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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



to be seen either in the forest or in the yards of the 

 houses. 22 



Theoretically, "the old man of the rrvonte" — who 

 controls the destiny of game animals and who often 

 is identified with stone figures found archeologi- 

 cally — is the "chief" of the wild bees. A similar 

 belief probably held in the Huasteca, where one of 

 the stern questions put to Indian charges was, 

 "When you go to hunt, or to look for beehives, do 

 you speak first or do you give food to the idols 

 which are in the forests?" (Tapia Zenteno, p. 

 107). Today, Christian saints have invaded the 

 domain of the "old man of the monte? One in- 

 formant believes that St. Lawrence has charge of 

 wild bees ; another, St. Anthony. 



A Totonac who finds a hive of usable wild bees 

 may cut the trunk of the tree, extract the honey, 

 and close the gash with mud or ash. Or he may cut 

 the trunk or the bamboo with his machete, and, 

 without further ado, carry home the length which 

 contains the hive. Water is not sprinkled on the 

 cuts (cf. Foster, 1942 a, p. 538) , and no smudge or 

 other protection is needed, for the native bee does 

 not sting. 



The trunk containing the hive is hung against 

 the wall of the house, "where it will not receive 

 much sun." We have seen such hives on north, 

 east, and south walls. Generally, the trunk is 

 placed horizontally, supported at each end by a 

 length of liana. If too high, close to the thatched 

 roof, the tepehua ants may destroy the colony, 

 although it is said that each hive has a bee which 

 stands at the entrance, as a sentinel, to warn of 

 intrusion. Some say that if the trunk is hung too 

 low, the chickens will devour the bees ; others affirm 

 that they eat only the Old World form. At one 

 house, the trunks merely are leaned vertically 



2a A third type (Cu.nfn, Cuamfn) is larger than the preceding 

 ones and has a long sting. Its hive is not brought in from the 

 monte, although the wax and honey are removed. The honey 

 may amount to "2 gallons," and the wax may fill a wooden tray. 

 The honey has a distinctive taste which appeals to few people. 



In addition, Modesto Gonzalez lists a number of insects which 

 he classes with bees, evidently including wasps and possibly 

 other related forms. These produce little or no honey and wax, 

 hence are not exploited. The stitit' is stingless and lives In 

 bamboo thickets ; the £a-yan also has no sting and lives "in any 

 tree" ; the Ca-yan has a small sting and similarly is not fussy 

 about its dwelling. The akstti.nat, known in Spanish as cojdn de 

 toro (bull testicle), stings sharply and builds a nest which hangs, 

 baglike, from a tree. The "bee" known as Ska-na? is "ferocious" 

 and attacks people ; for this reason, it is called facetiously, 

 Otomite (Otomf Indian). It is found in holes in the ground or 

 among rocks. 



A minute form, called skulun, is said to be the size of a gnat. 

 We have no further data concerning it. 



against the kitchen wall; at another, the hives 

 reputedly are hung inside the dwelling. 



The removal of the honey and wax is known as 

 "castration." Some "castrate" every year, but 

 most, every other year, generally in late October 

 or in November. However, if a neighbor needs 

 honey urgently as a medicine, a beekeeper usually 

 is willing to open a colmena, except in very cold 

 weather. In that case, he refuses, for the bees 

 may die. 



"Castration" is performed by either a man or a 

 woman. Thei*e are no special requirements, such 

 as continence or fasting (cf. Foster, 1942 a, p. 538) . 

 One informant recommends smoking a cigar or 

 burning incense as a soothing measure, but others 

 give this same advice in connection with the Old 

 World bee, not the native form. The trunk or the 

 bamboo is split longitudinally through the center 

 and the honey and wax are removed. Sometimes 

 the bees are returned to the same trunk, which is 

 closed, tied with liana, and the split sealed with a 

 paste made of ash and water. At this time, great 

 care must be taken that no insect pest penetrate 

 the colmena. An infinitesimal "fly" (called pedo- 

 rritta; iskaA, skal) may enter and lay eggs; these 

 become "worms" which eat the young bees. 



Informants claim that the native bee does not 

 swarm. Consequently, when the bamboo or trunk 

 is opened, generally the hive is divided and a new 

 colony established in an earthenware jar. 23 The 

 progeny is contained "in a round thing, like a 

 tortilla, not very thick" ; these are formed one on 



23 This is of particular interest because it indicates true domesti- 

 cation. Foster's brief survey of apiculture (1942 a, p. 538) in- 

 dicates that "the final step, the propagation of new colonies, is 

 but rarely taken." 



His review (p. 542) of the types of containers indicates that 

 clay hives were common in Colombia in the late sixteenth cen- 

 tury but that "no examples from modern times, or archaeological 

 specimens, are known." Accordingly, we may note the few 

 cases, other than Tajin, which have come to our attention. 



Pottery hives are reported (by Bodil Christiansen) for Mexi- 

 can Cuetzaldn, in the Sierra de Puebla. 



They likewise have been observed (by G. Stresser-P€an) "in 

 one part of the Huasteca." As far as we could tell, the native 

 bee seems to be little exploited in the Tancanhuitz zone of the 

 Huasteca. Honey and wax sometimes are gathered in the monte, 

 and occasionally the trunk is cut and the hive transported to the 

 house. However, two mestizo informants in Tancanhuitz In- 

 dependently described the use of clay vessels as hives, and a 

 similar report comes from farther south, in Matlapa, near 

 Tamazunchale. Once part of the Huasteca, the Matlapa area 

 now is predominantly Mexicano. Townspeople report clay hives, 

 although we saw none. 



Finally, in Ixcateopan, Guerrero, Ing. Roberto Weitlaner was 

 informed that in a nearby village to the west, bees are kept in 

 pottery jars. 



