Mountain of the Condor: Metaphor and Ritual in an Andean Ayllu (Case Studies in Education and Culture)

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Summary: Revolutionary study of Andean culture
Review: The author, a noted American anthropologist, explodes previous stereotypes among anthropologists of the Andean Aymara Indians. Finding a proud and basically decent people behind an exterior of toughness, he penetrates their inner culture by comprehending the importance of the mouintain as a metaphor for meaning and hierarchy in the lives of the Indians. Focusing on the mountain-centered rituals, Dr. Bastien leads us to fresh knowledge not only of the Andean peoples but ultimately of ourselves