54 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO [etii. ann. 25 



the cultus of these idols was limited to families, and their images were 

 k(>pt in a house of the caeique that Vi'as devoted to this special purpose. 

 While the worship of the two nature powers representing the sky 

 father and the earth mother was the highest form of their c-ultus, it is 

 probable that most of their rites were devoted to their semis, the tute- 

 lary gods representing ancestors." Idols, as well as the spirits they 

 represented, were called semiii, and the name, meaning originally magic 

 power, came to be applied to all supernatural beings and their sym- 

 bolic representations. A clearer understanding of the Antillean 

 cultus may be had if their term 3<??«/ be considered in several of its 

 applications. 



Zemiism 



The woi'd semi, se?n/\ chemi is believed l)y some authors to be a cor- 

 rupted form of (J nil III I, "ruler;" by otliers to be derived from iiuemi., 

 "animal." (Jolumbus, wlio was regarded by the natives as a super- 

 natural being, was called <jiii(iiii-que-ni, " ruler, or god, of earth, water, 

 and sky." The Carib still speak of their priests as ceci-semi. It may 

 be worth mentioning that in several Arawak dialects the word for 

 tobacco is f chemi, and variants, evidently referring to its magic power 

 or zeiii i. 



The name ivas apparently applied to gods, symbols of the deities, 

 idols. l)ones or skulls of the dead, or anything supposed to have 

 magic power. The dead, or the spirits of the dead, were called by the 

 same term. The designation applied both to the magic power of the 

 sky, the earth, the sun, and the moon as well as to tiie tutelar^' ances- 

 tors of clans. Zi'inis were represented s^anbolically by sevei-al objects, 

 among which may be mentioned: (1) stone or wooden images; (2) 

 images of cotton and othei fabrics inclosing bones; (3) prepared skulls; 

 (4) masks; (5) frontal amulets; (G) pictures and decorations on the 

 body. 



The Indians of Haiti, according to Benzoni and Pane, had scmif< of 

 man}'* different forms,'' some consisting simply of bones of parents 

 or I'elatives, others being manufactured of wood, clay, gold, silver, 

 and stone. These Indians believed that certain sends increased the 

 food supply and others l)rought rain, while still others caused winds. 

 As we have no special account of the character and meaning of the 

 conception of semis among the prehistoric Porto Kicans we are obliged 

 to rely mainly on descriptions of those recognized by their kindred, 

 the people of Haiti. 



a Prehistoric Porto Rico, a vice-presidential address before Section H of tlie American Association. 

 Science, July 18, 1902; Proceedings of the American Association /or tlie Advancement o/ Science, 19Q2. 

 German translation in Globus, no. 18 and 19, 1902. 



'» An early writer informs us that there wasan islaml near Haiti tlic whole po|nil:itinii of which was 

 occupied in making idols. 



(•According to some writers there are indications of phallieism in the forms of the idols.au e.vplana- 

 tiuu which is regarded by the author as highly fanciful. 



