The Nautch dances reach the acme of voluptuousness, and the accompanying chants are filled with suggestiveness. The author here quoted says that Holica was the Indian Venus.
An eminent authority says that “this red powder (gulàl) is a sign of a bad design of an adulterous character. During the holi holidays the Maharaj throws gulàl on the breasts of female and male devotees, and directs the current of some water of a yellow color from a syringe upon the breasts of females.”—(Inman, “Ancient Faiths embodied in Ancient Names,” p. 393.)
This “yellow water” may be a survival of and a refinement upon urine. The Apaches and Navajoes, close neighbors of the Zuñis, have had until very recently (and may still celebrate) the dance of the Joshkân, in which clowns scatter upon the spectators, from bladders wound round their bodies, water, said to be representative of urine.
Among the Aztecs there was a festival allowing the fullest license to clowns, armed with bladders filled with red powder or fine pieces of maguey paper attached by strings to short poles. With these bladders all persons caught in the streets, especially women and girls, were mercilessly buffeted.—(Sahagun, vol. ii. in Kingsborough’s “Mexican Antiquities,” vol. vi. p. 33, and again vol. vii. p. 83.)
His account says that in the seventeenth month, which was called “Tititl,” and corresponded almost to our winter solstice, the Mexican year being divided into eighteen months of twenty days each, beginning with our February, the Aztec populace played a game called “nechichiquavilo.”
All the men and boys who wished to play this game made little bags or nets, filled with the pollen of the rush, called “espadaña,” or with paper cut in fine pieces. These were attached to cords or ribbons half a yard long, in such a manner that a blow could be struck with them. Others made these bags like gloves, which they stuffed as above stated, or with leaves of green maize. No one was allowed, under penalty, to put into these bags any stones, or anything else which could hurt.
The boys at once began to play this game, in the way of a sham-battle, hitting each other on the head, or wherever else they could. As the fun increased the more mischievous of the boys began to beat the young maidens passing along the street. At times three or four young boys would attack one girl, and beat her so hard as to weary her and make her cry. The more prudent of the young girls, in going from point to point, carried a club with which to defend themselves. Some of the boys concealed the bag, and when any old women carelessly approached they would suddenly begin to beat them, crying out, “Chichiquatzinte mantze!”—which means, “Our mother, this is the bag of the game!”[89]
The following is Torquemada’s description:—
“In the festival in honor of the goddess Yamatecuhtli, or “principal old woman,” in the seventeenth month of the Mexican calendar, all the people of the city made bags after the manner of purses, and stuffed them full of hay and straw and other things, which would have no weight and do no harm, and, attaching them to a cord, carried them hidden under their cloaks. With these bags they buffeted all the women they met on the street.”[90]—(Torquemada, “Monarchia Indiana,” lib. x. cap. 29.)
He recognizes the similarity between this and the blind-man’s-buff games of other countries.