Site banner, left
 
ABOUT THIS WEB SITE
Ethnoarchitecture.org is the Internet's first and largest database of indigenous and vernacular architecture. It features information on the architecture of 7,299 groups around the world, distributed in 228 countries and territories.
This work in progress is a research initiative by Gabriel Arboleda, a doctoral student of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. Total pages published so far: 7745.
Browse the database
Browse Ethnoarch by theme:



 
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
As of June 2007 the participatory interface of the project is being finished. Direct contributions should be possible later this summer. In the meantime, you are welcome to participate by using this form (membership required).

 
Site banner, right
Members:
Login  |  Register

 
Graphic links
.
 
 
  
  Stories Home   -   Site Map    
 
You are in: Ethnoarch Home » Stories of buildings, building stories
Ver historias en Español

 
 
NUMBER 1
Gabriel Arboleda - Edited by Jennifer Rulf
July 12, 2007
Maquettes of Life
In the village of Uru Uru in Bolivia there is a circular-shaped stone behind a mountain. People honor this stone as the son of a god, Huari. He was petrified by the Curacas or village chiefs, who in this way sabotaged his plans to abduct a local princess he was in love with.

Seeing the god would be forever captive in that state, the villagers had no other option but to take responsibility for feeding him. They also gave him authority to decide over the fate of lovers, since he already had enough experience with being in love and suffering as a result.

When a couple wants to get married, they have to pay a visit to the stone-god. After a ritual ceremony they build a small house replica, which has to have as many rooms as children the couple wants to have. They locate this little model near the stone and leave without looking back.

It is said that couples often have exactly the number of children they indicated in the maquette to the petrified god.
"Architecture is more than just the development of products for a market. It is about space and place, home and community, body and memory, earth and sky.
It is for people, for their whole lives..." - C. Davies.
Previous image link The First Fireplace
 
     
Statistic Data
This page has been viewed 3719 times. Database queries executed: 24.
Most recent document was published on: Jun/10/2010 7:50 am.
Total Members: 171. Total Logged in members: 0. Total guests: 22. Total anonymous users: 0
The most visitors ever was 285 on Mar/24/2005 6:02 am

 
Site Links
Database     Areas:   Africa  -  Americas  -  Asia  -  Europe  -  Oceania     Data:   Countries  -  Groups  -  Types  -  Models  -  Images
Knowledge     Content:   News  -  Articles  -  Books  -  Notes  -  Español     Essentials:   Glossary  -  Vernacular?  -  Ethnoarch?  -  FAQ  -  Search
Site     Members:   Publish  -  Log in  -  Register  -  Settings  -  Forum     Website:   Home  -  About  -  Contact  -  Terms  -  Privacy

 
© Copyright 2003 - 2012 by Gabriel Arboleda. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise specified, all published material remains copyright of its respective authors.
Technicolor is a trademark of Thomson Multimedia and is mentioned with the purposes of commentary and/or critcism.
To see the context of such commentary or criticism, please click here.
No contents, including text, tables, photographs, graphics, videos, etc. may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.
In addition, no material or contents may be reproduced on the world wide web by mirroring, framing, posting, etc. without written consent.
Contact Information:
Gabriel Arboleda - PhD Program in Architecture - College of Environmental Design - University of California at Berkeley
370 Wurster Hall - Berkeley, CA 94720-1800
Terms and conditions - Privacy policy