﻿476 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  approaching 
  event 
  and 
  carries 
  out 
  preparations 
  from 
  one 
  year 
  to 
  the 
  

   next. 
  The 
  motivation 
  of 
  the 
  fiesta 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  underlying 
  the 
  

   potlatch 
  of 
  certain 
  primitive 
  groups; 
  for 
  these 
  celebrations 
  provide 
  

   opportunity 
  for 
  competitive 
  expenditure 
  of 
  wealth. 
  The 
  Majordomo, 
  

   or 
  "Carguyoc," 
  the 
  person 
  responsible 
  for 
  the 
  success 
  of 
  the 
  affair, 
  

   has 
  to 
  devote 
  the 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  his 
  time 
  and 
  all 
  his 
  resources 
  to 
  it 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  succeed. 
  When 
  the 
  great 
  day 
  arrives, 
  the 
  entire 
  community 
  

   and 
  every 
  stranger 
  who 
  may 
  be 
  present 
  are 
  the 
  guests 
  at 
  splendid 
  

   repasts 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  drink, 
  which 
  go 
  on 
  for 
  a 
  week. 
  Not 
  only 
  are 
  the 
  

   products 
  of 
  local 
  industry 
  consumed, 
  but 
  others 
  are 
  imported 
  from 
  the 
  

   city. 
  Each 
  Majordomo 
  tries 
  to 
  dazzle 
  people 
  with 
  his 
  excessive 
  spend- 
  

   ing, 
  because 
  he 
  will 
  thus 
  gain 
  prestige, 
  and 
  his 
  stewardship 
  of 
  the 
  fiesta 
  

   will 
  always 
  be 
  remembered 
  and 
  held 
  up 
  as 
  a 
  stimulating 
  example 
  to 
  

   those 
  who 
  follow 
  him. 
  The 
  Catholic 
  priests 
  are 
  present 
  at 
  these 
  

   affairs 
  performing 
  a 
  multitude 
  of 
  ecclesiastical 
  rights 
  for 
  fees. 
  Efforts 
  

   have 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  suppress 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  mitigate 
  such 
  excessive 
  expend- 
  

   itures, 
  but 
  these 
  fiestas 
  are 
  an 
  escape 
  valve 
  for 
  a 
  closely 
  regimented 
  

   people, 
  providing 
  an 
  opportunity 
  for 
  consideration 
  and 
  prestige 
  within 
  

   their 
  own 
  group. 
  They 
  thus 
  nourish 
  the 
  Indian 
  spirit. 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  smaller 
  divisions 
  of 
  time 
  into 
  week 
  and 
  days, 
  

   there 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  amount 
  of 
  inexact 
  information 
  about 
  the 
  Inca 
  

   period. 
  It 
  is 
  known 
  that 
  the 
  Inca 
  knew 
  the 
  phases 
  of 
  the 
  moon 
  and, 
  

   consequently, 
  the 
  week. 
  But 
  Montesinos 
  assures 
  us 
  that 
  the 
  Inca 
  

   week 
  consisted 
  of 
  10 
  days 
  and 
  the 
  year 
  of 
  12 
  months 
  of 
  from 
  3 
  weeks 
  

   to 
  10 
  days, 
  with 
  a 
  surplus 
  of 
  a 
  half 
  week 
  of 
  5 
  days, 
  called 
  the 
  "little 
  

   month," 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  intercalary 
  days 
  would 
  also 
  be 
  included. 
  The 
  

   subdivision 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  was 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  in 
  its 
  

   three 
  principal 
  stages 
  : 
  the 
  rising 
  or 
  coming 
  up, 
  the 
  zenith 
  or 
  midday, 
  

   and 
  the 
  setting 
  or 
  decline, 
  which 
  were 
  called, 
  respectively, 
  Anti, 
  Imti, 
  

   and 
  KoniA. 
  

  

  BIBLIOGRAPHY 
  

  

  Herrera 
  y 
  Tordesillas, 
  1726-27; 
  Markham, 
  1910; 
  Montesinos, 
  1882; 
  Nutall, 
  

   1928; 
  Poma 
  de 
  Ayala, 
  1936. 
  

  

  