STEVENSON] WITCHCRAFT 393 



that witches love the nig-lit and Uirk in shadows and darkness. Witches 

 are believed to be able to assume the shape of beasts, and the domestic 

 cat, on account of its stealthy habits and its ability to pass throuoh 

 small openings, is a favorite form. 



The philosophy of these people is such that though the witch may 

 be regarded as all powerful, none but the poor and unfortunate are 

 condemned. Few others are even brought to trial, for although it 

 may be whispered about that certain ones are witches, their i)romi- 

 nence prevents public accusation. Several years ago the droughts were 

 very serious, and a retired sun priest was suspected and impeached, 

 and his place was tilled b}' another. The people whispered among 

 themselves, "He is a sorcerer." This man was in fact far superior in 

 intelligence to his successor, who miscalculated altogether the winter 

 solstice in 1894, and consequenth^ threw the winter ceremonies out of 

 time, much to the disgust of the wiser heads in Zufii. who. in spite of 

 the assumed infallibility of a sun priest, felt sure that this one had 

 made a mistake. The previous incumbent, who had filled the office 

 for many years, never miscalculated so far as the writer ever knew 

 or heard. 



While there are always among these people certain despised crea- 

 tures who are referred to as witches or wizards, it remains for some 

 direct cause, such as the illness or death of some resident of the vil- 

 lage, to bring the supposed witch to trial. The attendant theurgist or 

 some member of the invalid's famih" makes search for the person who 

 has caused trouble, and alas for the poor creature who has oflended 

 the theurgist or who has an enemy in the house of the invalid, for he 

 is sure to be pounced upon. In rare instances a member of the family 

 of a deceased person takes the matter into his own hands. Such a 

 case occurred some years ago, and was witnessed b}' Mr D. D. Graham, 

 at that time trader at Zuni. A man shot and killed a woman whom he 

 accused of having bewitched his child and caused it to die. The man 

 was not brought to trial, the court being satisfied with the declara- 

 tion of the murderer that the woman was a witch. As witches are 

 believed to be the direct cause of death, on conviction they sufier 

 capital punishment. 



The usual procedure is for a member of the family to make known 

 his suspicion to the attendant theurgist, or for the theurgist himself 

 to decide upon the person to be accused. One is seldom brought to 

 trial unless death has actually taken place or the patient is near death. 

 The theurgist must account for his mability to cure the patient, and 

 this he does by bringing to trial the supposed guilty person whose 

 malevolence defies the powers of the theurgist. In ordinary cases of 

 sickness patients are relieved by the theurgist, who pretends to extract 

 foreign matter "shot" into the body, and the sorcerer or witch is tinis 

 left unmolested, with only whispers against him. 



