The Lettered Mountain: A Peruvian Village’s Way with Writing

Appendix: Examples of Document Genres

appendix d Examples of Document Genres Note: Chapter 4 emphasizes the role of genre in the making of authoritative script. The examples below flesh out its argument by demonstrating some common genre templates used in Tupicocha and similar communities. RELACIONES, LISTAS (‘LISTS’) The following example is a full attendance check from a faena of Mujica ayllu. Some comparable lists name participants or absentees but not both. Asistencia de los socios de la parcialidad de Mojica al trabajo Fecha 15 de febrero 93 de la serrada de Moya de Huaychuri. 1993. (apm/sat 04 [1993]:160) d d d [Attendance of the partners of Mujica parcialidad of the closing of Huaychuri pasture lot 1993.] C = cumplió / F = faltó [‘C=fulfilled / F=was absent’] Zenon Días Romero C Hilario Urvano Avila C Ceviriano Antiporta C. C Avel Urvano Pérez C Epifania Aquino R. C Edilberto Advincula C. F Zenon Antiporta A. F Alejandro Advincula C C Donato Romero A. F Felix Romero M. F Ermindo Antiporta C Margarito Romero C Arturo Miranda R. C 298 | Appendix PLANIFICACIÓN DE FAENAS (‘PLANS FOR FUTURE WORK DAYS’) Cecion de la parcialidad de Cacarima allandonos reonidos los de la Parcialidad de Cacarima en casa del Señor precedente de esta Don Cornelio Florencio y siendo a h 1 pm. se acordo lo siguente. 1. Andar faenas entre todos nos otros una buelta y esto se andara en los dias viernes de cada semana ciendo la ganancia por cada fayna dos soles, sea el numero de personas que concurran al travajo y tambien la multa de los que no concurren a la fayna pagaran la multa de un sol y esto sera habien del fondo y las multas cobrara el tesorero se acordo tambien por el cumplimiento como es coca una libra sigarro a los que alcanse las tres rrueda ron media botella de escretura 2. Tambien se acordo que esta parcialidad selebrara sicion en cada primer Domingo de cada mes de h 7 a.m. la persona que no llege a la secion pagara la multa de cuarenta centabos y si el Señor precidente no isiera secion pagara la multa de un sol y los mismos que los nombrados y no abiendo otra cosa que acordar se serro la secion a h 3 p.m. y lo firmamos en esta Tupicocha Febrero cuatro de mil nobecientos veinte y tres. (apc/sat 01 1923b:84) d d d Meeting of the Parcialidad of Cacarima, we of the Parcialidad de Cacarima, finding ourselves gathered in the house of the honorable president of this [group] Don Cornelio Florencio and it being at 1:00 PM, the following was agreed. 1. To walk faenas among all of ourselves one cycle and this will be walked on the Friday days of each week the earning for each faena being two soles, [whatever] be the number of persons who attend at the work and also the fine of those who do not attend at the faena will pay the fine of one sol and this will be in benefit of the [common] fund and the treasurer will charge the fines Also it was agreed that the cumplimiento [ceremonial gift distributed by the faena’s beneficiary] as is one pound coca cigarettes enough to make three rounds rum half a bottle as writ [confirmation] 2. Also it was agreed that this parcialidad will hold a meeting on each first Sunday of each month at 7:00 a.m. the person who does not get to the meeting will pay the fine of forty cents and if the Honorable president does not convene a meeting he will pay the fine of one sol and the same as those named and there not being anything else to agree on the meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. and we sign it in this Tupicocha February fourth of nineteen twenty three Comment: One telling feature of this act is the phrase ‘‘rum half a bottle as writ [escretura].’’ It remained fairly common as of 2007 to give a bottle of liquor called a ‘‘writ’’ as a gesture sealing an agreement. For example, when Tupicocha annually Examples of Document Genres | 299 rents pasturage from a neighboring Community, it gives its counterpart an escritura bottle. Why should a bottle be called escritura (‘writing’)? The implication through metaphor is that writing is less like a referential code than...