Polysemy of an object among the Otomi from the Hidalgo's eastern sierra

Abstract

For the otomies of the Sierra Otomi-Tepehua, the table (Ra mexa) is a sum of meanings that appeals to different aspects of life and social relations. It is an obvious piece of furniture in everyday life, but in the ritual action, it acquires a high significance as a spatial metaphor: it is a model of the cosmos-human world- village, and provides a communication link between men and sacred entities. It sets the framework for relations on which indigenous ethics legitimizes exchange and reciprocity among men, with nature and the gods.