Witchcraft in the Southwest: Spanish & Indian Supernaturalism on the Rio Grande

by Marc Simmons

Book Overview

A professional historian, author, editor, and translator, Marc Simmons has published numerous books and monographs on the Southwest as well as articles in more than twenty scholarly and popular journals.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803291167
• ISBN13: 9780803291164
• Release Date: March 1980
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

tales of separate reality

Precolombian Mexicas did not see the Universe as engaged in a monumental struggle between good and evil; most gods had both positive and negative aspects (for example, there were four forms of Tezcatlipoca, some good, some bad). This book shows that men and women that Spaniards called 'witches' were respectable members of the pre-Columbian society, with an ability to shape-shift, heal and send diseases. Following the arrival of Spaniards, the perceived universe suddenly assumed the reflection of a monumental fight between good and evil: A Judeao-Xian God and a devil with his demons (often representing ancient Meso-American deities). The Indians quickly got the basic idea. Old style 'medicine work' became 'witchcraft' (brujeria) associated with the devil and its practitioners became devil's associates. This belief is still very much alive in Southwest as well as in Mexico proper. Simmons, the historian laureate of New Mexico provides examples from old Spanish archives compiled by inquisitors and civil/military authorities on the topic of witchcraft trials in the 18-19th century Southwest pueblos and Navajo lands. Luckily for the accused natives, the Domini Canes of the Spanish Inquisition were different from their murderous counterparts in German- and French speaking countries and often overturned the accusations of witchcraft lodged by Spanish settlers and Pueblo Indians against their neighbors. There are a few sketchy accounts of Navajo 'skinwalkers. Most stories involve disputes between early Spanish settlers and natives (usually women, usually poor) accused of witchcraft. The book is at its strongest when dealing with the examples of Pueblo witchcraft, where the excesses of witchhunting were most egregious and in some cases led to demise of entire villages and Pueblos. The Zuni, Isletas, Yumas and Mojaves all draw the witches up by their hands until they confessed...and were executed in order to nullify their evil power. Everyoine who was even little bit unusual quickly became a suspect during a drought, or an influenza epidemic. Likewise, anyone who excels in any endeavour, or becomes rich comes under suspicion as their energies appear to be devoted to personal aggrandizement rather than the common good. This attitude has survived in a milder fashion to this day. Needless to say, these are stories unlikely to be heard by the casual visitor to the Southwest. The Indians are notoriously reticent and in the case of witchcraft, they do not talk at all. Clyde Kluckhohn himself had to develop a number of ingenious strategies to make Navajos spill their beans (often by picking up hitchikers who were less concerned about being seen...). The book provides a welcome introduction into this fascinating area...definitely recommended for pueblo visitors.

a good choice for the curious, or as a starting point for research

Other reviewers have mentioned that this text is getting to be out of date (it was written in 1976), and that it is not perfectly academic--both of which are true. However, when researching folklore, it would be unwise to discount the importance of rumor, or the ubiquitous "traveller's tale." Simmons evaluates all his material seriously in this book, and I've found that helpful, even in an academic context. He explains sources meticulously, which is crucial. And this isn't a subject that could be properly handled in a series of encyclopedic point-by-point chapters. There's no definite consensus on most of the stories Simmons recounts, and he doesn't try to establish absolute historical fact where it doesn't really exist. (For a more unfiltered source, try _Brujas, Bultos, Y Brasas: Tales of Witchcraft and the Supernatural in the Pecos Valley_, edited by Nasario García--which is hardly more academic but recounts stories word-for-word in the original Spanish alongside English translations, making it a valuable resource for anyone trying to write about the oral history of the supernatural in New Mexico.) That having been said, the book is more an introduction to the topic than anything else. Footnotes would have helped, as would--probably most of all--a complete and practical index. But as an introduction (and a readable text at that), this book works well.

When worlds collide

The subject of witchraft usually creates images associated with evil, a potent brew conjured in a cauldron, pins in a effigy and various other images dating way back in time. The author, Marc Simmons, known for his scholarly investigation into the culture surrounding New Mexcio and the southwest wrote this book in 1980 and continues to stand as one of the most concise books on the subject. Simmons begins his investigative narrative with a brief history of witchcraft prior to and including the Middle Ages and brings the subject into the Inqusition. The book centers on case histories, stories related down through generations, often no doubt embellished with color through time and in general one supernatural story after another. Some of the stories are extremely hard to believe for most of us who are conditioned by western thought. The book explores the role of the curranderos, shamen and medicine men, their means to achieve their goals and the power of prayer, invocations of saints names and the cross. There are plenty of stories of murder and mayhem," flying" witches, people changing into animals and more tales from the dark side.What is most interesting about his book is how the Indians themselves dealt with witches in their midsts and the resulting conflict with anglo culture that was based on perceptions steeped in (Catholic) Christianity. The case studies are all documented, as incredible as they are and the anthropological data is nothing short of amazing revelations into the conflicts of two worlds. The native inhabitants of the New World had beliefs of their own, much of which was destroyed but the surviving ethnohistorical documents reveal a pagan culture that was at complete odds with the Europeans who arrived from Spain. This is a fascinating look at a subject not often thought of in terms of witchcraft along the Rio Grande. If you like history, Indian belief systems and the role of religion for good and bad than this book is for you. Recommended for history buffs interested in the area of the southwest, specifically New Mexico and Arizona and the collision of two worlds.