EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



221 



range candles around the edge, and sprinkle 

 marigold petals in the form of a cross. Unlike 

 the custom in Tzintzuntzan, men rarely come to 

 the graveyard. By 4 o'clock five score or more 

 graves are decorated, and the side of the hill 

 is illuminated by hundreds of candles. Great 

 crowds of tourists have come, and the Tarascan 

 women show no hesitancy in talking with them. 

 No one shows signs of grief; rather, it is a 

 pleasant annual outing to be enjoyed by all. 

 "Do the souls of the dead come to eat?" No, in 

 Janitzio, as in Tzintzuntzan, the souls visit the 

 island, but they do not eat. All night long boats 

 arrive from Patzcuaro with the curious, and 

 from the water the island stands out sharply 

 ijluminated for many kilometers around, in 

 contrast to the rest of the year when, with great 

 difficulty, one can pick out a light or two from 

 the mainland. 



PROCESSION OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE 

 (NOVEMBER 11) 



On December 12 in all parts of Mexico there 

 is a celebration in honor of the Virgin of Gua- 

 dalupe. In Tzintzuntzan, preparations begin a 

 month earlier. The cargueros of the Chapel of 

 Guadalupe arrange the procession in which the 

 picture of the Virgin, which is enshrined above 

 the chapel altar during the remainder of the 

 year, is carried to La Soledad, where it is placed 

 on the left-hand altar to remain until Decem- 

 ber 11. Tiny girls in indigenous costume, the 

 giiares, are brought by their parents, who them- 

 selves come with wax candles. The procession 

 is announced for 5 o'clock in the afternoon; 

 actually, nobody takes this hour seriously, and 

 not until 9 in the evening does the line begin 

 to move, headed by the picture on a litter, and 

 followed by perhaps 200 people. Pascual's 

 band plays, rockets are shot, and the rezanderos 

 lead chants. The Virgin safely enthroned on 

 her altar, a few persons remain to light candles 

 in her honor; the rest drift off to their homes. 



FIESTA OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE 



(DECEMBER 12) 



On December 11 the painting of tlie Virgin 

 is carried from its resting place in La Soledad 

 to the home of Victoriano Picho, one of the 

 cargueros of the Chapel of Guadalupe, where 



Jose Estrada constructs an elaborate frame for 

 it, 2.5 m. high, of reeds covered with white 

 crepe paper and artificial roses. When all is 

 ready it is placed on a litter and carried to 

 the nave of La Soledad in the late afternoon. 

 Wliile arrangements are made for the procession 

 back to Ojo de Agua, a number of people come 

 to light candles to the Virgin. Meanwhile, two 

 small girls in white, with paper wings, dressed 

 to represent angels, are placed in front of the 

 painting on the litter. After dark Pascual's band 

 plays, followed by the chirimias and a drum. 

 Four men shoulder the litter, gingerly lift it out 

 from under the paper streamers with which the 

 church is adorned, and walk to the door. Out- 

 side are the members of the various religious 

 orders, women with candles, and men with 

 Fourth of July sparklers. The litter bearing the 

 Virgin, preceded by the band and the chirimias, 

 proceeds down the streets and toward Ojo de 

 Agua. The chirimias are playing a weird, un- 

 recognizable tune, perhaps a survival from pre- 

 Conquest times. Presently the notes penetrate 

 my consciousness; the chirimias are playing the 

 "Beer Barrel Polka." My feeling of participat- 

 ing in an ancient rite is not heightened when 

 Pascual's band takes over, to blare forth "On 

 Wisconsin" and "Our Sturdy Golden Bear." 

 "Where in heaven's name did you learn those 

 songs, Pascual?" "Pues, quien sabe, but I like 

 them. Don't you?" 



With the sparklers, lighted candles, and rock- 

 ets, the little procession is unusually gay. Pres- 

 ently we arrive at the chapel, and the image of 

 the Virgin is placed on the altar. All day the 

 cargueros have been preparing pozole, tamales, 

 aguacatas (bean-filled tortillas), and other food 

 to feed those who come with the Virgin. After 

 prayers food is served, and the visitors disperse 

 until the following morning. On Wednesday, 

 December 12, there is Low Mass at the late hour 

 of 7:30 in La Soledad, and then people begin 

 to gather at the chapel in Ojo de Agua. A few 

 booths, set up on the highway just outside the 

 chapel, display jicamas, sugarcane, oranges, pea- 

 nuts, bread, and other foods. Wenceslao and 

 Faustino Pena have just returned from a trip 

 to the tierra caliente for the purpose of bring- 

 ing back these delicacies, and Jesus, not to be 

 outdone by his brothers, has set up a small stand, 

 a cantina, next to them. Inside the chapel wall 



