Surviving in the Rainforest:
The Realities of Looting in the Rural Villages of El Petén, Guatemala

Magic and Folklore Related to Looting

Since the European Conquest and Colonial times, the population of Mesoamerica has gone through a process of change in its oral tradition, beliefs and native cosmo-vision. Today, beliefs and cultural values change according to socio-economic, political, and religious backgrounds. Many of the characters and stories that are part of the local folklore are products of the syncretism of European and Native American traditions and it is common to find traces of them in the Old World and other countries of Latin America.

While the Spanish conquerors were trying to destroy all traces of what they considered pagan practices (books, shrines, local traditional dances, and festivals), they were also introducing a new religion and new cultural manifestations that replaced the native ones. Spanish oral tradition took shape in a new context, giving birth to a series of characters that are part of the folktales of most of the rural areas and towns of Guatemala. Ghosts in the form of monks, women, dogs, dwarfs, and even the devil himself, are the main characters that haunt the old streets and villages, and in several cases are related to important historical events. The Duende, for example, is a Pan-Mesoamerican character in the shape of a short man, who haunts not only in towns, but also in forests and other isolated areas. In the Guatemalan highlands it is known as Alux, and likes to play tricks on people and court beautiful girls. In the Petén lowlands, however, it is very popular in the chiclero camps’ folktales and is regarded as an evil spirit. ²⁹ 

Worldwide, antiquities are thought to attract spirits of past times. Beliefs of hidden treasures are widespread in Guatemala, México and other Central American countries. In towns and in the old parts of the cities, the appearance of floating lights over specific spots is a signal of a treasure that should be excavated, so that the deceased can sleep in peace. Some requirements have to be followed though, and the person who does the excavation should not tell anyone in order to prevent the spell from breaking. The rural population of El Petén has not escaped this cultural phenomenon. Although believing or not is a personal decision, some supernatural experiences are familiar to looters, whether they occur to them or to others. These could be listed under what I call "Looting Folklore". It is interesting to see how oral tradition, as part of local culture also plays a role in an activity that destroys other aspects of culture, such as archaeological remains.

Endnote

29. Ambrosio Sierra, camp foreman of La Toronja in the 1996-1997 season, lost his little daughter in a chiclero camp four years ago. Crews from other camps were sent into the forest to look for her, but only her small footprints were seen, disappearing in the jungle five leguas (ten km.) away from the camp (an unusual distance for a 3 year-old child to walk in few hours). News spread to all the chiclero camps and the official version is that the duende enchanted her and took her away.

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