Field notes are provided in the interest of academic research and for the preservation of information which may not be available from other sources. They have been minimally edited. The information may be based on hearsay. There is no commitment on the part of the Summer Institute of Linguistics to the accuracy of the material. Any use of the material should appropriately recognize its preliminary nature.

Introduction

The Cuicatec people, located in the northeastern part of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, are noted for the use of witchcraft. Although attempts to suppress witchcraft have been made, many witches are still in existence in the area today. The village of Concepción Pápalo drove all of its witches out of town about one hundred years ago by throwing dung at them. However, the inhabitants of the village will point out a few people who secretly practice witchcraft.

Stories have been handed down from generation to generation. The villagers recall some of the beliefs of their ancestors and they refer to them as being people that did not know any better. One ancient belief was that when their ancestors would go out into the road they would put a big basket over their heads so that the large eagle would not swoop down on them and carry them away. Instead the large eagle would carry away the basket and the people would be saved. Although this belief is no longer in existence others are woven into the everyday life of the people.

While living among the people of the village of Concepción Pápalo during 1943-1948, I heard the following beliefs and recorded them as the people related them.

Beliefs

When the poles and boards of a house creak, it is because the soul of a dead person has returned to the house. If it is not the soul of a dead person, then it is an indication that a dead person is combing his hair.

If the ashes from a charcoal fire are carried into the air by a gust of wind or by someone fanning the fire, and if the ashes light on a person's head, then that person will have dandruff. Ashes from a charcoal fire turn into dandruff.

The small butterflies which appear during the fiesta of All Saints Day are not spoken of as being butterflies. They are spoken of as being the spirits of little dead babies that have come back to town to celebrate the fiesta with their relatives.

When a buzzard sits on the roof of a house, it is a sign that someone in the house is going to die. It may be that the buzzard casts a spell upon the house. Someone of the household quickly grabs a handful of lime and throws it at the buzzard. If lime is not handy, then ashes are used for a substitute.

If a wren (saltapared)--a small brown bird--lights upon the housetop and sings his distinctive little song going down the scale with si-si-si-si-si-si, it is a sure sign that the occupants of the house are going to receive letters. If a letter does not come that very day, one is sure to arrive in the near future.

People who are mute are spoken of as being able to see more than an ordinary normal person. When they look at a snake, they see feet on the animal. Hearing people do not know what kind of feet they are, but they know that a mute person sees them.

When the people see a person that is very light in complexion, and one who is pretty, they say that that person is a witch.

If a baby boy or girl is born and has the same face as the father, then either the child or the father has to die. The mother realizes that the time will come when one of them will die.

Children who are very slow in learning to talk are given remedies. They are given two types of drinks: water that has had the feathers of animals in it, and water that has had coal in it. With these remedies the child will learn to speak much quicker.

A house may be set free from the evil spirits. To do so, the occupants of the house must get eight straight pins and make four crosses out of them. The crosses are then placed in the four corners of the house so that when the evil spirits see the crosses they will not enter the house.

Witches walk in the night. Men witches take on the form of burros and women witches take on the form of turkeys. People relate stories of how burros and turkeys have been a nuisance to them while on a journey during the night, and how they cut these animals with their long knives. The following day they heard that a person was cut in the night with a knife and they believe that person to be a witch.

The hoot owl with his horrible screech is a sure sign of bad luck. When they come near the village during the day or night, the people sic the dogs on them and chase them from town. The people have a horrible fear of them.

When an ugly beast, having the form of a horse, appears before travelers in the road and disappears in an uncanny manner, it is a sign of death or sickness. If the traveler does not get sick or die, then one of his relatives is sure to have something happen to him.

Gray hairs belong to old people, not middle aged people. If a person is young and begins to get gray hair, then he must pull out his gray hair. He then holds it and talks to it, telling it to go to the head of a very old person in town who has gray hair already. After he talks to it, he throws it to the winds and dismisses his gray hair.

When one sneezes it is because someone is thinking of him or because someone is writing him a letter.