MOCHE: A PERUVIAN COASTAL COMMUNITi'— GILLIN 



to 



credit in the local shops, which make most of their 

 sales for cash. 



ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CERTAIN 

 RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS 



In the section on religion will be found a discus- 

 sion of certain religious groups called mayordomias 

 iXid her niand odes (brotherhoods). Similar organiza- 

 tions are found throughout most of Roman Catholic 

 Latin America, sometimes being called cojradias or 

 coniratcrnidades. In Moche there is a difference be- 

 tween a mayordomia and an Jiermandad, which will 

 be discussed later, but, although both are phrased 

 in terms of devotion to a saint or other religious 

 object or objective, these organizations have certain 

 economic aspects which cannot be overlooked. The 

 economic aspect appears as follows. A mayordomia, 

 let us say, is organized by a leader (always a man) 

 who is known as the mayordoino. He goes to per- 

 haps eight of his friends and says that he would 

 like to show his devotion to San Fulano on that 

 saint's day. He asks the men if they would also 

 like to show their devotion to the saint and to the 

 church in general by joining with him in a viayor- 

 doiuia. Some men do not feel that they can afford 

 the time, the cash outlay, etc., but in time the niayor- 

 domo organizes a group which undertakes the 

 responsibility of carrying out the celebration of the 

 day of San Fulano. Each one has to make a con- 

 tribution in order to carry the preliminary expenses. 

 Five soles each is common. Arrangements are made 

 to pay for a mass (if the saint's day does not have 

 an obligatory one), to hire a band, to buy the rockets 

 and fireworks, and to provide the food and drink 

 for the feast. Then, some days or even weeks 

 previous to the big day, the mayordomia starts can- 

 vassing the population for contributions. The mem- 

 bers go from. house to house asking people if they 

 do not wish to show their devotion to the public 

 celebration of San Fulano's day. The people of 

 Moche seldom refuse such a solicitation. Individual 

 amounts vary from 10 centavos up to a couple of 

 soles. A cup of pisco is drunk from a bottle carried 

 by the solicitors, and the contributors' names are 

 entered on a list to which publicity is given by word 

 of mouth and, sometimes, by posting the list in the 

 church entrance. The day before the celebration, 

 i. e., the afternoon before vespers, a band is hired 

 and a final public canvassing of the community takes 

 place with a further collection. After the religious 

 solemnities and parade of the saint's image the fol- 



lowing day, all contributors and almost anyone else 

 who wishes to come is invited to a large meal, re- 

 plete with ample liquor and music, usually at the 

 house of the mayordoino. Here again it is not 

 rare for guests, especially after feeling the glow of 

 the drink, to make further contributions to the good 

 saint. A plate is conspicuously provided for this 

 purpose. 



It is most unusual that the original contributions 

 of the member-; of the umyordomia are not covered 

 by the solicited contributions. A good mayordonw 

 usually manages the affair so that all expenses are 

 taken care of and there is a comfortable surplus. 

 The church and the priest take no official interest 

 in these funds, and the members of the organizing 

 group have no obligation to turn the surplus over 

 to the church. It is usually divided equally between 

 the members of the group after all have been reim- 

 bursed for their original outlay and their contribu- 

 tions to the feast. The proceeds are frequently not 

 inconsiderable in Moche terms ; two or three hundred 

 soles is a not unusual "profit." This is one of the 

 few o]5portunilies within the culture itself for men 

 to make cash profits directly through their own 

 activities. It is also considered highly honorable, 

 and the members of such a group enjoy high prestige 

 in the community. To be sure, considerable time 

 and some financial risk is involved, and many men 

 can afford neither. 



The hennandades are more permanent organiza- 

 tions than the mayordomias, which are organized on 

 the temporary basis. They have now practically 

 died out in Moche. But until a few years ago, at 

 least one herjmmdad operated a sort of insurance 

 sclieme. A certain amount of the proceeds from its 

 activities was kept apart, usually invested in cattle, 

 and from this fund the burial expenses of the men-^bers 

 were paid. The organization, however, did not renew 

 its membership, and finally all the members but one 

 died off and the group folded up. The surviving 

 member, I understand, was left with one calf from 

 the "funds" of the group. 



DISTRIBUTION 



The mechanisms for the distribution of economic 

 goods in the community are as follows : ( 1 ) Borrow- 

 ing and lending: (2) the public market and stores of 

 Moche; (3) the shops and saloons (salones) ; (4) 

 Trujillo and other markets; and (5) ambulatory 

 peddlers. 



A great deal of informal borrowing and lending 



