Mexican Indians Glow in the Dark August 11, 2014
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
***thanks to Borky for the material behind this post***
The Pueblo revolt of 1680 took place in what is the Rio Grande. It was a well planned operation on the part of the local Indians against their Spanish overlords, who had dominated the territory for almost a century previously. Led by a mysterious medicine man named Popé the revolt proved, in fact, a bloody success. The Spanish did not come back for a decade and when they returned they did so on the tribes’ terms. There are few anti-colonial rebellions that can boast as much. However, there is one event that stands out. In George Wharton, New Mexico, the Land of the Delight Makers (27-28) Popé has called all the pueblo representatives together to persuade them to revolt and as is the way of shamans, he uses trickery.
At the proper moment, to which he had skillfully led up by his graphic eloquence, two of his most trusted associates suddenly appeared before the throng, already thrilled and nerved to the highest tension, in such guise as would have startled more knowing men than these simple-hearted Indians. Popé had learned that if he smeared the bodies of his associates with certain phosphorous substances they could be made to glow in the darkness, especially if the conspirators held an extra supply of the sulphur with which now and again they would rub over their faces and bodies and thus appear to be illuminated with new fire. These two men had been so thoroughly rehearsed by Pope that they performed their allotted task to perfection. They danced as only a trained and enthusiastic religionist could dance, and then they gave messages from Those Above confirming Popé’s claims. Their dances, songs, and messages were all so strange, so awe-inspiring, that the delegates returned to their homes thoroughly impressed, so that Pope’s instructions were carried out to the very letter. The remarkable thing of the whole conspiracy is that though there were a number of the Indians who had accepted the faith of the Spaniards and had become Christians and many of them were devotedly attached to the priests and their masters and mistresses, not one of them was found — so far — who dared to betray the secret of the uprising. 27-28
A couple of problems. First, is it reliable? Beach and Borky before him have been unable to find any prior reference. Second, wouldn’t phosophorous have been dangerous to use in this way? Third, other examples, please, of phosphorous being used for this kind of trickery, particularly from this early. Drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com.
17 Aug 2014: Borky writes in ‘Beach, in try’n’o solve the myst’ry o’ the Glow Stick Indian Tribe I came across this https://www.fluorescence-foundation.org/lectures%5Cmadrid2010%5Clecture1.pdf It mentions the likes o’ Bernie de Sahagun reportin’ some mysterious wood the Aztecs used to make water *glow* blue to which Athanasius adds his own observation under certain conditions a yellow *glow* can be obtained. I’m not sure the explanation lies here but blue an’ yellow equals green an’ at the very least it suggests the natives o’ that whole Mexico/New Mexico region were big on researchin’ stuff that produces odd light effects [which if true makes the ease with which Popé’s audience fell for his gadge seem slightly odd]. It also mentions an Italian cobbler called Vincenzo Casciarolo who as well as inventin’ casks o’ Rolos shocked the scientific world o’ the time by discov’rin’ a still mysterious stone Lapis Solaris which when baked glowed purple blue in the dark. I was forced to dig so deep ’cause all I could find about bleedin’ phosphor an’ sulphur etc was how wonderful they are for acne etc an’ articles like How to Get that Healthy Vegan Glow an’ while I’m certain many hardcore vegans’d love t’glow green in the dark I’m not sure that’s what’s meant. Then I came across this http://www.damninteresting.com/undark-and-the-radium-girls/ which’s an absolutely horrendous article ’bout the way US Radium in the early part o’ the last century marketed a simple recipe o’ glue mixed with radium called Undark as bein’ just about wonderful for ev’rythin’ an’ even as reports were streamin’ in o’ staff an’ customer’s jaws disintegratin’ they had the girls workin’ for them savin’ pennies by suckin’ their radium changed paintbrushes into points t’make ’em last longer an’ rewrote a deeply damning government report t’say the glow that came from ev’ry surface o’ the fact’ry the girls clothes an’ even the girls themselves was actu’ly the glow o’ radiant health! It’s prob’ly bleedin’ US Sulfur an’ US Phosphor which’re the reason I can only find material on how wonderful these substances’re for the skin even tho’ when I did chemistry at school etc the first thing they warned us about was their dangerousness! Anyway now I’m prob’ly off t’read a piece on the BBC by US Drones tellin’ me how drones’re good substitutes for exercise speedin’ up y’heart an’ why havin’ limbs an’ heads mightn’t be all it’s cracked up to be.’ thanks Borky!
