Mexico, the wonderland of the South . awaway the attention of the evil eye, bright, attractiveobjects are hung near the patient. For a child who is slowin learning to talk, a diet of boiled swallows is often pre-scribed. Certain colors are supposed to work wonderfulcures, and in cases of paralysis blue and red beads groundfine are sometimes administered. The curandera is alsocalled upon to prepare love potions and to supply poisons,which will cause dehrium, insanity and even death. The Zapotecs have a number of strange dances, includ-ing the Devil Dance, which usually takes place on the feast-
Mexico, the wonderland of the South . awaway the attention of the evil eye, bright, attractiveobjects are hung near the patient. For a child who is slowin learning to talk, a diet of boiled swallows is often pre-scribed. Certain colors are supposed to work wonderfulcures, and in cases of paralysis blue and red beads groundfine are sometimes administered. The curandera is alsocalled upon to prepare love potions and to supply poisons,which will cause dehrium, insanity and even death. The Zapotecs have a number of strange dances, includ-ing the Devil Dance, which usually takes place on the feast-days of the saints to whom their villages are these occasions some of the dancers have their bodiespainted to represent skeletons, and also wear strangefeathered head-dresses. An American acquaintance whohad come from a mining camp some thirty miles fromOaxaca told me that he attended one of these dances, whichtook place in an Indian pueblo. The Zapotec ball-roomwas an open space near the village, and here the dance went. PBEHISTOBIC MEXICO 313 on by the light of a blazing fire, the dancers, men and women,being arrayed in all kinds of fantastic garb. ^But whatastonished me, said the American, wxre three Indiansdressed in old-fashioned French zouave uniforms. Onehad evidently belonged to an officer, and was covered withgold lace. To my surprise, I learned that the fathers ofthese Indians had stripped the uniforms from the bodies ofFrench soldiers after one of the battles near Oaxaca in uniforms had been carefully preserved, and the clothmust have been wonderfully good to have been in suchsound condition after so many years. ^ The Indian who wore the oflicers uniform said to me:When my father took it, there were big gold pieces likeAmerican gold coins on it. My father sold these at thepawnshop. There was also a gold cross, and that he gaveto our padre. A strange encUng for the uniform anddecorations of a gallant officer of Napoleon the Third! CHAPTER XX LIFE
Size: 1269px × 1969px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmexicodescriptionand
