Yelatáj chos woley

The yelatáj chos woley, yelataj chas woley or simply jelataj choz, is a musical bow characteristic of the Wichi culture in the South American Gran Chaco.[1][2][3]

Features
Chacoan peccary lives in the Gran Chaco. Peccary hair was turned into bowstrings.

The Yelatáj chos woley consists of two bows of tusca wood.[1][2][3] The performer holds the end of one of the bows between his teeth and rubs that bowstring with the other.[1][3] The musician's mouth acts as a resonator.[1] Originally the bowstrings were made from peccary hair, vegetable fibers or other hair.[3] When horses arrived with the Spaniards to America, instrument makers began to use the hairs from horse manes and tails.[1][2][3]

The dimensions of one listed at Musical Instrument Museums Online (MIMO) is 350 mmm long x 60 mm wide (bowstring to bow handle).[1]

Usage

The yelatáj chos woley is for ceremonial and shamanic use.[3] He is attributed the power to invoke Nilataj, God of the Wichi ethnic group.[3]

References
  1. "arc musical (yelat'aj chos woley)". Musical Instrument Museums Online.
  2. "Arcos musicales". Museo Virtual de Instrumentos Musicales, Instituto Nacional de Musicología. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007.
  3. Carrasco, Ruben Guaman. "LATAJCHOZ". Archived from the original on 21 February 2008. [Photo of musician playing Yelatáj chos woley, holding one bow in his teeth and drawing the other bow across its string.]


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