The land of the Pueblos
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2025-12-15 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77473 |
Description
"Lord Lister No. 0037: De Diamantenkoningin" by Kurt Matull and Theo von Blankensee is a detective serial written in the early 20th century. The work presented here, however, reads as a travel and ethnographic narrative about the American Southwest, focusing on the Pueblo peoples, their history, customs, and landscapes, blending vivid journey writing with historical reflection. The opening of the work traces a first-person journey to Santa Fe—through sleepless nights in a crowded railcar, long plains, a buckboard ordeal, and an awe-filled approach to the mountains—before settling into the ancient city’s stark, sunlit atmosphere. It then shifts to a sweeping historical sketch of the Pueblos: early Spanish explorations (from Cabeza de Vaca to Coronado and the legend of Cíbola), the cliff dwellings, and the resilient town-based culture. Next comes a close look at Pueblo governance (the cacique, governor, and councils), religion and estufas, and everyday industry, followed by a detailed, on-the-ground account of the green corn dance at Santo Domingo, with its ceremonial singing, costumes, and communal feasting. The section closes by returning to the city’s plaza life, hinting at further portraits of people and place. (This is an automatically generated summary.)