The Gueguence A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua Part 2

In this dialect several satirical and political songs have been composed, and, indeed, the licentiate Geronimo Perez, of Masaya, is stated to have printed in it a political pamphlet, which I regret not to have been able to obtain.

Such is the jargon in which the _Gueguence_ is written, and although this medley of tongues can claim no position of dignity in the hierarchy of languages, it has its own peculiar points of interest, as ill.u.s.trating the laws of the degradation--which is but another term for the evolution and progress--of human speech. To understand its origin and position as a literary effort, we must review the development of scenic representations in that part of the New World.

-- 2. _The Bailes, or Dramatic Dances of Nicaragua._

The historian, Fernandez de Oviedo, who was in Nicaragua in 1529, gives a long account of the dramatic representations, or rites, accompanied by songs, dances and masked actors, which he witnessed among the natives of both Nahuatl and Mangue lineage in that province. They took place at stated seasons, and at certain epochs in the year. The name which he gives as that by which they were locally known is _mitote_, which is the Aztec _mitotl_, a dance. He himself calls them _areytos_, a Haytian word from the Arawack _aririn_, to sing, and _bailes_, which is Spanish, from a cla.s.sical root, and means dances.

One which he saw at Tecoatega, at that time a Nahuatl village, was celebrated at the close of the cacao harvest and in honor of the G.o.d of that plant. It offered a curious symbolism, which makes us keenly regret the absence of a full explanation by some learned native. In the centre of the village square a straight pole was set up about forty feet in height. On its summit was placed the image of the G.o.d, brilliantly colored, in a sitting position. Around the top of the pole a stout gra.s.s rope was tightly wound, its two free ends pa.s.sing over a wooden platform.

When the ceremony began, about seventy men appeared, some dressed as women, some with masks and head-dresses of feathers, and all painted skillfully on the naked flesh to imitate handsome costumes. They danced in pairs, and sang in chorus certain songs, to the sound of the sacred drums. After about half an hour, two boys, who had been attached to the free ends of the rope, threw themselves from the platform into the air, in such a manner that they turned round and round the pole, unwinding the rope, and thus gradually descended toward the ground. One boy held in one hand a bow, in the other, some arrows; his companion held in one hand a fan or plume of feathers, in the other a mirror, such as the natives made of polished obsidian. As they descended, which, says the narrator, required about as long a time as one might repeat the Creed five or six times, the dancers ceased their song, and only the players on the instruments, some ten or a dozen in number, continued their noise. But, just as the boys, by the increasing length of the unwound cord, touched the soil, all present set up a great shout, and the festival ceased.[25] The cut which I have inserted is taken from Oviedo's history, and represents the performance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ANCIENT DANCE IN NICARAGUA.]

To one familiar with Nahuatl symbolism, the meaning of this ceremony is, in a general way, obvious. The seated divinity on the summit of the pole represents the G.o.d of fertility throned in the heavens. The two boys are the messengers he sends to earth; the arrows refer to the lightnings which he hurls below; the feather fan typifies the breezes and the birds; the mirror, the waters and rains. After the mortals have prayed in chants, for a certain season, the G.o.d sends his messengers; men wait in suspense their arrival, whether it shall be for good or for ill hap; and as they reach the earth, a shout of joy is raised, for the food has ripened and been gathered in, and the harvest-home is ended.

In the same century the traveler Giralamo Benzoni, who visited Nicaragua about 1540, was much impressed with the native dances. At certain ones, as many as three or four thousand Indians a.s.sembled, some dancing, others playing on drums, while others, who formed the chorus, carried on the singing. The dancers displayed great agility, and practiced a large variety of figures. They were ornamented with feathers and plumes, and strings of sh.e.l.ls were attached to their arms and legs.[26]

The Mangues of Chiapas, or the Chapanecs, near relatives, as we have seen, of the Mangues of Nicaragua, were famous in the days of Thomas Gage, the English priest, who traveled through Mexico and Nicaragua about 1630,[27] for their dexterity in games and the elaborate scenery of their dramatic representations. "As for acting of Plays," he says, "this is a common part of their solemn Pastimes."

This pa.s.sion for scenic performances was by no means peculiar to these tribes. It extended throughout almost the whole of the Red Race, and there are many relics of it which have survived. The older authors refer to it frequently, and the early missionaries, finding that they could not extinguish it, sought to turn it to good account by subst.i.tuting for the native plays, which were idolatrous or licentious, moral and instructive pieces. They encouraged the more intelligent natives and half-breeds to prepare such, and they were acted in connection with church festivals.

