MEXICAN DANCES AND MUSIC GENIN. 671 



In all that we say in the following we refer, of course, only to the 

 Indians properly so called and to the lower classes. We will con- 

 cern ourselves only with these two classes of Mexican society, be- 

 cause they are the only ones who have kept anything characteristic ; 

 the higher classes, as we have already said, model themselves as 

 much as possible on the uses and customs of France and Spain and 

 follow the modes of Paris, of London, and of New York with more 

 or less delay. 



After the proclamation of independence, as during the wars to 

 gain it, the Indians and the common people continued to go to their 

 services, but certain ceremonies were lost, among them the dances, 

 whether in the church, in the court, or in the neighboring square. 

 Nevertheless, in many Indian villages on certain dates, in particu- 

 lar for St. John, and for the invention or exaltation of the holy cross, 

 the natives organized balls which they called " Bailes de los An- 

 tiguos" (dances of the ancestors). 



They disguised themselves with all sorts of tinsel and ornaments, 

 to resemble more or less vaguely the Mexicans of other times, even 

 to the Eedskins, whom some have still been able to see in the exercise 

 of their functions; and thus accoutered, they sang, danced, and 

 drank all one day and most of the night. The half-breeds willingly 

 mix with them in this kind of celebration, which has, however, 

 almost no ethnic character — nor esthetic. One of the figures, how- 

 ever, recalls vaguely the song and dance to the sun, of the Comanches 

 and the Apaches. This ceremon} 7 generally took place around a 

 victim, white prisoner or Indian warrior of another tribe, after 

 some combat. The Redskins danced in the same manner around the 

 stake where they burned the body of their chief. My friend, the 

 worthy archeologist, M. Eugene Boban, who has told me the story 

 of it, was present about 40 years ago at one of these weird ceremo- 

 nies in the Sierra Madre of Chihuahua. 



The savages, first taking each others hands, danced in a circle for 

 a certain length of time, their eyes fixed on the stake : then separat- 

 ing, they continued to circle in the same order, uttering prolonged 

 exclamations, while striking themselves on the chest with their 

 hands, which produced a series of Ah ! Ah ! Ah ! stopping only to 

 breathe. At present, victim and stake are replaced by some barrels 

 of "pulque" or by a jar of brandy and the howlings which the 

 dancers utter are far from harmonious. 



The Indians in general are sad — thej 7 do not know how to laugh. 

 They sing but little, and when the} 7 do the melodies have little expres- 

 sion or are melancholy and without much charm. However, accord- 

 ing to Miss Fletcher, collaborator of the Bureau of American Eth- 

 nology, their voices are remarkably accurate. She claims that she 

 has had melodies sung by Indians of every age and of different 



