wayuu religion

The structure of representation of this culture integrates a series of important deities into their mythical universe. Their central figure is Mareiwa, god creator of the Wayuu and founder of society. Pulowi and Juya, a married deity couple associated with procreation and life, where Pulowi is the female figure; related the wind and dry seasons, and Juya the male; a nomad figure related to hunting and seen as a powerful killer. Wanulu represents the evil god, illness and death.
Children are born at home, assisted by the mother-in-law or the nearest female relative and represent for the Wayuu, in some way, the preservation of their species, preferring to feed children first and following strict diets when the surivival of children is not assured.
Puberty is not very important among boys, but girls are exposed to rituals when they start menstruating, requiring them to go through a period of seclusion. The girl is obliged to get a haircut shaving her head, and to rest in a hammock hung near the house. She is also fed with a special vegetarian diet called Jaguapi, bathes with frequency. She is taught on how to become a woman and female labor: sewing, birth control, pregnancy and maybe erotic techniques.
This culture believes that the life cycle doesn't end with death, but that a relationship with one's bones continues. Burials are very important. The parents of the dead act in a certain way; first the cadaver is buried with personal belongings, and then, after two years, the body is exhumed, incinerated, put into ceramics, and buried once again in the clan's cemetery.