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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 2 



all directions, they resembled some impossible 

 bird. 



Following this performance, the "woman" 

 danced alone between the files, taking very 

 small steps and with her nose high in the air. 

 The sash she carried in her two hands at about 

 shoulder height, raising first one hand and then 

 the other. With her handbag dangling from 

 one wrist, she was the perfect caricature of a 

 nouveau riche young lady parading down the 

 street. Next, the man and woman leaders 

 danced a jarabe tapatio very well (except they 

 did not use the hat) although in very restrained 

 and "correct" fashion. Meanwhile the others 

 danced in their places and leaped in the air and 

 cried out from time to time. 



The dance is said to be held by the young 

 men, who organize it themselves and provide 

 the music and meals. It follows a traditional 

 pattern, however, in that among the first places 

 in which the dances were performed were the 

 house of the priest and the offices of the 

 municipio. 



In Paricutin the dance of the fiesta of the 

 patron saint is apparently called either sondado 

 uaran or turi^auarani. The dancers wear 

 "citified" or catrin clothes with masks. 



Dances are also reported from some of the 

 Mestizo towns and the ranchos lying along the 

 borders of Cheran. From Tingambato a dance 

 was brought to the Eucharist Congress held in 

 Uruapan which much resembles in costume the 

 feather dances of Oaxaca. A deer dance is 

 reported from La Mojonera and Las Canoas in 

 which the dancers wear striped or checkered 

 clothing and have the face covered by a mask 

 of a deer with horns. The dance is performed 

 to a tin rattle, violin, and guitar of the special 

 type known as pcvnzon, that is, one with a large 

 sounding box. The actions of the animal are 

 represented in the dance. 



MUSICIANS 



Frequent reference has been made elsewhere 

 to the musicians. The organized bands are 

 essentially parts of the ceremonial system ; with- 

 out them no fiesta would be complete, while they 

 form a significant part of many mcnjordomias 

 and dances. They appear for a great many 

 individual functions also, such as weddings and 

 house-roofing fiestas. As a public body they 



also play for some civic events, such as the 

 installation of new officers, for which they 

 receive no pay. 



In addition to the organized bands, there are 

 .smaller and less well organized groups of 

 musicians, mainly performers on stringed in- 

 struments such as violin, violincello, bass fiddle, 

 and guitar, although a clarinetist may be in- 

 cluded. Such groups meet and play together 

 at one another's houses for their own pleasure. 

 At times, however, they may be hired for 

 mayordoynias or household fiestas, especially if 

 the sponsor cannot aft"ord a full band. Such 

 groups may also be asked to play at some public 

 function. In 1940 one such group was asked 

 by the mayor to play in the school in connection 

 with the final oral examinations and closing 

 exercises. 



For 



WITCHCRAFT 

 many miles around, Cheran has the 



reputation of being the outstanding center for 

 witchcraft among the Tarascans. As is often 

 the case, however, it was extremely difficult to 

 secure any information about witchcraft in the 

 town. Enough was secured, however, and 

 enough significant evasions encountered, to 

 make it likely that the reputation is deserved. 

 Even by the informants and assistants on 

 the study, concealment was practiced, and at 

 the very end of the study some data were ob- 

 tained virtually by accident from Agustin, our 

 United States born helper, which he obviously 

 told with great reluctance. 



Witches, SAkuajpiri, are believed always to 

 be women. In general, the name of witch is 

 applied to all "women of the street," that is, 

 women who live without men. Generally, these 

 are either aged women without relatives or 

 women, usually widows, who are believed to be 

 prostitutes. No one would dare do anything 

 against such women. Although these women 

 may live in any part of the town, there is 

 evidence that they are believed to live more in 

 barrio I on the slopes of Santiakujakua, the hill 

 on the northwest corner of the town. This hill 

 is said to be full of witches and to be a very 

 dangerous spot to go to at night. Passing along 

 one of the uppermost streets on the hill one day, 

 wo were asked for a coin by an old woman. 

 Agustin P... refused to let me give a coin and 



