Indigenous Religion and Cultural Performance in the New Maya World

Illustrations

vii Illustrations Figure 1.1 Map of the plaza during the fiesta season 18 Figure 2.1 The front room in the cofradía house becomes a shrine 38 Figure 2.2 Candles are burned on the floor in front of the table where saint’s image is displayed 39 Figure 2.3 The alcalde dances with San Felipe 40 Figure 2.4 The alcalde and diputado dance with Santiago 40 Figure 2.5 The procession emerging from the cofradía house 41 Figure 2.6 The procession turns the final corner before arriving at the hermandad chapel 42 Figure 2.7 In the hermandad chapel, a family kneels before the altar to light the candles 43 Figure 2.8 A family that wishes to offer a pair of boots to Santiago kneels in prayer 44 Figure 2.9 The family members kiss the offering 45 Figure 2.10 The boots are accepted 45 Figure 3.1 Typical itinerary, offerings, and dates for costumbre 61 Figure 3.2 Dance team with masks and crowns on costume bundles at Pa Sanyep’ 63 Figure 3.3 An early phase of the fire at Pa Sanyep’ 65 Figure 3.4 At C’oy Abaj a dancer feels the power of the león 66 Figure 3.5 At Pa Sanyep’ the dancers begin the second phase of the run 67 Figure 3.6 The team flanks the chuchkajaw on the burning ground in front of the ossuary 69 viii Illustrations Figure 3.7 The dance team on the ledge at C’oy Abaj 70 Figure 3.8 A tigre and a león feel the force of the animals 72 Figure 3.9 A león balances on the pole top, rattles, and whistles 72 Figure 3.10 A leg-hooked spin when the rope is dangerously slack 73 Figure 3.11 A leg-hooked spin on a good, tight rope 73 Figure 3.12 Straddling the rope with no hands 74 Figure 3.13 A male monkey demonstrates the normal rope-top position used for moving down the rope 75 Figure 3.14 Dancers circle the chuchkajaw, in position on the rope anchor stake 75 Figure 3.15 Offerings are placed along the tree trunk 78 Figure 3.16 The offering, with the large candle in the east and the quadripartite world of the four mountains indicated by an X of copal 79 Figure 3.17 A log keeps the base of the pole out of the butt plate 79 Figure 3.18 The pole is erected by the dance team and many volunteers using scissor jacks 80 Figure 3.19 Whipping the pole in the plaza 81 Figure 3.20 Walking and whipping the pole 81 Figure 3.21 The dance used to have four deer, but in 2006 there were three 83 Figure 3.22 Don Pedro dances 83 Figure 3.23 A deer prepares to dance diagonally across the dance ground while the marimba plays 84 Figure 3.24 The tigre and the león molest Catalina 84 Figure 3.25 The “female” monkey with a rattle 85 Figure 3.26 The “female” monkey with a baby on its back 85 Figure 3.27 A monkey and a león molest a youth dragged from the audience 86 Figure 3.28 Children portray chiquito versions of some key characters 86 Figure 3.29 The rope is anchored in the plaza 87 Figure 3.30 Catalina whips the tigre while don Pedro and an attentive crowd look on 88 ix Illustrations Figure 3.31 A segal and two deer prepare to dance in the courtyard 90 Figure 3.32 The dance pole leans against the northern turret on the façade of the Catholic church with the rope stretched across the plaza 90 Figure 4.1 Freddie Kruger 97 Figure 4.2 Alien vs. Predator 97 Figure 4.3 The Mexican movie star Cantinflas 97 Figure 4.4 Rugrat behind Freddie Kruger 98 Figure 4.5 Barack Obama 98 Figure 4.6 Gandalf the Grey from Lord of the Rings 103 Figure 4.7 The procession of the altar of Santiago through the streets of Momostenango 106 Figure 4.8 Mexicanos precede the procession 106 Figure 4.9 The monos y tigres capture young boys and tie their shoes together 107 Figure 4.10 Eligio performs a Maya ceremony at the sacred site of Pa’ Sabal 109 Figure...