﻿798 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  Manufactures. 
  — 
  The 
  Puruhd 
  were 
  known 
  for 
  their 
  skill 
  in 
  weaving 
  

   cotton 
  and 
  cabuya 
  fiber. 
  Spears, 
  clubs, 
  and 
  slings 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  hunt- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  warfare. 
  Trade 
  relations 
  were 
  maintained 
  with 
  the 
  Coast, 
  

   cabuya 
  fiber 
  being 
  exchanged 
  for 
  salt. 
  

  

  Political 
  organization. 
  — 
  All 
  the 
  chroniclers 
  mention 
  the 
  cohesive 
  

   organization 
  of 
  the 
  Puruhd. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  was 
  under 
  the 
  leader- 
  

   ship 
  of 
  one 
  "king," 
  who 
  controlled 
  the 
  local 
  chieftains. 
  

  

  Life 
  Cycle. 
  — 
  We 
  have 
  more 
  data 
  than 
  usual 
  on 
  the 
  Puruhd 
  life 
  cycle. 
  

   A 
  child 
  was 
  named 
  when 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  years 
  old, 
  and 
  taken 
  by 
  its 
  parents 
  

   from 
  house 
  to 
  house. 
  People 
  cut 
  off 
  a 
  lock 
  of 
  the 
  child's 
  hair, 
  after 
  

   which 
  they 
  owed 
  it 
  a 
  present. 
  

  

  Chiefs 
  could 
  take 
  several 
  wives, 
  but 
  common 
  people 
  were 
  monoga- 
  

   mous. 
  When 
  a 
  young 
  man 
  wanted 
  to 
  marry, 
  he 
  took 
  wood, 
  straw, 
  and 
  

   chicha 
  to 
  the 
  girl's 
  house 
  and 
  promised 
  to 
  take 
  care 
  of 
  her 
  always. 
  

   If 
  her 
  parents 
  agreed 
  to 
  the 
  union, 
  they 
  gave 
  her 
  to 
  him. 
  The 
  bride's 
  

   hair 
  was 
  cut 
  at 
  marriage, 
  and 
  again 
  at 
  the 
  birth 
  of 
  her 
  first 
  child. 
  

   She 
  dared 
  not 
  mention 
  the 
  "family" 
  name 
  of 
  her 
  husband. 
  

  

  At 
  death, 
  chiefs 
  were 
  buried 
  sitting 
  on 
  a 
  stool, 
  the 
  symbol 
  of 
  their 
  

   office. 
  The 
  body 
  was 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  house 
  through 
  a 
  hole 
  hacked 
  

   in 
  the 
  rear 
  wall, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  house 
  was 
  abandoned. 
  There 
  was 
  

   much 
  drinking 
  and 
  dancing 
  around 
  the 
  body, 
  which 
  was 
  lowered 
  into 
  

   the 
  grave 
  along 
  with 
  food, 
  chicha, 
  and 
  clothes. 
  When 
  a 
  man 
  died, 
  

   his 
  wife 
  wept 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  and 
  wandered 
  through 
  the 
  woods 
  calling 
  him. 
  

   Upon 
  returning 
  to 
  her 
  house, 
  she 
  cut 
  her 
  hair 
  and 
  blackened 
  her 
  face 
  

   with 
  pitch. 
  Some 
  days 
  later, 
  she 
  terminated 
  mourning 
  by 
  washing 
  

   in 
  the 
  river 
  to 
  forget 
  her 
  sins 
  and 
  her 
  husband. 
  

  

  Religion. 
  — 
  The 
  Puruhd 
  believed 
  they 
  were 
  descended 
  from 
  the 
  

   union 
  of 
  two 
  local 
  volcanoes, 
  Chimborazo, 
  the 
  male, 
  and 
  Tungurahua, 
  

   the 
  female. 
  This 
  union 
  was 
  considered 
  permanent, 
  continuing 
  from 
  

   before 
  the 
  original 
  creation 
  of 
  man 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present. 
  Human 
  sacri- 
  

   fices 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  Chimborazo 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  a 
  clay 
  figure 
  at 
  Liribamba. 
  

  

  Lightning 
  and 
  rainbows 
  were 
  bad 
  omens, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  intrinsically 
  

   pernicious. 
  A 
  house 
  struck 
  by 
  lightning 
  was 
  abandoned, 
  although 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  household 
  furnishings 
  were 
  still 
  serviceable. 
  Only 
  

   shamans 
  could 
  claim 
  these 
  belongings 
  as 
  their 
  own. 
  After 
  lightning 
  

   struck, 
  a 
  person 
  abstained 
  from 
  salt 
  and 
  aji 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time. 
  A 
  rain- 
  

   bow 
  shining 
  into 
  a 
  house 
  could 
  kill 
  the 
  people 
  inside; 
  everybody 
  ran 
  

   out 
  to 
  avoid 
  this. 
  The 
  rainbow 
  could 
  also 
  impregnate 
  careless 
  women. 
  

  

  At 
  maize 
  harvest 
  time, 
  the 
  Puruhd 
  gave 
  a 
  big 
  feast. 
  A 
  warlike 
  young 
  

   Indian 
  was 
  sent 
  fully 
  armed 
  into 
  the 
  neighboring 
  hills 
  and 
  loudly 
  chal- 
  

   lenged 
  all 
  comers 
  to 
  fight 
  him. 
  Having 
  met 
  no 
  opposition 
  from 
  evil 
  

   spirits 
  or 
  other 
  enemies, 
  he 
  returned 
  victorious 
  to 
  the 
  feast. 
  A 
  potato 
  

   field 
  in 
  flower 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  approached 
  without 
  flagellating 
  one's 
  feet 
  

   with 
  nettles, 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  plants 
  from 
  withering 
  away. 
  

  

  