“Wawa Pampay”

Andean Ritual for the Emotional Transformation of Grief in an Andean Community

Bibliographic Data

ID20249804
AuthorsEdgar Gutiérrez-Gómez (0000-0001-9485-1284, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, corresponding author), Yanina Marleni Tristan-Quispe (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Rosa Cecilia González Ríos (0000-0002-4950-8951, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Rosa Cecilia González-Ríos, Sonia Beatriz Munaris-Parco (0000-0001-8784-5724, San Cristóbal of Huamanga University), Vidalina Andía-Ayme (0000-0002-7951-3241, San Cristóbal of Huamanga University), Gilmar Peña-Rojas (0000-0002-1888-4989, San Cristóbal of Huamanga University)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue11
Pages1462
Publication date2025-11-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16111462
OpenAlexW4416336683
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited18

The “Wawa Pampay” is an Andean funeral ritual that allows Quechua-speaking communities to collectively process grief over the death of a child, integrating ancestral beliefs and symbolic practices that have been passed down over generations. This study aimed to understand the cultural and emotional significance of this ritual, as well as to document its symbolic elements in light of the risk of its disappearance due to sociocultural changes. A qualitative approach integrating ethnographic methodology was used, combining participant observation, in-depth interviews in the Quechua language, and photographic and audiovisual recording, while always respecting the beliefs and privacy of the participants. The fieldwork was carried out in a rural community in the Peruvian Andes, with extended visits and cohabitation with the families. The findings show that the “Wawa Pampay” not only bids farewell to the deceased child but also reaffirms social cohesion and strengthens collective memory. Its preservation is key to keeping local cultural identity alive

Cultural identity · Ethnography · Grief · Participant observation · Qualitative research · Sociocultural evolution · The Symbolic · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Migration, Education, Indigenous Social Dynamics