Proceso de hechicería formado a los indios de Sayula y Ostuacán, Chiapas, año de 1798

Resumen

The document, located in the church archives of the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas, consists of the proceedings of witchcraft trials that took place the end of the eighteenth century in Sayula and Ostuacán, both towns in the Zoque region of Chiapas. The authors point out that the document reflects the conflicts between the clergy and the Indian shamans. They also note that the deaths attributed to witchcraft in the trials were most probably due to silicosis, a disease frequently suffered by those working in the lime industry. In the testimony, a priest mentioned that he believed there was a relation between the deaths and the production of lime in Ostuacán.