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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 2 



important being that of the ciciua. A fiscal 

 looks after cattle belonging to the Virgin of the 

 hospital and acts as a sacristan. A topil (a 

 Maya word) rings the church bells and does 

 errands for the mayordomo of the hospital. 

 The regidores each have two messengers, the 

 mayor or petajpi and the katapi. One of the 

 duties of the latter is to chase dogs away during 

 the fiestas, for which reason he is known as the 

 "dog frightener," uicariri. 



A person wishing to take a ceremonial office 

 makes his petition to the regidor (of his 

 barrio?), taking bread, chocolate, and liquor. 

 The regidor consults with the cabildo regarding 

 the matter, but he cannot accept the gifts unless 

 the person receives the office. Apparently the 

 regidores function primarily as the adminis- 

 trative officials of the cabildo. They are said 

 also to have functions with respect to the Indian 

 population in La Caiiada. Indians visiting 

 Chilchota on business often consult with the 

 regidores and, if the matter is one involving 

 the court or juzgado, the regidor acts as inter- 

 mediary and advocate of the Indian's cause. 



Decision regarding the offices is reached by 

 the cabildo before December 12. On this day 

 the new cargueros assemble at the hospital 

 where the wife of the mayordomo places a 

 crown on each one ; this ceremony installs them 

 in oflice, although some apparently do not take 

 up their duties until later. 



The most important meeting of the cabildo is 

 on the day of Candelaria (February 2). The 

 principals and the cargueros, old and new, who 

 have passed the office of mayordomo of Santiago, 

 meet about 10 o'clock in the morning in the 

 patio outside the chapel of the hospital. Men 

 and women (wives of the men?) form two 

 groups. The men are seated on chairs along 

 the sides of a table covered with mats of tule. 

 The regidores take seats at each end. The 

 women are arranged in similar fashion but 

 kneeling on mats on each side of a row of tule 

 mats placed on the ground. The regidores 

 evidently take their places first. As each per- 

 son arrives, he kisses a cross placed in a little 

 shelter before the chapel. He then goes to the 

 regidores, crosses himself, and kisses the staffs 

 of the regidores. He then takes his place. 



Each of the roscras must bring two sugar- 

 canes for each person and a bottle of liquor for 



each regidor. Each regidor makes a speech in 

 Tarascan, called uandakua, after which they 

 begin to drink carape and to receive blessed 

 wax. For lunch they eat menudo, while for 

 dinner they eat curipo and nakatamales. They 

 continue drinking until about 5 o'clock, when 

 they go to the house of the new mayordomo of 

 Santiago and continue drinking until night. 



Two days after Candelaria the roseras ring 

 bells in the hospital to call the boys and girls 

 of the town to get firewood for the hospital. 

 The boys and girls go to the mountains for a 

 week, chaperoned by the roseras, and accum- 

 ulate enough wood for the needs of the hospital 

 for a year. 



On Monday of Carnival the images of San 

 Nicholas are taken from the houses of the old 

 cargueros to the houses of the new. Similar 

 fiestas are held in each case. The evening 

 before, the new cargnero assembles boys to go 

 to the place called Cerro Vie jo to get flowers 

 known as kaninsikuas. The boys are fed tor- 

 tillas with pork and beans. They are also 

 given liquor to drink on the trip. When the 

 boys return they are met with music, and 

 cohetes are fired off. Three cane arches are 

 decorated with the flowers, one for the gate, 

 one for the door of the room occupied by the 

 image of the saint, and one over the image 

 inside the room. 



On Tuesday are changed the four vaqueritas 

 ("little cow girls"), two virgin girls from each 

 barrio, who are overseen by the vaqueros. On 

 the roof of the houses of old and new vaqueros 

 are placed banners with red figures. Boys 

 climb up and remove the banners, giving them 

 to the house owners, who give the boys a bottle 

 of aguardiente. (According to another inform- 

 ant, the banners are placed in a tree 8 days in 

 advance.) The boys later make bulls of mats 

 and hides and play at bull fighting in the streets. 

 Each barrio has two "bulls," with musicians 

 accompanying them. The boys give presents 

 of sugarcane to the girls, who, in return, give 

 them capatas. In the evening there is a con- 

 cert in the plaza and much breaking of confetti- 

 filled eggshells. Arches with the kaninsikua 

 flowers are made for the vaqueritas. 



At a period believed to be before 1900, actual 

 bull fights were held. Women called vaquei-as, 

 who were hired by the rosera^s, did the bull 



