Scientific Area
Plants used in the Guancasco ceremony in San Francisco de Opalaca, Honduras.
ID: 613 / 267
Category: Abstract
Track: Pending
Proposed Symposium Title: Plants used in the Guancasco ceremony in San Francisco de Opalaca, Honduras.
Authors:
Eydi Yanina Guerrero Medina
Affiliations: Department of Biology, School of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras
Abstract:
Societies maintain collective memories, including experiences that are part of the oral tradition of people, such as rituals, legends, fables, stories, anecdotes, songs, myths, sayings and ceremonies. In this research, the “Guancasco” ritual forms the intangible heritage of the people that, due to generational circumstances, is deposited in adults that takes root throughout their lives and is transmitted orally to the next generation.
The present project arises with the purpose of knowing the plants that are used and have been used in the ritual that has survived in the indigenous peoples called “Guancasco”, which has been celebrated for more than 500 years, in this case we will analyze what It takes place in the community of San Francisco de Opalaca, a Lenca village located in the department of Intibucá, in western Honduras. The Guancasco is a ritual of peace among indigenous peoples, at the same time it serves as a cultural and mythological expression that transmits knowledge and teaches the importance of subsistence.
Rescuing and preserving valuable ancestral knowledge linked to the use of plants in rituals such as the Guancasco in Opalaca is a crucial task. A deep knowledge of the plant species used in these ritual practices is sought, analyzing whether they are in any risk category, and then proposing concrete actions that favor their conservation.
In this context, by highlighting the exceptional botanical wealth present in the region, recognizing the cultural, medicinal and ecological importance of these plants, the awareness of the population is achieved, which must acquire a fundamental role, since it seeks to create a wake up. about the urgent need to conserve medicinal plants and preserve the unique biodiversity that the region has.