|
Tinku is a form of ritual mass hand-to-hand combat practiced by local people in Bolivian Ands, in the region of Potosi. In a local kinship system people are divided to two kins (clans) or moieties. The word "tinku" means encounter (engagement) in both Aymara and Quechua languages. The tinkus are prearranged and usually take place in the small towns of southern Bolivia, like Macha, Pocoata and Acacio. Tinku events are very festive, with an audience of men, women, and children, who bring food and drink. Alcohol is also brought and sold along with food during the tinku. Tinkus take place on specified holidays (usually, semiannual) and lasts for a few days, when the members of moieties, both men and women, fight hand-to-hand with those of the other moiety. Though the conflict is largely symbolic and ceremonial, the brawl may inflict real, serious physical harm that may sometimes be fatal. Status of a specific moiety is determined by this battle.
Tinkus have been a tradition of Andean culture since before they first had contact with Europeans. It is traced to The Inca Empire. Some anthropologists hypothesize that Ancient Andean cultures would have Tinkus instead of traditional warfare - this would help curb aggression between different groups, and allow for entertainment. For the people living in this area the Tinku is a pre-Hispanic ritual and their dances are a declaration of war against the colonial past. Tinkus do not end with trophies or awards – according to the popular ancient belief, the winning side will have a prosperous year. However, the reasons of the fights might be different:
- A person or group is targeted because of past actions.
- Groups with old animosity fight for prestige.
- Consolidation of "indigenous peasant autonomy and fierceness versus the dominant or mestizo culture".
Tinkus are usually fought by arms and legs but sometimes traditional Inca weapons, particularly, fingerstalls and also slingshots, boleadoras, clubs, and whips. Rarely, they fight mounted.
Although Tinku fights can become very violent and people do get injured and even die, the deaths can be seen as good omens for good harvests.
At present, local authorities find a way to curb the violence – special police 'referees' assist at tinku festivals, who keep an eye on the fights not allowing beatings – they stop a duel as soon as one of the fighters prevails. Thus hand-to-hand fights on tinku festivals transform from disordered 'wall-to-wall' brawls into peculiar fair knuckle fistfights one-on-one (with use of legs). In the video clips with female fights represented below, it may be concluded that such fights may be considered as a sport.
Because of the violence, police attend tinkus in some places to prevent bloodshed. In other places, tinkus are banned by the government or church because they had become too violent in the past. However, tinkus are often sponsored by political and/or religious authorities (who do not get involved in the fights).
This is a witness report from the second day of a Tinku festival published by a Russian tourist agency.
Twice a year, a small village in the very heart of Bolivia becomes an arena of bloodshed. Local villagers are engaged in the ritual battle, which sometimes turns into a blood-and-guts fight. In these battles, women at times are more brutal than men…
Masaya, proud peasants from the fertile vales compete with Alasaya, shepherds from highlands. This year, as usual, the ceremony begins relatively calm. Masaya and Alasaya drink chicha (bitter corn liquor) together, chew leaves of coca – in order to alleviate pains and tiredness. All the sudden, the situation becomes strained: the aborigines wait for a priest to finish the Mass and to give the signal to start the event. To start fighting before the signal means insulting the King of the gods... Before the first
Staggering and intoxicated after the night carousal and coca leaves, the men brutally pounced on each other. Women thrash the fighting men but they even don't notice that. A kid with bleeding face falls around. A woman pounces on the one who pushed the kid. Another woman attacks her; their fists flicker in the air until the weakest one crawls away while her adversary hails down a storm of blows. The crowd demands more and two sturdy girls come out for the fight. They tear out each other's hair by their huge arms. Their big fists with copper fingerstalls precisely get to their faces. By the arena, an old woman instructed them like a boxing coach. The fighters keep beating not paying attention to the pain. A dull sound is heard of a punch to the face. Copper fingerstalls split the opponent's face and blood spurts. The spectator crowd becomes brutalized when the pair of women wearing ritual attires approach each other again, violent like fighting dogs. Coupled, they furiously roll over the dusty arena. The winner slams the head of her defeated adversary against the ground, whose body softens and the blood leaks to the chin. In order to prevent the fatal outcome, someone drags the fighters apart. The victor rises to her feet panting for breath but smiling. She throws her raven-black hair back and throws a exultant air to the spectators.
Not far away, another female pair fiercely struggle surrounded by screaming crowd. Suddenly, one of them falls heavily on her back and lies motionless in the dust…
As a matter of fact, the tinku rituals are not unique in the world - there are events in the other parts of the world resemble Tinku:
- "Pasola", ancient war ritual festival on Sumba Island (Indonesia).
- "Tiger fights", masked fistfights of the tribes of Nahua, indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America.
- Russian traditional "wall-to-wall" fisticuffs – a mass fight – a settlement against a settlement or a village VS, a village.
However, whereas in the other rituals, a real female fight is a rarity, in tinkus, women always fight and fight very ferociously.
February 2010
Exclusive of the "Female Single Combat Club"
Sources
|
![]() |
Tinku festivals. Video clips
|
