CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 87 



figures or images of human, animal, reptilian, and bird forms, em- 

 braces the ceremonial material from a burial heap on the Rio Chico, 

 a tributary of the lower Chucunaque. collected by the Marsh - 

 Darien expedition. John L. Baer, the Smithsonian representative 

 on this expedition, relates that Chief Avelino, a medicine man, used 

 similar material in ceremony witnessed by members of the expedi- 

 tion February 20, 1924. The Choco doctor, who installs this struc- 

 ture in the immediate vicinity of a sick patient for the purpose of 

 effecting a cure, surrounds the lodge with 100 or more carved images, 

 each aiding in its own way in effecting a cure. He recites a ritual 

 and receives pay from the relatives of the patient for his efforts. 

 According to Mr. Baer. a similar lodge also marked a burial heap. 

 Members of the expedition wished to purchase a similar lodge on 

 another occasion, but the mother of the patient, a sick child, ob- 

 jected, fearing the child's death would ensue following the removal 

 of the lodge. 



The structure is rectangular with two floors and bowed roof of 

 palm leaf. It rests on two long balsa wood alligators realistically 

 carved and painted. To the side beams of the lodge are attached 

 slat images representing gods and around it are placed a disarranged 

 group of carvings representing gods that tell the lele what to do, 

 snakes, lizards, frogs, birds, armadillo, and other animals, and va- 

 rieties of Ksh (pi. 22. Xo. 1.). Carved birds are suspended from the 

 bowed roof by means of a palm wood peg inserted into the back of 

 the bird figure, which swings at the end of a fiber thong and helps 

 to " make medicine." Wooden figure carvings employed by the 

 Tule in their healing practices have been previously described. 



The decorative design lies partly in the outline form of the wood 

 carvings, partly in the painted figures on the surfaces of the slat god 

 images, and partly in the realistic animal forms. A central motive 

 consists of a series of geometric lines in black, grouped in concen- 

 tric rectangles, wedges, circles, and semicircles, filled in with 

 closing blocks of solid color in black, yellow, or red (pi. 37). 



The black color dye or paint is obtained from the caustic pig- 

 ment of the fruit of the lana plant (Genipa americana) . while the 

 yellows and reds are extracted from Bixa orellana, that is, from 

 the oil and red pulp surrounding the seeds of the anatto tree. 



Mr. Marsh relates another usage of a similar one-floored struc- 

 ture during the annual harvest festival which takes place in the 

 spring. The structure is mounted on carved alligator supports, 

 contains magic symbols of the tribal spirit, and resembles a Chinese 

 palanquin. It is removed from its resting place under the roof 

 and is then occupied by the tribal chief, who invokes the great 

 spirit to come and sit beside him while he as high priest gives the 

 annual revelation rewarding the coming harvest and the health 



