Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/361

 Collectanea. 329

are held in the greatest abhorrence, while others are considered to be of most happy omen.

I. Beliefs conceruing Birds, Insects a/ul Animals.

In Northern Vera Cruz {e.g. in the cantons of Tantoyuca, Tiixpam, etc.), the natives of the forest look upon the owl with great dread, for they believe it to be the re-incarnation of the Spirit of Evil. If, when setting out on a journey, they encounter one of these birds on the way, they will immediately abandon their journey and return to their huts at once. If they hear an owl hoot, they will cover their ears with their hands and hasten away, for they say " When an owl hoots, an Indian dies " (Quando el tecolote canta, el Indio muere).

They consider butterflies to be of good or bad omen, according to their colours. White and yellow butterflies bring good luck and fortune, while blue and black butterflies are held to be the forerunners of sickness and death to them or their friends. I remember the case of an old Indian mozo, whom we employed to attend to our horses, who was always in great fear when any of those large bright blue butterflies— so common in tropical forests — fluttered across our paths. Beetles and ants also are considered good or bad omens according to their colours.

Most curious are their beliefs concerning dogs. They maintain that if a dog is restless and howls at night, there are evil spirits abroad which are plainly visible to him, though they are invisible to human eyes. The howls are intended to warn human beings of their threatened danger.

2. Beliefs in Witchcraft.

They have an implicit belief in witchcraft, and constantly carry various charms on their persons, which they say have much virtue and which protect the bearers from misfortune and ill-luck. Though nominally Christians, these forest Indians have a longing for the ancient worship of idols, and indeed secretly practise it in the depths of the forest. Frequently each hut has a small clay (adobe) idol to which invocations are addressed when the owner is about to set out on a journey. When I left these people after some weeks residence, an old Indian gave me his idol to guard me