But it would be an error to suppose that these attempts succeeded completely in abolis.h.i.+ng the older forms, or quenched entirely the tribal historical character of these ceremonies. Even within our own generation the contrary of this has been recognized by close observers. Thus the _cura_ of Jutiapa, a town in Guatemala, Don Jose Antonio Urrutia, wrote, in 1856: "In most of the Indian towns the custom is still general of preserving a knowledge of great events in their history by means of representations, called _bailes_ (dances), which are, in fact, dances in the public squares, on the days or evenings of great solemnities. It is most interesting for one who understands something of the language to partic.i.p.ate in these _bailes_, as he can thereby obtain some knowledge of the most remote traditions and events in the history of the Indians."[28]

Confining our attention to the limits of Nicaragua, we find that the different _bailes_ represented there within the memory of persons still living may be arranged in five different cla.s.ses:--

1. Simple dances.

2. Dances with songs.

3. Dances with prose recitation.

4. Scenic recitations with music, by a single actor. These are called _Logas_.

5. Complete dramas, with music, ballets, dialogue, and costumes.

Most of these have a religious purpose. Thus, it is still a common custom, in case of sickness or impending danger, to make a vow that, in case of escape, the person will dance before the image of some saint on a certain day, at a certain place, usually at a festival.[29] Such dances are sometimes accompanied with songs or chants of praise, or are performed in silence. The performer is usually masked or in costume.

It would be erroneous to suppose that there is much gaiety in their dances. At least, it is not apparent to foreign eyes. The music is monotonous and almost lugubrious, the singing is all in the minor key, and the motions are dull, mechanical and ungraceful. A European traveler has, indeed, characterized these spectacles rather as an exhibition of profound melancholy, than outbursts of merriment, and has instanced them as a proof of the psychical inferiority of the race![30]

Some of them, even to this day, as continued by the lower half-caste population, are accused of an indecency which may be a reminiscence of ancient Indian religious rites;[31] for we know that the native Nicaraguans celebrated a festival strictly similar to that in ancient Babylon, so condemned by the prophet, during which every woman, of whatever cla.s.s, had the right to yield her person to whom she would, without incurring blame or exciting jealousy.

The _Logas_ seem to be peculiar to the Mangues. A small theatre is extemporized, music is provided, and the actor comes forward, arrayed in some odd garb, and recites a sort of poem, with gestures and dancing movements. The text of one of these was obtained at Namotiva by Dr. Berendt, and is in my possession. It is ent.i.tled, _Loga del Nino Dios_, and contains about two hundred lines. The language is a corrupt Spanish, with a number of Mangue words interspersed. The exordium reads--

"Atienda, Senores, Pongan atencion Del Mangue tiyo Pegro La conversacion."

The theme is an address to the patron saints and the infant Jesus, but the tone is that of a burlesque, rather than a serious composition. The costume of the orator, and his surroundings, the little theatre, the holy infant, etc., are represented in the frontispiece to this work, from a sketch taken from life.[32]

Frequently a number of persons join in the dance. Such is one, still occasionally seen, called _Las Inditas_, the Little Indian Girls.

The period of its celebration is on the day of St. Jerome. The women are masked, and wear a loose mantle, a skirt with lace edging, a sash of rose color, and a hat with feathers. They carry bouquets and have a silk handkerchief fastened around the waist, the ends meeting over the hips. The men are in grotesque costumes, with ugly masks. They dance in couples, but without touching each other. The music is the marimba and the guitar. The songs usually turn on some matter of local interest.

Another favorite dance is the _Baile de Chinegritos_, celebrated by the Mangues. This name is applied to the masqueraders who take part in it. They wear a cap of black straw, and the body is naked to the waist, and painted. Each carries a stick or the dried yard of a bull, and in turn lifts a companion from the ground and strikes him with the whip. One, who keeps himself apart from the rest, is called the _rucia_, or _yeguita_, the mare. He is in a framework of cane adorned with women's skirts and colored handkerchiefs, supposed to represent some animal. There is no fixed day for the dance, but it is usually carried out in fulfillment of a vow. A variety of this _baile_, called _Chinegritos a caballo_, is performed by mounted actors, in brilliant costumes, with gaily caparisoned horses. They are accompanied by music, and draw up in front of a house, where they sing a song with a monotonous chorus, _le-le-le-le-le-le-le-li-u_.

The _Baile de Negritos_ is celebrated on the festivals of St. James and St. Anna. The partic.i.p.ants are on horseback, themselves and their steeds adorned with bright-colored sashes and garlands of flowers. They all wear the _mosote_, or black straw hat, from which this and the preceding dance derive their names.[33] The songs which they sing are called _Ensaladas_, salads or medleys, and usually contain personal allusions.

The _Baile de Toro-Guaca_, the Dance of the Graveyard Bull,[34] as it may be rendered, is presented on the festival of the Virgin, of St. Jerome, and other days, in accordance with a vow. It requires fourteen dancers and seventeen masqueraders. The "bull" is represented by a framework of reeds, surmounted by a pair of horns and gaily decorated.

Other such exhibitions are called the _Baile de diablitos_, _Baile de la Yeguita_, _Baile de San Roman_, _Baile de San Martin_, _Baile del Toro y Venado_, _Baile del Mantudo_ (in which a desperado, with numerous _chichiltes_, small bells, appears), besides some representations of Bible scenes, as the combat between David and Goliath, etc.

