El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-16

cave and fed with seven living children
every year. The belief among the New
MexicanS Of this myth is widespread
and the gradual disappearance Of the
Pueblo indians is accounted for in their
opinion, by the sacrifices to the mon
ster yipers
The well known myth of the basilisk,
myth found in nearly all countries,
Is widely extended in New Mexico and
there has one element which distin-
cuisines 1t from the oasillsk myth OF
otner nations. In other countries where
the myth appears it is believed that
the basilisk is born from an egg laid
by q cock. But according to the New
Mexican belief the basilisk is said to
be born from an old hen. There is no
egg connected with the myth at all.
After hen is seven years old she no
longer lays eggs and she may give
birth to baSilisk.
The Old Hen Myth.
hen which is known to be more
than seven years OF age should be
killed, lest she give birth to basilisk.
Not only in this respect is the New
Mexican myth different from that Of
Spain and Chile the basilsk in New
Mexico is not like snake, it is not
a serpent or reptile, it has a shapeless
ugly form resembling a deformed chick
ano is of black color. So it is described
by New Mexican, who after going to
tracted by the cackling of a hen, found
a basflisk, fortunately dead.
Any female bird OF fowl may give
birth to a basilisk. Everywhere in New
Mexico the myth is the same. AS to the
deadly effect of the eye of the basilisk,
the New Mexico myth is the same as
In other countries If the baSiliSk sees
a person first the person dies; If the
person sees the basiiisk first the basil
lisk dies. The story is told that in
certain place there was a basilisk in
a magpie's nest on top of tree and
the people who passed by were seen
by 1t and died
Finally it was suspected that there
was basilisk up in the tree, and
morror being placed near the nest the
basilisk saw itself there and died The
belief that the basilisk dies when be-
holding its own image is also a preva-
lent one in all countries where the
myth is found. Even the mirror story.
with slight ariations is one that is
found in Chile, France and Spain In
France the basilisk is also found in
wells. and may be k.iied by placing a
mirror over the well and allowing the
oasllisk to see its own image.
VI ghost stories there is no end.
When a person dies everybody fears his
return: Children who may sometimes
afraid he will pull their toes at night.
AND the grownups have greater fears.
People argue long and eagerly as to
whether the departed soul has gone to
heaven, he'll or purgztory
A child under seven does not sin, and
II baptized goes to heaven; but If 1T
has already nursed it must pass the
flames of purgatory to atone for hav-
ing nursed. If older then seven the dead
person commits sin, is responsible for
1t and God will Judge him.
When a person goes to heaven he
usually appears to one of his relatives,
In dream or otherwise, and gives him
the information so that no prayers need
to be offered for him. II he is in hell
he may likewise be given by God the
permission to come to the world to in
form his relatives not for him
he lc damned Those who go to purga-
tory are also allowed to come to earth
OF various errandS, the same as those
who &c 10 heaven
They may come to tell their relatives
to pray for them, to pay certain debts
which they failed to pay, to reveal GER
tain truths which they had kept secret,
to tell their relatives to fulfill oer-