Present-day miners make statues of the devil inside of the mineshafts, and offer him tribute of alcohol, coca, and cigarettes. Though this practice can only be traced to the 20th century, it is believed that it has its roots in colonial mythology.
The mitayos were required to receive religious instruction as part of the forced labor system, where they were educated in the Christian concept of the devil. The mitayos, insightful as they were, realized that the description of Satan resembled their Spanish overseers: greedy, inhumane, and evil. And the mines resembled the description of hell.
They came to believe that it was not God who ruled inside of the mines, but instead it was the realm of el Diablo, or El Tio, the Uncle, as the miners call him. The offerings are a gift to el Tio, in hope that he will help them find the richest veins, and that he will not become angry with the miners and kill them.
One response to “El Tio”
For those of you who are visual learners, there is a good documentary on young people working in the mines. Some of the content relates to the abovementioned concept of El Tio. I just watched it and think it’s worth checking out.
The name of the movie is The Devil’s Miner, information can be found here.