摘要：This article examines practical and aesthetic considerations which influence the construction of the
ñak’aq-slaughterer and suq’a characters within contemporary Quechua oral narratives performed
throughout the southern Andes. The machinations of these characters reveal the negative consequences
suffered by those who distance themselves from the physical and cultural boundaries of the ayllu
community. In this way, the narratives serve as a vehicle for the continuous (re)construction of ayllu
members’ identities in opposition to the perceived dangers emanating from beyond the community’s
borders. Performances of these narratives exert a didactic function while also entertaining audiences with
frightening descriptions of dangerous beings with deadly powers. In order to capture the attention of
audiences and increase the dramatic tension of their plots, Quechua narrators from the district of Chinchero
(in the southern Peruvian department of Cuzco) use physical gestures, sound effects and the creation of
parallel structures and repetition to emphasize key concepts and criticisms.
