﻿474 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  in 
  either 
  March 
  or 
  April, 
  there 
  are 
  practices 
  that 
  recall 
  the 
  ancient 
  

   religion. 
  On 
  May 
  3, 
  the 
  day 
  of 
  the 
  Commemoration 
  of 
  the 
  Cross 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  Sierra 
  villages, 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  harvest 
  is 
  observed. 
  

   It 
  is 
  preceded 
  by 
  a 
  vigil 
  (Cruz-velacuy), 
  recalling 
  the 
  Inca 
  "pakariko." 
  

   At 
  this 
  time, 
  and 
  later, 
  the 
  "Ayriwa" 
  is 
  danced, 
  and 
  a 
  tree 
  laden 
  with 
  

   fruits 
  and 
  gifts 
  is 
  erected. 
  These 
  are 
  shaken 
  down 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   the 
  dance. 
  Then 
  follows 
  the 
  "Aymuray," 
  or 
  song 
  of 
  triumph; 
  and 
  

   then 
  the 
  "Haylli" 
  or 
  "Haycha" 
  is 
  sung 
  by 
  the 
  harvesters. 
  

  

  In 
  July, 
  when 
  the 
  earth 
  is 
  a 
  copper-red 
  color 
  (Anta), 
  ancient 
  rites 
  

   begin 
  on 
  the 
  16th, 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Virgin 
  del 
  Carmen, 
  to 
  cleanse 
  the 
  

   fields 
  of 
  all 
  impurities. 
  These 
  ceremonies 
  continue 
  until 
  the 
  25th, 
  

   the 
  Day 
  of 
  St. 
  James 
  (Santiago), 
  patron 
  saint 
  of 
  Spain. 
  Penance 
  and 
  

   other 
  expiatory 
  acts 
  start 
  August 
  2, 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  Our 
  Lady 
  of 
  the 
  

   Angels; 
  but 
  the 
  15th, 
  Day 
  of 
  the 
  Assumption 
  of 
  the 
  Blessed 
  Virgin, 
  

   and 
  the 
  16th, 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  San 
  Roque 
  with 
  its 
  magical 
  practices, 
  have 
  

   the 
  greatest 
  religious 
  importance. 
  

  

  November 
  brings 
  a 
  remarkable 
  coincidence, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  month 
  

   of 
  the 
  dead 
  for 
  both 
  the 
  pagan 
  Indians 
  and 
  the 
  Catholics, 
  the 
  latter 
  

   commemorating 
  the 
  departed 
  on 
  the 
  2d, 
  All 
  Souls' 
  Day. 
  The 
  ceme- 
  

   teries 
  are 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  devout, 
  who 
  place 
  rich 
  food 
  on 
  the 
  tombs 
  

   of 
  their 
  dead 
  ones. 
  The 
  procession 
  of 
  the 
  "Mallkis" 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  

   held 
  because 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  mummification 
  has 
  died 
  out; 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  

   invocations 
  and 
  prayers 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  dead 
  is 
  asked 
  to 
  assure 
  

   good 
  crops. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  these 
  principal 
  dates, 
  many 
  others 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   widely 
  celebrated, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  innumerable 
  local 
  festivals 
  in 
  honor 
  

   of 
  the 
  patron 
  saints 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  villages. 
  The 
  Spaniards 
  did 
  not 
  leave 
  

   even 
  the 
  most 
  insignificant 
  inhabited 
  place 
  without 
  the 
  protection 
  

   of 
  some 
  saint. 
  In 
  all 
  the 
  festivals 
  held 
  in 
  provincial 
  villages 
  of 
  large 
  

   Indian 
  population, 
  the 
  pre-Columbian 
  dances 
  have 
  merged 
  with 
  those 
  

   of 
  Spanish 
  origin, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  bullfights, 
  cock 
  fights, 
  horse 
  races, 
  

   and 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  celebration. 
  Mestizo 
  dances, 
  new 
  dances 
  created 
  

   by 
  the 
  Indians 
  — 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  satires 
  against 
  their 
  dominators, 
  such 
  

   as 
  the 
  "Sijilla," 
  and 
  the 
  majority 
  characterizing 
  foreigners, 
  such 
  as 
  

   Negroes, 
  Chileans, 
  Majefios, 
  Chapetes, 
  or 
  Chunchos 
  — 
  have 
  special 
  

   places 
  set 
  aside 
  for 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  plazas 
  and 
  streets 
  of 
  the 
  festive 
  town, 
  

   and 
  real 
  contests 
  develop. 
  And 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  pomp 
  of 
  the 
  Cath- 
  

   olic 
  rites 
  are 
  all 
  the 
  active 
  transactions 
  of 
  the 
  fair, 
  and 
  the 
  "Devil," 
  

   represented 
  by 
  an 
  Indian, 
  drives 
  the 
  dogs 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  church 
  

   with 
  a 
  whip. 
  Until 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago, 
  allegorical 
  and 
  religious 
  plays 
  

   were 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  Quechua 
  language 
  in 
  the 
  atria 
  of 
  the 
  churches. 
  On 
  

   certain 
  days, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  1st 
  and 
  6th 
  of 
  January, 
  the 
  Indians 
  chosen 
  

   as 
  leaders 
  violated 
  the 
  prohibition 
  against 
  mounting 
  horses 
  and 
  rode 
  

   the 
  most 
  spirited 
  young 
  animals 
  belonging 
  to 
  their 
  masters. 
  On 
  

   Good 
  Friday 
  night, 
  all 
  the 
  taboos 
  disappear; 
  there 
  is 
  robbery 
  and 
  

  

  