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  1. TopTop #1
    Dark Shadows
     

    The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    The Yaqui
    Curandero

    as told by
    Mrs. Carmen Garcia

    A poor, old Yaqui man had twelve sons. When the thirteenth son came along no one wanted to take him as a god-son. Yaquis believe that the god-parents are obligated to christen three children in a row from that family, and thirteen sons was just one too many.
    The father became very angry. "I go now," he said, "and the first person I meet shall be my compadre."
    He went toward the mountains and saw a man coming toward him. He was a tall and distinguished-looking person, muy simpatico.
    "Where do you go?" the stranger asked the father of the thirteen sons.
    "Anywhere."
    "You go in search of someone to serve as your compadre?"
    "Yes, how did you know?"
    "I am the devil, and I will serve as your
    compadre."
    "I am but a poor man," said the father. "You are for the rich who can make deals with you. Vete." And the devil went off in a whirlwind, which is how he travels, in those dust devils.
    The father of the thirteen sons went on traveling and met a second man. This man was tall, slender, and dressed all in black. In his hand he held a sword. This one said to the father of the thirteen sons, "And where do you go, my good man?"
    "I go in search of someone who would be my compadre."
    "I will serve you, if you give me your son when I ask. He will grow up to a very good healer, the best curandero of all."
    The father asked him, "And who are you?"
    "I am Death."
    "Well, as you take from the rich as well as from the poor, and make all equal, you shall be my compadre." This the father said, "Be at the church this coming Sunday for the christening."
    Thus it was that Death appeared at the thirteenth christening.
    When the boy reached his thirteenth birthday, his god-father appeared and said to the
    father, "I told you I would make this boy into a great healer. Leave him to me for instruction, as you promised."
    Since that was the agreement, the father had to let his son go. The boy and his god-father entered into a hill in the forest, and into a large room. There were other rooms, all as big, and in each room there were flowers and rows upon rows of candles burning.
    These candles were the lives of all people, the boy's god-father said to him. If the candle was tall, and just beginning to burn, that person had a long life to live. If the candle had burned half-way, that person had only half his life left, and if the candle was nearly gone, that person was going to die soon.
    Death showed his god-father an herb. "This herb is used for curing." Death taught the boy: "Each time you visit a sick person, I will be there. When you see my form at the head of the sick one, you will use this herb to cure him. But when you see me at the foot of the sick one, then you know he must die. Give him no medicine."
    So the boy went out to cure, and in a short time he was a good curandero, the best. Word of his skill went out and since he always asked a great deal of money, he was rich by the time he was thirty years.
    Finally, it happened that a very rich man who was very sick called the curandero and said that if he could cure him, the curandero could marry his daughter.
    When the curandero saw Death standing at the rich man's feet, he knew what he must do. But then he looked at the young daughter and, infatuated by her beauty and the thought of being her husband, he quickly turned the rich man about so that Death now stood at his head. The curandero administered the medicine, while his godfather looked on -black and angry.
    The rich man got well, and the young girl was very happy. "Now, let us go to the church," she said to the curandero.
    The wedding was held, complete with Pascolas, but before the fiesta could start, Death appeared at the door of the church. To his godson he said, "Well, I see that you got yourself married."
    "Yes," replied the godson, and he thought within himself, "What can he do to me? After all, I am his godson."
    "Come with me," said Death and he held his godson so firmly that the young man could not resist. They went back to the cave of the candles. Some of them were just beginning to burn, others were half-gone;. still others flickered weakly or lay about, extinguished on the ground.
    "See, these are the Yaqui men's lives," Death said. His godson begged to be shown his own candle.
    "This is your candle," said Death, pointing to one burned not even halfway down.
    And Death blew it out.
    As printed in Larry Evers, ed. The South Corner of Time. Tucson, Ariz.: The University of Arizona Press, ©1980, p. 209-210.
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  2. TopTop #2
    LenInSebastopol
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Dang.
    That reminds me of the stories mi abuelita told me as a child. Thanks. That added a warm touch to this evening.
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  3. TopTop #3
    Tars's Avatar
    Tars
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dark Shadows: View Post
    A poor, old Yaqui man had twelve sons. When the thirteenth son came along no one wanted to take him as a god-son.
    One word: vasectomy.
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  4. TopTop #4
    LenInSebastopol
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Tars: View Post
    One word: vasectomy.
    It's a cultural thing.
    Around most places, by most people, on most of the planet children are a blessing, bringing joy & happiness, not a curse.
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  5. TopTop #5
    Dark Shadows
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Come on, this is an old, old story-they didn't even have vasectomies back then. Why can't you take it for what it's worth? In those days having a lot of sons was like having money in the bank because they help you with farm work, huntiing and protecting the home and women-folk. My own father wanted sons (but had none) and I had to live with being a disappointment because I should have been a boy. Each one of my daughters had boys names before I found out they were girls, Zachery, Jackson and Seth. I named one of my dogs Zack, and a horse Jack. No Seths yet. Seth just doesn't seem like a dog or a horse name, even a cat would be pushing it.

