Clara Santi Grefa, "They Drink This Plant to Become Jaguars."

He would drink the jaguar yuyu. That’s what my grandfather said: that if someone wants to become a jaguar, they must drink it. It was given to men to drink, but not much was offered to women. It was gathered while young, mashed, and given to drink. One must fast; neither chili nor salt may be eaten. No food is given for a week. So that one goes around meowing like a jaguar, to become a jaguar. How do they drink it? It is taken several times. My grandfather said that the yuyu is drunk two or even four times so the person can become a jaguar. When you are already near death, about to pass away, you turn into a jaguar, but it is also something sad. It is sad. On that path, when you become a jaguar, you will walk far. That is why it is not good. It brings sadness. When he grows old, he goes around meowing and walking through the mountains. That’s what my grandfather said: they would drink saw!, that plant, to become a jaguar and gain strength. This plant is about to bear fruit. When a child cannot urinate, the root is taken out, mashed, and given to drink. He stops urinating blood; that’s why they call it jaguar yuyu. It will bear fruit of this size, of this thickness. It will bear fruit like the bud of the lisán plant; from there, more will grow and more seeds will come out. That plant produces many fruits; its bud is very sweet, similar to red corn. When it is red in color it is much better as a remedy. When it turns red, that’s what my grandfather would gather. They would give it to children to drink, and that’s how they were cured.