Although most of these are accompanied by songs, and some by dialogues, they do not seem to reach to the height of a plot, or to the depicting of character or emotion. Beside them, however, and no doubt to take the place of original compositions of a similar kind, were complete dramatic creations.

Many of these were religious or historical plays, arranged by the clergy, and offer little of interest. But some were of a secular character, and appear to refer to historical events.

One was The _Ollita_ or _Canahuate_. It was acted in the Mangue tongue at Masaya as late as 1822, but the text is, unfortunately, lost. The _Ollita_ is the name of the whistling jar, on which, and on the drum, a lugubrious musical accompaniment was played. The name _Canahuate_ is said to have been that of a dialect of the Mangue.

The plot turned on a proposed marriage between an old man, richly dressed in Spanish garb, and a native princess. The chorus and a.s.sistants carried bows, arrows and quivers, which would seem to point to an early date as that of the supposed transaction.

-- 3. _Nicaraguan Musical Instruments and Music._

The musical instruments of the natives of Nicaragua, mentioned by Oviedo, are drums, flutes of reeds, and _excoletes_, or trumpets.

This, however, by no means exhausted the list, and several others of similar powers have been retained to the present day, and have been referred to by travelers as local curiosities. Thus, Mr. Squier writes as follows, in describing a festival in Leon de Nicaragua: "It is impossible to describe the strange instruments. One consisted of a large calabash, over which was stretched the skin of some animal; this, when pressed in, recoiled with a dull, sullen noise, like the suppressed bellow of a wild beast, and the wail of some of the long reeds was like that of a man in the agonies of a violent death."[35]

The memoranda that I have obtained from various sources enable me to supply this omission of the distinguished traveler, and to make out the following list, which probably is not exhaustive.

The most elaborate is the _Marimba_. Some writers say that both the name and instrument are of African derivation, having been introduced by the negroes. Others a.s.sert that the Indians have known the marimba time out of mind, and undoubtedly invented it. Certain it is, that they develop singular skill in its management.

A good description and ill.u.s.tration of it are given by von Tempsky, from whose work I extract them.[36]

"They [the Indians of Central America] are still very fond of dancing, and are very good musicians, performing on a peculiar instrument, a native invention of antique date, the Marimba. A long, horizontal stick supports a number of jicaras (or long, cylindrical calabashes), arranged near one another, according to size, from two feet in depth to four or three inches. Over the mouth of each of them is drawn a thin piece of bladder, and over it, at the distance of a quarter of an inch, are flat pieces of a very hard wood, arranged like the claviature of a piano. These oblong pieces of wood are supported on a frame of light wood, joined to the long stick that supports the row of jicaras underneath. Two light legs sustain the little piano, partly on the ground, and a hoop connects it with the player, who sits within the hoop, pressing it on a bench.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A MARIMBA PLAYER AND HIS INSTRUMENT.]

"Two long drumsticks, with b.a.l.l.s of India rubber at their heads, are in the hands of the player, who strikes double notes at every touch of the wooden claviature, with the resounding jicaras underneath.

The sound of this instrument is charming, clear, limpid in its tones, like the intonation of a harp string of wire. The Indians produce the justest and sweetest double notes, and blend a rattling tune together in very harmonious chords. Their talent for playing this instrument by ear is astonis.h.i.+ng; in a day, they will pick up the most difficult air, and play it with a good deal of expression, accompanied with a chant of their own composition."

Instead of calabashes, earthen jars of various sizes are occasionally used to suspend beneath the key pieces; or, what in some districts is equally common, they are vertical tubes of cedar wood (_Cedrela odorata_). As described by the traveler Morelet, these tubes are twenty-two in number, all of equal diameter, varying in length from ten to forty centimeters, and forming three complete octaves without semitones.[37] In many of the _bailes_ this is the favorite means of music, and it is often a.s.sociated with the guitar.

That it was not unknown to the ancient Aztecs seems shown from the following drawing from an original Mexican painting in Duran's _Historia_, where the player does not appear to be striking a drum, but the keys of the marimba, or an instrument of that nature.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ANCIENT AZTEC MUSICIAN.]

The _Drum_ was, and remains, a favorite instrument in Central America. It is usually formed of a hollow piece of wood, which is struck with sticks. In Nicaragua, however, some of the natives use a short piece of bamboo, over the ends of which a skin is stretched.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NICARAGUAN INDIANS PLAYING ON THE DRUM.]

This is held in the left hand and struck with the tips of the fingers or the knuckles of the right hand, keeping time to the chant or song of the performer, while he throws himself into striking and extraordinary att.i.tudes. The ill.u.s.tration on the preceding page, from a sketch by Dr. Berendt, shows their manner of performing on this instrument.

These two varieties of drums were also known to the ancient Mexicans. They called the one which was struck with the hand the _huehuetle_, "ancient object," and that played by sticks, _teponaztli_.