EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



117 



rare, and the owner wants to have a worth-while 

 carcass in case of this contingency. Any small 

 knife is used to make the incision, and lime is 

 afterward rubbed on the wound. Pigs, unlike 

 most other domestic animals, are not named. 



Not enough pigs are raised in Tzintzuntzan 

 to satisfy the meat demands of the town. Part 

 of the deficiency is made up by meat purchased 

 in Patzcuaro and Quiroga, and part by bringing 

 in outside animals to be slaughtered. Pigs are 

 killed by stabbing them in the heart, and die 

 blood is caught in a casserole dish as it spurts 

 out. Then the animal is placed on a table or 

 plank, and water previously heated in an oil 

 can or kettle, in which lime has been dissolved, 

 is poured over the carcass. The water must be 

 hot, but not boiling, or the skin will harden and 

 the bristles refuse to come out. These are scrap- 

 ed out with knives, fingernails, the hands, but 

 especially with the rough, coarse, volcanic stone, 

 the janamo. This undoubtedly is a transfer in 

 technique from pottery making. This stone is 

 the traditional polisher, whatever the object. 

 When the first pigs were introduced and the 

 slaughtering technique acquired, doubtless the 

 stone seemed like the ideal instrument for 

 polishing the animal. Finally, when nearly 

 clean, the carcass is washed with soap and warm 

 water, and with sharp knives the remaining 

 bristles are cut. The legs are tied together and 

 on a carrying pole the entire animal is trans- 

 ported to the chopping block of the butcher shop 

 — in most cases a cleared space on the store 

 counter. 



Pork, like beef, theoretically sells for $2 a 

 kilo. In practice, $0.20 to $0.50 is the average 

 purchase, and the butcher trims a little loin, 

 rib, or other part which he gives the buyer. 



SHEEP 



Sheep are of relatively little importance; 

 only 27 animals owned by 12 families are list- 

 ed in the census. The largest number owned by 

 one person is 6. Sheep are not slaughtered com- 

 mercially, and are kept principally because of 

 the value of their wool. Occasionally for a fies- 

 ta one will be killed to be roasted or stewed 

 whole. The animal is beheaded with a sharp 

 knife, often the curved tranchetc carried by most 

 men as a weapon of defense. Then a hoof is 

 removed, a slight incision under the outer skin 



made, and by blowing at this place it is possible 

 to separate the skin and wool from the flesh over 

 a large part of the carcass. With a knife the 

 remaining skinning is done, the animal is hung 

 by the hind legs, and the intestines are removed. 

 Skins are worth from $3 to $5 in PiUzcuaro, 

 where they are used for the wool. Some fami- 

 lies, rather than sell the v/ool, pay weavers in 

 Patzcuaro to work it into blankets. 



Goats are essentially nonexistent; one milk 

 goat is listed in the census. 



CHICKENS AND TURKEYS 



The census shows that 146 cocks and 757 

 hens, including chicks, are ov,'ned by 171 fami- 

 lies. Chickens often have a crude henhouse, and 

 sometimes roost in trees or on trellises. Young 

 chicks are fed masa, the ground-corn dough, 

 while larger birds are fed whole maize grains. 

 Chickens are valued for eggs and meat. Most 

 are raised for home consumption, though there 

 are always persons willing to sell birds when 

 they are low on money. Turkeys are less com- 

 mon, though 61 birds owned by 19 families are 

 listed. Their care is much like that of chickens; 

 almost invariably they roost in trees. Eggs are 

 used principally for hatching. Chickens are kil- 

 led by wringing necks; turkeys are held on the 

 ground and the head lopped off with a machete. 



DOGS AND CATS 



A surprising number of homes are without 

 dogs; 207 are owned by 139 families, about lialf 

 the total number of households. A few' large 

 animals are useful to the few individuals who 

 occasionally hunt, but mostly they are kept for 

 pets and to guard the house. Few are large 

 enough to be dangerous, but by barking they 

 warn the family of possible intruders, and par- 

 ticularly of animals prowling after chickens. 

 In Tzintzuntzan, as in all other Mexican villages, 

 there is rarely a moment when dogs are not bark- 

 ing; the strongest auditory impression from a 

 stroll around town is the constant din of barking 

 dogs. Most are well fed on tortillas and othei 

 scraps, and do not show the abuse and starvation 

 characteristic of most Mexican towns. In the 

 naming of dogs the humor of the Tzintzuntzefios 

 comes to the fore. Names noted are: Jazmin 

 ("jasmine"), Mejoral (a brand of aspirin), Ri- 



