30 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 1 



could he established, however, in which case the 

 number of inadequately housed persons could be 

 calculated from the data given. 



Little comparative information is availalile on 

 the subject of house use. In a number of areas 

 where masonry-adobe structm'es predominate, 

 however, it is apparent that the kitchen is not 



used for sleeping ordinarily. This seems to be 

 true of the Lake, Zacapu, and Canada sections. 

 How far this is a function of the type of archi- 

 tecture and how far it is due to climatic condi- 

 tions remains to be established. In general, the 

 Sierra region is colder and sleeping is in the 

 kitchen even where masonry-adobe buildings exist. 



CEREMONIAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE 



TARASCAN HOUSE 



CEREMONIES 



Two ceremonial activities are connnon in con- 

 nection with Cheran house construction. One is 

 extremely simple; it consists of placing a cord, on 

 which are tied several small bunches of flowers, 

 over every door and window of the structure as 

 the frame and lintel are completed. No par- 

 ticular beliefs connected with this could be dis- 

 covered, but it is almost, always done. 



The second ceremonial event in comicction with 

 house building occurs when the shakes are placed 

 on the roof. For such an event, called "corn- 

 bate," there is usually a sizeable fiesta, and most 

 of the relatives of the owner come. Close rela- 

 tives may also aid in the cost of the ceremony. 

 In addition, the master builder and a corps of 

 assistants attend the ceremony. It is vu-tually 

 impossible to complete a house without holding 

 this ceremony. In one case, an informant did 

 not wish to give the ceremony (this occurred 

 while working for the survey on which this paper 

 is based), but first a cousin oft'ered to supply the 

 music for the fiesta, and then an uncle oft'ered to 

 supply the atole. Both insisted on knowing the 

 date of the fiesta, and eventually the informant 

 felt he had to hold it. 



On the eve of the ceremony, the house owner 

 takes about tliree packages of cigarettes and a 

 box of matches to the master buOder. With 

 these, the builder invites his friends and relatives. 

 If they accept an offered cigarette, they are 

 obligated to appear to help finish the roof. The 

 master builder, however, is obligated to respond 

 to a similar invitation. These helpers nail on the 

 shakes; the relatives of the house owner may 

 assist in handing up the shakes and other needed 

 materials, but they do not assist in the nailing. 



All the relatives of the house owner are invited 



and are expected to attend or send excuses. When 

 they arrive, they give the householder or his wife 

 a package of cigarettes or 10 or 15 centavos, 

 which is regarded as the equivalent of the package 

 of cigarettes. The men present then- cigarettes 

 to the man of the house, the women to the wife. 

 The man salutes tliose who make this present, 

 tipping his hat and shaking hands. The women 

 also shake hands and curtsey. The women help 

 in the preparation of food, while the men help 

 the master builder and his assistants witli the 

 roof. 



After the work is well along, a bottle of aguar- 

 diente, or charanda, is cumulated at intervals 

 among those working. When the work is com- 

 pleted, the men are fed, then all the boys. They 

 are afi seated on two logs facing one another. 

 Male relatives of the house owner assist in serv- 

 ing; sojuetimes a coni'padre will aid also if he is a 

 particularly good friend of the householder. The 

 women eat in a group near the fires where cooking 

 is done. The food is the regular ceremonial 

 food: tortillas, beef stew with chOe and cabbage 

 (curipu), and tamales (kuriinda). 



The master builder meanwhile leaves the house 

 and shortly afterward returns with his wife and 

 other immediate members of his family. They 

 are seated on a mat facing the new house and are 

 fed there. A cross with an arch over it, decorated 

 with paper flowers, is set in the middle of the | 

 ridge of the roof. It is said to protect the house 

 against violent storms and the dcvU.^ The house 



" Use of the cross on the house is common throughout the Tarascan area. 

 In most of the Sierra towns, the crosses are only some 10 inches (25 cm.) in 

 height, but in Particutin they are over a meter (39 in.) tall. Here the 

 cross is placed against the house wall, and often with a vase or jar for flowers 

 tied to it. Tile-roofed houses have the cross painted in white on the tiles, 

 fastened to the wooden "shoe" supporting the ridge pole, or carved on the 

 capital. 



In Paracho, the priest is often brought to bless a new house. Two men 

 go to reriucst the priests' presence. Tbey are regarded as godfathers of the 

 house and become compadres of the house owner and the master carpenter. 



