﻿Vol.2] 
  CONTEMPORARY 
  QUECHUA 
  — 
  MISHKIN 
  445 
  

  

  since 
  the 
  original 
  Inca 
  vara 
  was 
  adorned 
  with 
  idols 
  and 
  magical 
  para- 
  

   phenalia 
  of 
  various 
  sorts, 
  by 
  a 
  simple 
  substitution, 
  after 
  the 
  Conquest, 
  

   Christian 
  symbolism 
  replaced 
  the 
  former 
  pagan 
  trimmings. 
  Whether 
  

   or 
  not 
  this 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  shown 
  that 
  the 
  political 
  offices 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  have 
  religious 
  associations 
  which, 
  in 
  turn, 
  may 
  be 
  expressed 
  in 
  

   the 
  decorations 
  of 
  the 
  varas. 
  

  

  The 
  varas 
  are 
  apparently 
  regarded 
  with 
  veneration. 
  The 
  officers 
  

   guard 
  them 
  carefully, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  fair 
  to 
  assume 
  that 
  something 
  more 
  

   than 
  mere 
  material 
  value 
  influences 
  the 
  Varayocc's 
  feeling 
  for 
  their 
  

   staffs. 
  A 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  variation 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  vara. 
  The 
  

   varas 
  of 
  the 
  regidores 
  are 
  relatively 
  short 
  and 
  simple. 
  Until 
  a 
  gener- 
  

   ation 
  ago, 
  the 
  regidores 
  of 
  Kauri 
  used 
  roughly 
  cut 
  sticks. 
  The 
  alcal- 
  

   de's 
  office 
  is 
  dignified 
  with 
  the 
  long, 
  elaborately 
  decorated 
  vara, 
  

   although 
  some 
  alcaldes 
  wield 
  a 
  small 
  baton 
  poorly 
  trimmed 
  in 
  tin 
  and 
  

   iron. 
  The 
  size 
  and 
  decoration 
  of 
  the 
  varas 
  of 
  higher 
  functionaries 
  are 
  

   not 
  correlated 
  with 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  their 
  authority. 
  In 
  Quispicanchis 
  

   and 
  Paucartambo, 
  for 
  example, 
  where 
  the 
  alcaldeship 
  has 
  lost 
  all 
  

   dignity 
  and 
  importance, 
  the 
  varas 
  of 
  alcaldes 
  are 
  imposing 
  in 
  their 
  

   richness. 
  

  

  The 
  Varayocc 
  are 
  elected 
  by 
  an 
  informal 
  council 
  of 
  the 
  older 
  

   people 
  of 
  the 
  community 
  summoned 
  to 
  the 
  capital 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  by 
  

   the 
  Governor. 
  The 
  electorate 
  selects 
  the 
  officers 
  from 
  among 
  the 
  

   eligible 
  candidates 
  and 
  submits 
  its 
  nominations 
  to 
  the 
  Governor. 
  In 
  

   practically 
  all 
  cases, 
  these 
  nominations 
  constitute 
  election. 
  In 
  Kauri, 
  

   at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  fiesta 
  of 
  San 
  Rosario, 
  the 
  older 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  

   discuss 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  nominations 
  rather 
  casually. 
  There 
  are, 
  after 
  

   all, 
  few 
  eligible 
  candidates 
  for 
  the 
  alcaldeship. 
  Frequently, 
  the 
  man 
  

   who 
  has 
  just 
  completed 
  his 
  service 
  as 
  mayordomo 
  of 
  the 
  fiesta 
  of 
  

   Rosario 
  is 
  automatically 
  selected. 
  The 
  segunda 
  and 
  mandon 
  are 
  

   then 
  named. 
  Little 
  time 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  the 
  regidores, 
  

   since 
  this 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  functions 
  of 
  the 
  alcalde. 
  Immediately 
  

   after 
  the 
  alcalde 
  is 
  elected 
  he 
  appears 
  before 
  the 
  Governor 
  and 
  is 
  asked 
  

   the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  regidores. 
  He 
  recites 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  a 
  previously 
  

   prepared 
  list. 
  Once 
  the 
  new 
  set 
  of 
  officers 
  has 
  been 
  registered 
  by 
  the 
  

   Governor, 
  they 
  proceed 
  to 
  the 
  capital 
  of 
  the 
  Province 
  and 
  are 
  sworn 
  in 
  

   by 
  the 
  subprefect, 
  pay 
  a 
  small 
  fee, 
  and 
  receive 
  the 
  vara. 
  On 
  return- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  their 
  district, 
  they 
  are 
  met 
  by 
  the 
  Indian 
  populace 
  and 
  a 
  native 
  

   band. 
  Chicha 
  is 
  passed 
  around, 
  the 
  Varayocc 
  may 
  by 
  showered 
  with 
  

   flowers, 
  and 
  the 
  alcalde 
  returns 
  to 
  his 
  community 
  followed 
  by 
  his 
  

   subordinates. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  Indian 
  who 
  has 
  been 
  nominated 
  for 
  the 
  alcaldeship 
  wishes 
  to 
  

   decline 
  the 
  nomination 
  he 
  must 
  face 
  the 
  displeasure 
  of 
  the 
  Governor, 
  

   the 
  priest, 
  and 
  his 
  own 
  people. 
  Usually 
  he 
  is 
  unable 
  to 
  resist 
  the 
  

   pressure 
  brought 
  to 
  bear 
  against 
  him, 
  but 
  some 
  nominees 
  have 
  been 
  

   known 
  to 
  assert 
  their 
  legal 
  right 
  not 
  to 
  serve. 
  When 
  an 
  alcalde 
  dies, 
  

  

  