THE TAJIN TOTONAC PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



209 



indicate that this art was not lacking. For exam- 

 ple, there is mention of canoes near "Cempoala" 

 (Diaz del Castillo 1:168; Solis, pp. 96-97). 21 

 Moreover, we know that the priests of "Cempoala" 

 stored excess food in boxes of "thin boards" and 

 that certain sacrificial victims carried thick staves, 

 carved to represent snakes and different kinds of 

 birds (Las Casas, pp. 461, 463). Since in "Cem- 

 poala" the Spaniards burned the native idols 

 (Diaz del Castillo 1 :190-191), it seems likely that 

 they were of wood. There is specific mention of 

 at least one wooden idol in human form (Las 

 Casas, p'. 462). 



Today, woodworking is at a minimum. The 

 Totonac are far from expert at lumbering, despite 

 the fact that they live in an area which formerly, 

 at least, abounded in precious woods. It has been 

 mentioned previously (p. 72) that very few men 

 in Taj in are able to saw planks or beams, and that 

 reliance is placed on itinerant workers from out- 

 side. Some thirteen or fourteen years ago, an 

 enterprising Taj in citizen set up a little business, 

 buying trees and selling the sawn lumber ; but he 

 relied exclusively on workmen from the highlands. 



Two men in Taj in pass as carpenters, although 

 they are primarily maize farmers. Both Totonac, 

 one is a native of Tajin, the other, of nearby Esco- 

 lin. They have a modest stock of European tools 

 and one, at least, understands the use of a level. 

 For the most part, the male populace at large has 

 not the slightest notion how to manipulate a saw 

 or a plane. All are skilled, however, in handling 

 the machete, and with it can make a cut about as 

 clean as that of a saw. 



Local carpenters undertake to make tables, 

 chairs, and benches. It is possible that they also 

 make wooden storage chests, but specimens of the 

 latter which we have seen appear to be nineteenth- 

 century relics. Carpenters also make the crosses 

 used as grave markers and the cedar frames, or 

 shadow boxes (pi. 15, b) in which images of Chris- 

 tian saints are housed. One carpenter professes 

 skill in producing saddle trees, but most Totonac 

 feel that it is wiser to buy in Papantla. On the 

 whole, Tajin carpentry is both poor and expensive, 

 and it is preferable to bring in a professional from 

 Papantla when special work is to be done. 



"The type of canoe is not indicated, but we may guess that 

 dugouts are involved since nearby, opposite San Juan de Ulua, 

 there is mention of canoes of "one piece" (Gayangos, p. 43). 



Woodworking is not confined to those who con- 

 sider themselves carpenters. Perhaps eight or ten 

 men know how to make straight chairs with woven 

 palm seats, and several produce, for sale, wooden 

 mills in which cane is crushed. The latter are of 

 hardwood and involve considerable precision, in- 

 asmuch as the cogs must engage ; the current price 

 of these mills for labor alone is $100 pesos. 



J 



U 



Figure 35. — Gruel paddles. Tracings of sketches drawn 

 by Modesto Gonzalez; not to scale. 



A wooden paddle (chamalote; li-ltoko, ?), usu- 

 of zapote chico, is used in many kitchens for stir- 

 ring maize gruel. Some sticks are relatively plain 

 (fig. 36, e) ; others are ornamentally carved (figs. 

 35, 36, Or-d) . These generally are made by the in- 

 dividual householder, as is other simple kitchen 





