Cuban Folk-Lore

by L. Roy Terwilliger

The other offsprings were given charge of the elements.

Cuasima was chief of the Cemi inferior gods who were the offsprings of Lucuo and the first woman.

Lucuo lived a long time with his people and taught them the first principles of agriculture.

Taking an old man aside he buried a stick in the ground and told him to dig in the same place after nine months had passed; at the end of this period the old man dug up the place as directed and found yuca growing.

The Behique or doctors of the tribe exerted an important influence. They were charged with the perpetuation of the nations history or traditions, which were taught to the children of the nobility in the form of songs which were chanted by them on feast days.

The Behique was also at the head of their religion. Their prayers were directed not to the creator by but to the Mabuya or bad spirit their belief being as “God is good it is not necessary to gain his protection; the devil is bad and it is therefore better for us to adore and propitiate him so that he will work us no ill.”

Their intercessions were made through the medium of the Cemi inferior Gods of whom stone images were erected, and who acted as messengers to the greater Gods. Each Behique had his own particular Cemi called Cochexi who was solely at the command of that special Behique; the Cochexi of some Behique, were regarded as superior to others. The Cemi also had charge of all natural objects such as the springs, the rain, thunder, and dew.

Diseases were very rare and also very violent among the Siboneyes; the Behique cured their followers by medical preparations of herbs and roots, together with magical symbols and by blowing upon them; after fasting and pretending to hold direct communication with their Cemi.

Twice a year great religious feasts were held when the Behiques fasting weeks in advance living only on the juices of certain grains appearing weak and emaciated. After the usual sacrifices to the Cemi they worked themselves into a religious ecstasy; while in this condition they were questioned on subjects of interest, such as the probability of war, battles and death, their answers being received as coming direct from the Gods.

At their fiesta or Gloritas wonderful dances were held several taking hold of each other’s hands then moved themselves to the rhythm of a slow chant and the music of the tom-tom, a hollow trunk of a tree covered by the skin of some wild animal. It was their custom to dance until so exhausted that they fell to the ground. During the dances wine was passed from one to another and drunk without spilling or interrupting the dance. Men and women danced together only on the occasion of a great victory or on the birth or death of a cacique, when no wine was drunk.