    Have you been fixed? Don't suggest it to anyone unless you're willing to do it yourself. It's a painful procedure, regardless of what they tell you.
    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Tars: View Post
    One word: vasectomy.
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  6. TopTop #6
    Tars's Avatar
    Tars
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dark Shadows: View Post
    Come on, this is an old, old story-they didn't even have vasectomies back then. Why can't you take it for what it's worth?
    OK, I'll take it for what it's worth. No intended insult to anyone's religion, but it's just a lame parable.

    First of all - Devil - Devil? ooOOo!

    The moral of the story seems to be that 13's an unlucky number. Lame-o!

    The thirteenth son, who did nothing wrong, suffers a horrible fate. The one who should have been punished was the old fart who couldn't keep his dick in his breeches.

    Quote Have you been fixed? Don't suggest it to anyone unless you're willing to do it yourself. It's a painful procedure, regardless of what they tell you.
    OK then, at least the old knucklehead could have practiced the rhythym method; that's been around as long as women have been menstruating.
    He was producing children and then handing them off to other people to raise? Lame - Lame - LAME!

    Some old parables are best forgotten.
    Last edited by Tars; 06-12-2010 at 04:45 PM.
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  7. TopTop #7
    Dark Shadows
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Get off it Tars, it's a Yaqui legend. Don't go trying to read meanings into a parable that just aren't there. It's a story and that's all, nobody is making life decisions based on a story. What have you been reading lately? Do you take everything seriously? What about the Bible? Do you believe everything that was written there? Do you read the Koran? What book and teachings do you follow?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Tars: View Post
    OK, I'll take it for what it's worth. No intended insult to anyone's religion, but it's just a lame parable.

    First of all - Devil - Devil? ooOOo!

    The moral of the story seems to be that 13's an unlucky number. Lame-o!

    The thirteenth son, who did nothing wrong, suffers a horrible fate. The one who should have been punished was the old fart who couldn't keep his dick in his breeches.
    Have you been fixed? Don't suggest it to anyone unless you're willing to do it yourself. It's a painful procedure, regardless of what they tell you.[/quote]

    OK then, at least the old knucklehead could have practiced the rhythym method; that's been around as long as women have been menstruating.
    He was producing children and then handing them off to other people to raise? Lame - Lame - LAME!

    Some old parables are best forgotten.[/quote]
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  8. TopTop #8
    Tars's Avatar
    Tars
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    OK..If it hasn't already been done, perhaps it can be put into the Gutenberg Project website, where anyone interested in lame old Yaqui legends can find it. It can reside in its mundane mediocrity forever. And noboney else need have it inflicted on them.
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  9. TopTop #9
    Dark Shadows
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    Tars,

    You have a choice to read or not to read. Nobody is "inflicting" anything on you. So why don't you mind your own business and go back to your hermit cave?
    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Tars: View Post
    OK..If it hasn't already been done, perhaps it can be put into the Gutenberg Project website, where anyone interested in lame old Yaqui legends can find it. It can reside in its mundane mediocrity forever. And noboney else need have it inflicted on them.
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  10. TopTop #10
    LenInSebastopol
     

    Re: The Yaqui (Yacqui) Curandero

    We see it moves you only to ridicule with meanings so deep as to have you voice your take on stories that carried some folks over a threshold of reflection. As you are far above all that one could thank you for your insights, however the time wasted would benefit none. For those that had no personification of a devil or death, I can only wish to thank you for your contribution. But as you may note, a wish falls far short of what is real.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Tars: View Post
    OK..If it hasn't already been done, perhaps it can be put into the Gutenberg Project website, where anyone interested in lame old Yaqui legends can find it. It can reside in its mundane mediocrity forever. And noboney else need have it inflicted on them.
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