Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution . arm-lets of iguana skia are muchaffected, as m some parts ofCentral America, with the sameassociation of their imparting bravery and pugnacity to the wearer(AS, 154). To obtam sharp vision, a Kobeua Indian will rub his eyeswith those of a certain falcon (KG, ii, 153). The Caribs and almostall other Indians ascribe tahsmanic powers to the large teeth of analligator (ScA, 336). West of the Orinoco aUigator teeth are em-ployed by the Indians as an ornament for the neck and arms; theyare also regard
Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution . arm-lets of iguana skia are muchaffected, as m some parts ofCentral America, with the sameassociation of their imparting bravery and pugnacity to the wearer(AS, 154). To obtam sharp vision, a Kobeua Indian will rub his eyeswith those of a certain falcon (KG, ii, 153). The Caribs and almostall other Indians ascribe tahsmanic powers to the large teeth of analligator (ScA, 336). West of the Orinoco aUigator teeth are em-ployed by the Indians as an ornament for the neck and arms; theyare also regarded as an antidote for certain poisons, and as analexipharmic in general (FD, 151). As an antidote for poison,within the Orinoco area, Gumilla speaks of aUigator teeth mountedm gold or silver and tied by a small chaia on one of the arms or This comparison between scorpions and strong liquor is very characteristic with the Pomeroon typical decoration on their drinking vessels is the pot-hook (i. e. the scorpion, flg. 3). See also aroundthe central ring in fig. 3. 15961°—30 ETH—15 19. Fig. 3. Carib goblet, Pomeroon River, decoratedwith pot-hook (scorpion) pattern. 290 ANIMISM AND FOLK-LORE OF GUIANA INDIANS [eth. ann. 30 made up into rings worn on the fingers; but this would appear to bea discovery learned from the negro slaves (G, ii, 225). S40A. The appHcation of red paint was sometimes considered atalisman against sickness and disease. Thus, among the Makusis ofthe Rupunini the mothers ceremonially rub red (aromatic) paint onthe heads of then- chUchen, who are then supposed to be protectedfrom illness and the power of Evil Spirits (ScR, i, 366). The men[Guahibos of the Vichada River, Orinoco] then squatted on the littlebenches, and the women painted them from top to toe with a red paste;this, the women said, would protect them from sicknesses (Cr, 548).On the branches of the upper Rio Negro also red paint was considereda prophylactic agamst disease (KG, i, 158; ii
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectindians, bookyear1895
