Warmi tukushka

Warmi tukushka is one of the characters of the Pawkar Raymi, an Indigenous religious festival celebrated in Ecuador. The character is usually a male, who cross dresses in a female attire, and often goes from house to house while playing a drum and dancing, accompanied by several single men. Apart from the Pawkar Raymi, Warmi tukushkas also participate in other indigenous festivals, such as Inti Raymi.

Description

Warmi tukushka a character in the celebration of Pawkar Raymi, an indigenous religious festival, observed by indigenous communities such as Puruhá and Quechua in Ecuador.[1][2] The term is derived from Quechua language and roughly translates to "the one who transforms into a woman" or "man dressed as a woman".[3][4] Warmi tukushkas represent the sexual diversity and culture prevalent in the Ecuadorian indigenous populations.[5][6]

Apart from the Pawkar Raymi, Warmi tukushkas also participate in other indigenous festivals, such as Inti Raymi, celebrated in Cotacachi, where they participate alongside women's groups in the celebrations in the public square of the city.[7][8]

Attire and practice

Warmi tukushka is usually a male character, who dresses in a female attire. The attire is seen as a form of occasional indigenous crossdressing, in which a man seeks to represent his inner female self.[5] The characters wear traditionally colorful clothing, representing the deity Pachamama.[9][10]

The role is traditionally played by the most important man in the village. The attire consists of a hairdo made of cabuya leaves and painted in black, a woolen hat decorated with colorful ribbons, an anaco (female dress), washkas (beaded necklace), and espadrilles (canvas slipper).[3] In some cases, the character carries an image of a child on their backs as a representation of fertility.[11]

The Warmi tukushkas go from house to house while playing a drum and dancing, accompanied by several single men.[1][5] They perform a tushuy dance, which consists of three steps, and made up of moves such as small jumps, and curvilinear or zigzagging movements.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Costumbres y tradiciones" [Customs and traditions]. GAD del Cantón Flores (in Spanish). 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Oleas, Patricia (17 February 2021). "Indígenas llevan el simbolismo en sus rituales" [Indigenous people carry symbolism in their rituals]. Diario Expreso (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Warmi Tukushka del Carnaval Pawkar Raymi" [Warmi Tukushka of the Pawkar Raymi Carnival]. GAD del Cantón Riobamba (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Arroyo, Fernando. "Pawkar Raimy: el festejo indígena del carnaval en los Andes de Ecuador" [Pawkar Raimy: the Indigenous carnival celebration in the Andes of Ecuador]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Bastidas, Carina (2015). "La danza como medio de representación de la cultura oral en la comunidad Cacha Pucaraquinche, Chimborazo-Ecuador" [Dance as a means of representing oral culture in the Cacha Pucaraquinche community, Chimborazo, Ecuador] (in Spanish). pp. 33–34. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Vaca, Isabel (2021). "Reconocimiento y autopercepción de identidades sexo-genéricas disidentes en comunidades indígenas amazónicas del Ecuador" [Recognition and self-perception of dissident sex-gender identities in Indigenous Amazonian communities of Ecuador] (in Spanish). p. 146. Archived from the original on 5 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Las mujeres se toman la plaza en Cotacachi" [Women take over the plaza in Cotacachi]. La Hora (in Spanish). 1 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Fiedler, Kayla (2 July 2007). "Inti Raymi la fiesta mayor indígena" [Inti Raymi, the major Indigenous festival] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 October 2025. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  9. ↑ Mora, Natalia (12 February 2020). "Riobamba y sus parroquias celebrarán el Pawkar Raymi" [Riobamba and its parishes will celebrate Pawkar Raymi] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Guillin, Jenny (2022). "Análisis semiótico de los personajes tayta San Carlos y Mama Shalva de la comunidad Majipamba del cantón Colta en la fiesta del Pawkar Raymi, periodo enero-junio de 2020" [Semiotic analysis of the characters Tayta San Carlos and Mama Shalva of the Majipamba community of Colta Canton in the Pawkar Raymi festival, January–June 2020] (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  11. 1 2 Guamán, María Yolanda (2024). "Los derechos de la naturaleza desde la perspectiva intercultural" [The rights of nature from an intercultural perspective] (PDF) (in Spanish). pp. 87–89. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
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