The bull roarer, made from a dry seed pod, is popular in some villages
and is probably one of the few toys used by the natives before the
conquest.
Cricket, baseball, marbles, kites, and spinning tops have been
introduced among the Indians of British Honduras, and all have their
devotees.
RELIGION
The Indians, who are extremely superstitious, believe that the air is
full of _pishan_, or souls of the dead. They imagine that these souls
are at liberty at all times to return to earth, and that at certain
seasons they are compelled to do so. They are regarded as being capable
of enjoying the spirit, though not the substance, of food or drink
provided for them. Some of these _pishan_ the Indians believe to be
friendly and some inimical to mortals. They believe also in spirits,
usually mischievous or harmful, known as _xtabai_, who often take the
form of beautiful women, though they have never been human. The natives
will whisper a message into the ear of a corpse with the certainty of
having it conveyed to a friend or relative in the next world. They
firmly believe that the clay images of the gods upon incense burners, at
one time found in considerable numbers in forests which had been uncut
since the days of their ancestors, live, walk about, and dance at
certain seasons. Another belief held by the Indians is that the images
of Christian saints are endowed at times with life and perform acts
desired by their devotees. A celebrated wooden image, supposed to
represent San Bernardo, was credited with considerable powers in this
respect, and when an Indian wanted rain for his milpa, the return of an
errant wife, or any similar blessing, he would come and pray to the
image to obtain it for him. On one occasion an Indian came asking the
saint to aid him in the recovery of pigs which he had lost, and on
returning to his village found that the pigs had arrived home before
him. Next day he returned with the intention of making an offering to
the saint, and incidentally to the owner of the house where the image
was kept. He found the poor Santo with torn clothes and many burs
sticking all over him. On inquiring how this happened he was informed
that the saint had been out in the bush hunting for pigs, a quest which
had given him a great deal of trouble before he could find and drive
them home, and that when he got back he was tired out, his clothes torn
by thorns, and covered with burs--an explanation with which the Indian
was perfectly satisfied.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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