Moreover, hikuli is a powerful protector of its people under all circumstances, and it gives luck.  If a man carries some hikuli in his belt, the bear cannot bite him and the deer cannot run away, but become quite tame and can easily be killed.  Should he meet Apaches, hikuli would prevent them from firing off their guns at him.  It gives luck in foot-races and all kinds of games, in climbing trees, etc.  Hikuli is the great safeguard against witchcraft.  It sees even better than the shamans, and it watches that nothing bad is put into the food.  The Christian Tarahumares, when they partake of hikuli, think that the devil runs out of their stomachs.  Hikuli purifies any man who is willing to sacrifice a sheep and to make native beer.  There is, however, no remedy for a murderer; not even hikuli can cure him.

The Christian Tarahumares make the sign of the cross when coming into the presence of the plant, and I was told to lift my hat to it.  It is always saluted in the same way as a man, and is supposed to make the customary responses to the salutations.  Hikuli is not as great as Father Sun, but sits next to him.  It is the brother of Tata Dios; and the greatest hikuli is his twin brother, and is therefore called uncle.

Sometimes these plants are dressed up in pieces of blankets, and cigarettes are placed before them.  Boys must not touch hikuli, and women only when they act as the shaman’s assistants and have to grind it.  As a matter of fact, only shamans can handle it properly, and even they wash their hands carefully, and sometimes elect not to touch it at all, making use of little sticks instead of their fingers.  Certain shamans washed their hands and rinsed their mouths immediately after eating from my vessels, because hikuli would be angry with them for eating strange food cooked by strange people.

Hikuli is not kept in the house, because it is extremely virtuous, and might become offended at the sight of anything immodest.  It is placed in a special jar or basket, in a separate store-house, and is never taken out until tesvino and meat have been offered to it.  If this were neglected, it would eat the Indian’s soul.  If anything happens to hikuli—­for instance, if irreverent mice eat it—­the owner fears that he may be made crazy as a punishment for his failure to guard it.  If anyone should steal hikuli, he would be sure to go crazy, unless he returned the plant to its original owner.  He must also kill an ox and make a big feast, in order to set himself right again with the mighty god and with the people.

After four years, hikuli grows old and mouldy, and loses its virtues.  It is then buried in a corner of the cave or the house, or taken to the place where it came from, and fresh plants are obtained instead.  According to tradition, when Tata Dios went to heaven in the beginning of the world, he left hikuli behind as the great remedy of the people, Hikuli has four faces and sees everything.  Its power is well shown in the following myth: