Ethnographic atlas of Cuba

Mixed plow: Plow with a long beam, similar to that in wooden or Creole plows, and only one handle, but its moldboard has a share of the type seen in improved plows. That is why it is called "mixed".

Monochord bow (ensemble): Fiber or animal hair tensed in a bow. This musical instrument, found among many African peoples, was brought to America. In Cuba there is reference about two ways to play this instrument. In one of them, an end of the bow is placed into the mouth that serves as a sound box (north of Villa Clara province). In the other, it is held with one hand (Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba provinces). In both cases, the chord is plucked with a little stick. Specialists call the musical groups in which this instrument is played Monochord-bow ensembles.

Milkshake: Beverage prepared with milk, sugar, several types of fruit (for example, mango, banana, sapodilla) and ice and blended in a mixer.

Mixed spiritualism: A form of cult uniting elements from Santería and Palo Monte with spiritualism.

Machete: Cutting implement formed by a steel one-edge 50-cm blade with a handle. At times it is used as a musical instrument, by rubbing it with a rod.

Macusey: Plants of several species of the Aracea family (Anthorium and Philodendron genres) growing on trees in the woods and among the rocks in the mountain ranges.

Macuto: Basket woven from plant fibers, very similar to the jaba. It is used to transport food. Some peasants give this name to the cibucán.

Madre: Main piece of the trawl.

Maguey: Wild plant (Fourcraea hexepetala) occurring in sterile rocky lands where other crops do not grow. Some confuse it with the sisal (Agave sisalana).

Makuta: 1. Dance of Congolese origin. Because of its evident ritual nature, it used to be performed only by the cabildo king and queen in the munanso bela (sacred room). Later on it was danced in the cabildo hall. It is a dance requiring skill and is difficult to perform because of its combination of steps. Men chase women opening their arms as if trying to hug them. It has a basic step from which several extemporizations are derived, according to the skill and nimbleness of the dancers. // 2. Membranophone drums with a cylindrical sound box and a nailed drumhead. They are struck with the hands. Some other types exist today: drums with a barrel box and a nailed drumhead; drums with a cylindrical box closed on the side opposite to the drumhead, stretched by a ring and a key; drums with a conic box and a drumhead stretched with an bow with tension keys; drums with a barrel box with a tied drumhead and parietal wedges.

Mamadera: Deep sea fishing gear, especially used for large snappers (Lutjanus spp.) when there is much current. It has a somewhat heavy iron plumb line at some distance from the hook, so the free end moves with the current and covers a given area in the bottom.

Mambí: Name given in Cuba to those fighting against the Spanish colonial domination during the 19th century independence wars.

Managua: Variation of the guaguancó in Trinidad municipality, Santi Spiritus province. It is similar to the guaguancó because it also has vacunao, but done with the shoulders when the male dancer surrounds the female. Steps are also similar to those in guaguancó, but more marked, and the movements are closer to dances of Congolese origin because of their influence in this area.

Mandinga: Africans called Mandinga in Cuba came from the territory that is today part of Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal and Gambia.

Maní: Boxing dance usually performed by a group of men, although women used to dance it too. A soloist, standing in the center of a circle, represents his group and is surrounded by adversaries. The dancer in the center, at times blindfolded, throws blows while singing abusive songs to provoke the rest of the men in the circle. The dance of the soloist is characterized by extemporization, marking unexpected movements to distract his opponents and surprise them with his effective blows. When this happens, the man who is hit stands in the center or is expelled from the dance.

Manjuero: Net for Manjua fishing (Stolephorus Brownii, Gm.).

Marabú: Thorny tree (Caillea glomerata) with 4 to 5 cm hanging spikes. It propagates very easily and can form dense woods making the exploitation of fertile land very difficult. Its wood is very hard and is used for firewood and for charcoal.

Marimba: Musical instrument of African origin with the form of a small box and several elastic slabs that, in the manner of keys and played with the tip of the thumbs, give several deep tone dry sounds. It is also called marímbula.

Marímbula: See marimba.

Mariposa (Butterfly): Wooden shaft with a hole in one end through which a small beam enters followed by an oval iron hook with an edge and two blades on both sides. It is used together with the trawl to capture white marlins (Tetrapterus albidus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and sharks (Somniosus spp.)

Masinga: 1. Dance from a Havana cabildo of Masinga Congos. Erotic and profane dance where joy, fun and flirting are glorified. // 2. Drum belonging to this cabildo. // 3. Music from this cabildo.

Masón: One of the dances performed in Tumba Francesa societies with dance hall choreography. Six couples formed in circles or in lines dance it. It has two steps, the basic step and the sliding step. The first one is used in the "mill" and "circle" choreographies, when changing partners, when preparing the tunnel and in the half circle. Sliding steps are used in simple and double circles, chains, paper streamers, tunnels and when marking the place.

Matadero: Place through which fish and crustaceans enter the bow nets but cannot easily get out.

Melcocha: Instrumental group from Manzanillo for a son montuno without lyrics. It includes an accordion imitating the sounds of the órgano oriental.

Mentó: Lay dance performed by immigrants from Jamaica and Cayman Islands and their offspring in traditional festivities, among them August the 1st in Baraguá, Ciego de Avila province. Partners face each other or the position of social dance is adapted.

Mina: Name given to the Akan, Ashanti and Fanti brought to Cuba from Ghana and Liberia, where a colonial trading post called El Mina used to be.

Miñardi: Crocheting with a wire bent in a U form or with pincers. Appliques are then joined with crochet and used in stoles, table runners, inserts, etc.

Miraguano: Name given to several types of palm, also known as yuraguano. The most common one is Coccothrinax miraguana H.K.B.

Monte Calvario or Sirinoque: Celebrations where altar songs were sung until midnight when the dance began. Palm leaves and flowers ornamented the place. Also banana and other fruit were hung like ornaments. It is a celebration forming part of the Precept Solemnities devoted to God, as are the May Cross and the Promise Altar. They were held on May 3rd, celebrating the Invention of the Cross.

Montómpolo: 1. In the last night of Carnivals in Santiago de Cuba, all the comparsas gathered in the Arms Square and played the song that the public had liked the most that year because of its music or its lyrics. It was like a popular commendation to the best song. This culminating moment of the Carnival was called montómpolo. // 2. In Guantánamo, name of a type of comparsa similar to the tahona in Songo.

Muela: A form of playing with two drumsticks at the Congo palo beats. It is used to begin the celebration.

Mula: Common name of the middle-sized drum in a set of drums, whether yuka, tumbadora and others.

May pole dance: A dance performed in many places in the world. In Cuba it is mainly called La Cinta (The Ribbon). It is performed in various traditional festivities by groups of a Haitian, Jamaican, Cayman or Canarian descent. It also forms part of some traditional comparsas, such as Cocoyé. Tahona and Moros Azules (Blue Moors), that participate in the Carnivals in several regions in Cuba. Couples make various figures around a 3 m high pole and form several weavings with the ribbons hanging from its upper end, among them the ones called La Sombrilla (The Umbrella) or Pague Sol and the Trece Ibo in Camagüey, and Indian Platt and Cobell in Ciego de Avila.