Izze-kloth

La corda di medicina izze-kloth è una corda sacra indossata dagli sciamani Apache, in grado a loro dire di conferire forza e poteri speciali di guarigione a chi lo indossa.^[1]

L'izze-kloth viene di solito confezionata con corregge di pelle di animale e lungo tutta la sua lunghezza è costellata da perline e conchiglie.^[2] Spesso, un'izze-kloth ha quattro stringhe, ognuna delle quali tinta con colori diversi (di solito, giallo, blu, bianco e nero).^[3]

L'izze-kloth è carico di simbolismi considerati particolarmente sacri ed è per questo che nella cultura apache non è consentito mostrarla ai non credenti, né toccarla o parlarne addirittura. Etnologi del XIX secolo riferiscono che è spesso difficile parlare della fede dei nativi americani a causa delle scarse conoscenze che si possono acquisire sul campo, e tra i vari aspetti rimasti praticamente ignoti vi è appunto l'izze-kloth, dal momento che non è consentito osservarla, toccarla o parlarne.^[4]

Note

^ Patricia D. Netzley, Apache Warrior, KidHaven Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-7377-0989-6.
«... a pouch filled with pollen from various plants that they thought would given them extra strength. This bag was tied to a cord called an izze-kloth, or Killer of Enemies, which was wrapped around the warrior's body from right shoulder to ... Braided from four strands of hide, the izze-kloth was made by a di-yin specializing in war ...»
^ Garrick Mallery, Picture-Writing Of The American Indians^{[collegamento interrotto]}, Kessinger Publishing, 2006, ISBN 978-1-4286-0732-3.
«... varieties of the izze-kloth or medicine cord of the Apache. A condensed extract of his remarks is as follows : These cords, in their perfection, are decorated with beads and shells strung along at intervals, with pieces of the sacred green chalchihuitl ...»
^ Allan A. Macfarlan, Paulette Jumeau Macfarlan, Knotcraft, the practical and entertaining art of tying knots, Courier Dover Publications, 1983, ISBN 978-0-486-24515-7.
«... Each strand of these izze-kloth cords was dyed a different color. The colors generally used were yellow, blue, white, and black, and many of these necklaces were decorated at intervals with olivella or other shells ...»
^ James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics: Part 2, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, ISBN 978-0-7661-3670-0.
«... The izze-kloth, used by leaders and laity alike, is the most sacred emblem the Apache possesses, so much so that it must be ... both the izze-kloth and the medicine-hat losing their efficacy when in any way handled by an unbeliever ...»

Voci correlate

[ref65rehum-1] Patricia D. Netzley, Apache Warrior, KidHaven Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-7377-0989-6.
«... a pouch filled with pollen from various plants that they thought would given them extra strength. This bag was tied to a cord called an izze-kloth, or Killer of Enemies, which was wrapped around the warrior's body from right shoulder to ... Braided from four strands of hide, the izze-kloth was made by a di-yin specializing in war ...»

[ref57zazar-2] Garrick Mallery, Picture-Writing Of The American Indians^{[collegamento interrotto]}, Kessinger Publishing, 2006, ISBN 978-1-4286-0732-3.
«... varieties of the izze-kloth or medicine cord of the Apache. A condensed extract of his remarks is as follows : These cords, in their perfection, are decorated with beads and shells strung along at intervals, with pieces of the sacred green chalchihuitl ...»

[ref28reduh-3] Allan A. Macfarlan, Paulette Jumeau Macfarlan, Knotcraft, the practical and entertaining art of tying knots, Courier Dover Publications, 1983, ISBN 978-0-486-24515-7.
«... Each strand of these izze-kloth cords was dyed a different color. The colors generally used were yellow, blue, white, and black, and many of these necklaces were decorated at intervals with olivella or other shells ...»

[ref25yiyuy-4] James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics: Part 2, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, ISBN 978-0-7661-3670-0.
«... The izze-kloth, used by leaders and laity alike, is the most sacred emblem the Apache possesses, so much so that it must be ... both the izze-kloth and the medicine-hat losing their efficacy when in any way handled by an unbeliever ...»

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