68 THE ABORIGINES OF PORTO RICO [eth, ann. 25 



Du Tertre" and Laet have described among the religious practices 

 of the Carib several rites closely resembling those of the natives of 

 the larger islands. The greatest of their gods, he says, was called 

 Yris, and to the sk}' god they gave the name Chemin, the linguistic 

 affinity of which name with zend is apparent. Maboj'a* is said to have 

 the power of sending hurricanes and may be recognized as a sky god 

 also svmbolized by a great serpent. The designation appears in some 

 writings to have the same meaning as zemi, or subordinate god, but 

 with a wider application. 



Du Tertre declares also that m;iny inahoyas were recognized by the 

 Carib and that they had sex and multiplied like the human race. 

 The probability is that in its original meaning the word mahoya sig- 

 nilied the magic power of the god Hurican and possibly at first was 

 limited in its application, but that later it was given to a great num- 

 ber of lesser powers, good and evil, and used interchangeably with 

 the word semi. 



SURVIVAL OF CEREMONY IN MODERN DANCES 



It is believed that the dances of the modern Gibaros retained down to 

 comparatively recent times elements of the aboriginal areltos and 

 that in the eighteenth century this resemblance was very marked. 

 Fray liiigo, who has left a valuable description of the rustic dances, 

 says in substance that the participants assembled at the entrance 

 of the house whei'e the dance was to take place, carrying their nuisical 

 instruments, some of which recalled those of the Indians. The 

 guests sang an appropriate song in honor of the host, as in the 

 (ireitos, and the host, appearing then, invited them to enter. They 

 greeted the head of the house as if they had not seen him for a long 

 time. Entering, the women seated themselves on hammocks or seats, 

 but (he men stood on tiptoe or on their heels, and, singly or in pairs, 

 began the ball. Each man carried a machete. The men invited the 

 Women to dance with them by placing their hats on the heads of 

 those they wished for partners. When the ball ceased the women 

 retii'ed with a courtesy, returned the hats, and received each a coin (a 

 medioreal). During the dance the slaves brought in drinks and 

 tobacco. Very many of these balls occurred on feast da3's. People 

 celebrated with a dance the birth or death of sons, and in the latter 



iiPi>re Jean Baptiste Du Tertre, Histoire G6ni;rale dcs Isles de la S. Christophie, Guadeloupe, de la 

 Martinique et Aiitres dans I'Amerique, Paris, 1654. A most valuable account of the manners and 

 cn.stoms. arts, and religion of the Carib: probably the source of Kochefort's work. 



Juan de Laet's Historia del Nuevo Mundo 6 Descripci6n de las Indias Occidentales; a translation 

 of the original from the French is found in Tapia. It contains such portions of Laet's History as 

 pertain to Porto Rico. The work was originally published in 1610. 



i> The prefi.x ma signifies great, while boyi or boiaiko is applied to l>oth priests ami gods; mn hoya, 

 great serpent. 



