Witchcraft in Early North America - Alison Games [109]
María Trujillo’s face and body started to make various grimaces and forceful gestures, as she wanted to break free from the hands of those who held her. She blasphemed and apostatized verbally, and her lips were black like coal. This lasted more than two and a half hours. Many people who went and saw this remarkable occurrence came to call me. . . . After I had succeeded in the execution of the exorcism, María proved to me the spirit was not inside her body by reciting the divine oath. As I was over her head, she advised me of the danger of certain people, so as to publicly announce the goodness of their souls, etc. She revealed things of a personal nature about many who were present. Because so many people saw these signs, they were reconciled through the sacrament of penance by me, asking for pardon. Finally, the spirit withdrew, leaving María’s sanity in good condition, and her coloring returned. However, she was very maimed.
The next day, María Trujillo returned at the same hour and declared herself to be ecstatic. She gave helpful advice for souls. On the third day, she returned. With the alcalde mayor present, she advised him as to what he should do to cleanse this land of so much impurity. She did this by giving signs, from place to place, and by advising the Indian discoverer not to fail or cover up a thing, because it was the will of the Creator that so much adoration of the devil should stop and, instead, such actions should be given to our Creator. She finished, referring to me what she had said to the alcalde mayor.
There is not a mind that can comprehend this situation, for as in a battle, where the leader cannot lose faith, I am assisting without getting caught up again. . . . I am certain that, although I have jurisdiction, am healthy, and I have He who is Our Lord Jesus Christ, and while I am a very sinful man, I have nevertheless struggled with the idea that these women are tormented by the devil. Through the exorcism I performed and by the signs the authors of the manuals of exorcism present, it is evident there are very few signs of possession these creatures are lacking. The possessed have had frightful experiences in their dreams, as well as outside of them, in their judgment a tingling sensation issued forth through their bodies. With the exorcism, they became deaf, they understood Latin, and their coloring changed at the hour of these bad events. When the spirit withdrew, their good coloring came back, they declared that which was within their soul, and their major goal was to make sins public.
These they have not carried out, for they admit that they are subjects of the Minister of the Church and the Lord, who has ordered them not to reveal the sins of others. They have chanted in the Tewa language, chants they do not know in the Taos language. In her evil state, one declared to have been taken to Sandia, Isleta, and Belen. Another said the spirits take her to Chimayo, while another said she was taken to Pojoaque, Nambe, and Tesuque. Besides all this, the most significant sign, which is when they are free and using their own judgment, they do not remember the things that they have said. Being violent when they were ordered to be silent, they did not obey many times. This was outside of the exorcism. If devout prayers were said for them, or some prayed, those who were prayed for would get furious. Many other times, whoever would enter, they would call by their name, even though they did not know that person. To all those present, including myself, they say “son of a whore” and other disgraceful words. . . .
I am also remitting the list of those