First, thank you for raising this question regarding the identity of
ololiuhqui. Upon reflection, I see that the identification of this plant as
Turbina corymbosa has become so broadly accepted that its validity remains largely unexamined in modern literature.
I would like to see the identification receive a rigorous examination, but I fear I haven’t the time to investigate the subject in so much depth right now. Instead, I will share a couple of thoughts and point toward some sources that I think merit some consideration in this regard.
A couple of thoughtsOn the basis of the effects attributed to
ololiuhqui, you suggest that a plant containing tropane alkaloids, particularly a nightshade, would be a good candidate. I am skeptical on that point, primarily on the basis of the physical descriptions of the plant. Hernández and Sahagún both seem to refer to a vine or bindweed both in their descriptions (e.g. “slender”, “twining”) and in their drawings (contained in the “History of morning glory seeds” thread). Neither of these descriptions bears the slightest resemblance to a plant in the family Solanaceae.
I would also caution against over-interpreting descriptions of psychoactive effects that come to us from cultural contexts that differ drastically from our own. Cultural context plays a substantial role in creating the subjective experience of psychoactive drugs. The effects described in older texts are informative, but also to be taken with a grain of salt, especially when reported second- or third-hand by someone who has not experienced the drug and is approaching the subject from a different cultural context (e.g. a missionary).
Other sourcesNote: Some of the sources listed below are in Spanish or German. This may help account for the lack of robust discussion of their contents in English-language publications.One category of sources not included in the “History of morning glory seeds” thread is the material from the Inquisition archives. Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán draws heavily on Inquisition sources in his
Medicina y Magia and will likely prove to be the most accessible source of these accounts. He discusses
ololiuhqui on pages 126-133, referencing many Inquisition records and quoting passages from several of them in his footnotes. This should go a long way toward fleshing out the data on the historical side of things.
Manuel Urbina is credited with being the first to identify
ololiuhqui as the plant we now know as
Turbina corymbosa. Reading his original arguments would probably be informative. He has two publications associated with this identification. Thanks to the magic of Google Books, both are available for free download:
1897 -
Catálogo de Plantas Mexicanas (Fanerógamas) (
Link)
1903 - El peyote y el ololiuhqui (pages 25-48 of volume 7 of the
Anales del Museo Nacional:
Link)
Blas Pablo Reko supported Urbina’s identification. In “De los Nombres Botánicos Aztecas” (1919), he offhandedly remarks that
ololiuhqui refers to the plant we now know as
T. corymbosa without providing any arguments or justifications. I presume that he discusses the issue further in his 1934 article “Das mexikanische Rauschgift Ololiuqui” [published in
El Mexico Antiguo 3(3-4): 1-7], but I haven’t been able to acquire that paper.
There are also early-20th century sources arguing for the identification of
ololiuhqui as
Datura sp., which could be interesting. Ott laughs these off in
Pharmacotheon, but Ott has laughed off other sources that, on closer examination, bore some surprising and valid information.
* Safford, W.E. 1915. An Aztec narcotic.
Journal of Heredity 6(7): 291-311. [Available online:
Link][
Edit: Schultes says this paper does not identify ololiuhqui as Datura; see a few posts down. I have not read this paper and am merely reproducing Ott's citation.]
* Hartwich, C. 1911.
Die Menschlichen Genussmittel: Ihre Herkunft, lkrbreitung, Geschichte, Anwendung, Bestandteile und Wirkung. Chr. Herm. Tauschnitz, Leipzig, Germany. [Available in snippet view, but not for full reading or download, through Google Books:
Link]
As always, when it comes to the subject of
ololiuhqui, it would be nice to be able to read Richard Evans Schultes’ “
A Contribution To Our Knowledge Of Rivea Corymbosa;
The Narcotic Ololiuqui
Of The Aztecs” (1941), but it remains elusive unless you have deep pockets or live near the right university. There’s a used copy selling for £195 (plus shipping and handling). I haven’t had any luck borrowing it through interlibrary loan, but there are some universities in the US that own the title. Perhaps an enterprising bibliophile might visit one and scan the contents.
That’s all that comes immediately to mind. Happy hunting!