﻿518 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  Agricultural 
  rites. 
  — 
  Although 
  agriculture 
  ritual 
  is 
  extremely 
  variable 
  

   regionally, 
  it 
  chiefly 
  concerns 
  potatoes. 
  All 
  agricultural 
  activities 
  are 
  

   governed 
  by 
  phases 
  of 
  the 
  moon, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  considered 
  pro- 
  

   pitious 
  while 
  others 
  are 
  not. 
  Dreams 
  also 
  play 
  an 
  important 
  part 
  in 
  

   determining 
  the 
  proper 
  time 
  for 
  farming. 
  Divination 
  is 
  thought 
  to 
  

   be 
  extremely 
  important 
  to 
  the 
  success 
  of 
  agricultural 
  activity 
  and 
  ac- 
  

   companies 
  all 
  of 
  its 
  phases. 
  Usually, 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  himself 
  

   divines 
  the 
  future. 
  (See 
  Divination, 
  p. 
  563.) 
  In 
  Bolivia, 
  when 
  clearing 
  

   a 
  new 
  field, 
  the 
  weeds 
  are 
  burned 
  and 
  the 
  crop 
  predicted 
  by 
  the 
  direc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  smoke. 
  Before 
  plowing 
  a 
  new 
  field, 
  alcohol 
  is 
  sprinkled 
  on 
  

   the 
  ground 
  and 
  a 
  spirit 
  called 
  Paca. 
  mama 
  is 
  invoked 
  (Paredes, 
  1936, 
  

   p. 
  82). 
  Blood 
  of 
  sacrificed 
  animals 
  is 
  also 
  occasionally 
  used. 
  At 
  

   planting, 
  seed 
  potatoes 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  a 
  sack 
  by 
  twos; 
  if 
  an 
  even 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  bottom, 
  good 
  fortune 
  is 
  indicated. 
  If 
  an 
  eagle 
  or 
  

   condor 
  should 
  fly 
  over 
  during 
  planting, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  omen. 
  During 
  

   Carnival 
  (in 
  Perti), 
  a 
  rite 
  is 
  performed 
  for 
  the 
  growing 
  potatoes: 
  The 
  

   owner 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  burns 
  coca, 
  llama 
  fat, 
  and 
  q'oa 
  (Mentha 
  pulegium) 
  

   in 
  a 
  ring 
  of 
  manure, 
  open 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  as 
  an 
  offering 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  spirit. 
  

   A 
  perfect 
  potato 
  plant 
  is 
  uprooted 
  and 
  the 
  potatoes 
  counted 
  off 
  by 
  

   twos 
  to 
  divine 
  the 
  outcome 
  of 
  the 
  crop. 
  Then 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  replanted 
  

   and 
  moistened 
  with 
  wine, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  owner 
  and 
  his 
  friends 
  feast 
  

   and 
  dance. 
  At 
  the 
  potato 
  harvest, 
  the 
  men 
  swing 
  a 
  girl 
  by 
  her 
  legs 
  

   and 
  arms 
  over 
  the 
  undug 
  potatoes 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  harvest 
  will 
  be 
  large. 
  

   Finally, 
  the 
  fertility 
  ceremony 
  (the 
  £oqela 
  rite) 
  is 
  performed 
  publicly 
  

   after 
  the 
  harvest 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  next 
  year 
  will 
  bring 
  good 
  crops. 
  

   (See 
  p. 
  567.) 
  

  

  During 
  harvest 
  (Bolivia), 
  libations 
  of 
  chicha 
  and 
  coca 
  quids 
  are 
  

   offered 
  to 
  Paca. 
  mama, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  fiesta 
  in 
  the 
  fields. 
  Unusual 
  

   potatoes 
  are 
  considered 
  lucky 
  and 
  offered 
  homage. 
  In 
  Peru, 
  the 
  

   white 
  magician 
  (paqo) 
  is 
  frequently 
  called 
  in 
  after 
  the 
  harvest 
  to 
  

   make 
  sacrifices 
  at 
  people's 
  houses. 
  He 
  selects 
  the 
  most 
  perfect 
  pro- 
  

   duce 
  and 
  makes 
  offerings 
  to 
  it, 
  then 
  sacrifices 
  a 
  llama, 
  whose 
  blood 
  is 
  

   offered 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  spirit, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  perfect 
  vegetables. 
  

  

  In 
  Bolivia, 
  a 
  fiesta 
  is 
  held 
  for 
  the 
  spirit 
  of 
  fortune 
  and 
  prosperity, 
  

   who 
  is 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  summer 
  solstice, 
  sex, 
  and 
  fertility. 
  Offer- 
  

   ings 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  fruits 
  and 
  of 
  miniature 
  objects 
  are 
  made 
  (Paredes, 
  

   1936, 
  p. 
  32). 
  In 
  western 
  Bolivia, 
  the 
  blood 
  of 
  sacrificed 
  animals 
  

   is 
  scattered 
  on 
  the 
  fields 
  before 
  planting. 
  Special 
  rites 
  dedicate 
  

   new 
  irrigation 
  ditches 
  (Bandelier, 
  ms.). 
  Marking 
  the 
  boundaries 
  

   for 
  new 
  fields 
  occasions 
  a 
  celebration. 
  

  

  When 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  rain, 
  a 
  rite 
  with 
  frogs 
  is 
  held 
  on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  

   a 
  high 
  hill. 
  (See 
  p. 
  567.) 
  Sacrifices 
  are 
  made 
  to 
  lakes 
  and 
  lagoons 
  to 
  

   bring 
  rain 
  (La 
  Barre, 
  ms.). 
  Hail 
  is 
  greatly 
  feared 
  and 
  is 
  driven 
  

   away 
  by 
  burning 
  aji 
  (peppers) 
  on 
  live 
  coals 
  and 
  by 
  mistreating 
  the 
  

   children 
  and 
  dogs 
  until 
  they 
  howl. 
  

  

  