put on lips (from a mural at Calakmul)
and a similar scene appears on vase K3460 in the vase Database.  Is it
possible that the Maya made a liquid extract from tobacco using alcohol as
the extractor? 

 

Any thoughts on the matter?

Justin Kerr