224 



MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, WEST INDIES. 



the sun to God tlie Father, the moon to the Madonna, the stars to the tutelar 

 saints. Most of the Indians think there are two gods, one of whom, the Dios de 

 la Montana, " God of the Forest," attends specially to the aborigines, taking no 

 notice either of the Ladinos or of the whites. He is often called Duetto del Palo, 

 " Lord of the Tree," because he dwells in the ceibas, and to the foot of these 

 gigantic trees in the forest clearings are brought the firstfruits of the harvest 



Fig. 94. — Native Populations of Guatemala. 



Scale 1 : 4,500,000 



60 Miles. 



and the chase. The earth also is worshipped, but feared as representing the prin- 

 ciple of evil. 



In ever}^ village the natives are grouped in confradias, or " brotherhoods," 

 which are evidently organised on the model of the old Aztec calpiilli. Each has 

 its tutelar saint, who is feted with much pomp, the male and female " captains " 

 collecting the money required for the costumes, mu-ic, tapers and decorations. 

 Sometimes this costly worship plunges the whole community into debt for months 

 together, but the saint is only all the more highly esteemed. 



]Mimetic dances represent mythological or historical dramas of Indian origin, 



