in field work, hunting, despatching the dead,
etc.; and in this way they also give thanks for the harvest. By
dancing and with tesvino they express all their wants to the gods,
or, as a Tarahumare told me, "We pray by dancing and the gourd."

With the dances is always connected the sacrifice of an animal;
the greater portion of the meat is eaten by the people themselves,
who, beside, bring forth all kinds of nice food, the best they
have. Such dancing festivals, as a matter of course, are given either
by individuals or by the community. It is thought that Tara Dios
himself comes down each time to make his demands on the Tarahumares
for dancing and sacrificing. He communicates his wishes in a dream
to someone, not necessarily a shaman; and in the dry season, when the
Indians begin to prepare their fields, most of these notices come and
are generally made known to all at a race, where many people always
come together. During all these months hardly a day passes without
a messenger being sent out from some place in the country to advise
one or the other of the principal shamans that God has come down and
demanded a feast. Sometimes Tata Dios asks for an ox to be killed;
at other times he wants only a sheep. Frequently he indicates that
the animal must be white; on other occasions he is not particular
about the colour. The threat is added that if the sacrifice is not
forthcoming, and the people do not dance soon, all the corn will
be burned up, and they will have to die of hunger. Or, if there has
been too much rain, the notice may say that, unless they sacrifice
and dance at once, all will be drowned, because it is going to rain
tremendously. Occasionally it is directed that they dance only a
little while, then rest, then dance again; or else they have to keep
on dancing for a night and a day, or two nights in succession. When a
great many sacrifices have been made and animals begin to be scarce,
Tara Dios may have to content himself with iskiate and tortillas. The
people may continue to make feasts and to dance, and yet get no other
results but fresh messages, ordering still more sacrifices. Then the
Indians begin to argue with Tata Dios that he must not be so greedy;
he has filled himself up with oxen and sheep and tesvino, and they
cannot give him any more. When such revolt seems imminent the shaman
may throw out an ominous hint that the sacrifices have to be made;
for what would the Tarahumares say if Tata Dios wanted