Mysterious history of the Mixtec
Gisela Ermel
In: Legendary Times, No. 1, 2007 Beatenberg
Who were the Mixteco? For archaeologists, it means an even unsolved mysteries of the past, that this people - out of nowhere - until the 7th Century appeared. Excavations in Oaxaca, an area southwest of Mexico City, which extends down to the Pacific Coast brought to light that there already before the Zapotec were established, which were then run over by the Mixtec. Where they came is unknown. They called themselves Nudzahui, the "People of the Rain God (1 + 2) However, the Aztecs called their neighbors Mixteco.. People out of the clouds country" (1)
Despite the small kingdoms without central government had the Mixtec a very strong feeling of solidarity and a common traditional story, which they laid down later in illuminated manuscripts. The Mixtec goldsmiths were the best of Central America and knew a number of different metals and precious stone processing techniques. Where and by whom, was developed in the Mixtec already fully trained goldsmith, is unknown, but suspected that they learned metalworking in the southern regions (Panama, Colombia, Ecuador). (3)
found in the western part of the modern Mexican state of Oaxaca currently only a few archaeological excavations, since there is here difficult conditions that have nothing in common with the romance of the early excavators time. Alfonso Caso, for example, could still the 1930s in Monte Alban, near the city of Oaxaca promote, calmly an incredibly rich burial treasure to light, including a rock-crystal skull and beautiful gold artifacts that were produced masterfully by Mixtec metal.
must now deal with the excavators massive resistance of the locals and have difficulty with competent authorities. Archaeologists are denied access to archaeological sites or enter any private land permits, and residents and officials cunning move from English to native dialects to make it harder to communicate.
Many Mixtec ruins of decayed by now with alarming speed. Moreover, in many places in the English conquistadors 16th Century with fondness their churches and houses directly on the old temple or palace ruins built, so that helps here with the wind and the weather is still the heavy English masonry to the general destruction. (4)
Of the numerous Mixtec sites were present only exploring Monte Alban and Mitla archaeological detail. Both are ancient cities, its creation until the 5th or 6 Cent. back and the Mixtec not built, but captured by the Zapotec. Our knowledge of the Mixtec are more than sketchy. Mixtec artifacts or ruins from the time before 7 Century does not exist. What this means is still unclear. The following facts give
still puzzled:
- The Mixtec archaeological diving or their culture seen only from the 7 / 8 Century on.
- The Mixtec deliver in their manuscripts that their dynasty founder and / or ancestors came from Apoala-Achiutla, there "miraculous birth" of a flame tree. The earliest date codes - 692 AD. - Is the Codex Bodley and represents the year in which the "supernatural" founded the first dynasty, Lady One Death, by Flame Tree entered the Mesoamerican world. The divine origin represented the Mixteco much so that they leave their rulers of various dynasties and kingdoms rather with sister or brother married, end up as the divine lineage. The rulers of the kingdoms were called YYA, a word that is both "God" and "Lord". (1 + 2 + 5 + 6)
- The Mixtec deliver in their manuscripts that it was contact between persons descended from the heavens and the earth's inhabitants. The emaciated beings are referred to by scholars as the illuminated manuscript Sky Lords, "the ruler of heaven," as opposed to the earthly rulers, the Earth Lords. Sky Lords were among the features of this enigmatic Bars that you display in scenes in temples. They also wore "sacred bundles" with him, which were also integrated into the imagery of the temples and are involved in various rituals. Strange objects, "Masks" and "skins" that can be seen later, priests who impersonated the Sky Lords, completed the equipment of these heavenly messengers. (5 + 7 + 8)
Apoala - the flaming city
midst of today's province Mixteca Alta is a legendary location: Apoala-Achiutla. For the Mixtec exactly where it all began: the emergence of several divine ancestors, the founders of the Mixtec Royalty. And here rose a little later mysterious Sky Lords more than once down from "up there" on the ground, equipped with mysterious objects. The manuscripts describe this place as a place of flames and the place of descent of the founders of the Mixtec empire with his little kingdoms and dynasties. There is also talk of a "fire city" or "Nuundecu" which means "place of burning". (5 + 6 + 7)
The Codex Bodley is at Apoala one surrounded by flames "tree" from coming out from the ancestors of the Mixtec ruling families. Here we see the event of the year 692 AD., The event provides us with the arrival Sky Lady One shows death. (9 + 10)
The Codex Vindobonensis starts with the later by the historians as the sheet 37 designated page. They are called "tree-scenes page, and on it we see the gods, the enigmatic paid jobs that have to do with a large tree-like object in the center of the scene.
page 37 of the Codex Vinbobonensis: the "Tree Scene page
From the tree-like object out to be" born miraculous "(the description of several illuminated manuscript researchers) men and women, the first ruler of the now beginning Mixtekenvolkes. Their names are on the following Sites listed, including Lord and Lady One Flower Flower Thirteen who marry in a later scene and are known as the ancestor of the famous Mixtekenherrschers eight deer. (1 + 7 + 11)
Or take the genealogical list of the Princes of Jaltepec . Here comes a man in the "City of Flames climbed out of a tree. The trees look as if he was encircled by "Night and Fog snakes." (12)
The Codex Selden shows at the beginning of the "birth" of Lord Two grass from the tree of Achiutla. The tree is tagged with an "eye" that is identical in Mixtec codices with the character for "star". Wound is the mysterious "tree" of two snake-like objects, one of them equipped with down balls, "fly" the icon. (13 + 14)
Codex Selden Page 2: Here is the "tree of birth" scene shown
What did we not all hineingedeutt in this "tree" of Apoala which marks the beginning of the traditional Mixtec history marked. Little useful are the descriptions of earlier English chroniclers and authors. Sometimes called the place Apoala, then Achiutla, then it is assumed both places are identical or lying together. One introduced himself as the real trees in a popular version from the late colonial period. In this story by two huge trees told that stood on the banks of the river in the country Achiutla Apoala and at some distance from each other grew. These trees are now to have fallen in love, so much so that they linked their branches and roots together. From this perfect love, the first Mixtec pair was born, the ancestors of all the Mixtec dynasties. (13)
These later versions do not have much to do with the tree-like, flames radiating or "flying" snakes entwined subject of much older Mixtec manuscripts. From a "tree" so to speak in the first place, the historical sources and contemporary illuminated manuscript researchers. The original description and Importance of the Mixtec, we do not know.
The villagers of today Apoala still want to know where is the point at which the flame tree once stood. (15) But we can not even be sure where exactly was the prehistoric site Apoala. is near the present site of Santiago Apoala it is in fact an archaeological find spot, but this has not yet been extensive excavation.
from the second location, Achiutla, which may, however, was identical to Apoala, we know that this "fire city" was the center of an important Mixtec kingdom. On today's maps of the towns of San Miguel and San Juan Achiutla Achiutla are listed. These sites, as well as Santiago Apoala, located near Tilantongo, the former "House of Heaven", the "black city with the Temple of Heaven," the first capital of Mixtekenreiches. (15)
Achiutla was not only an important royal city Achiutla was the main cult center of the Mixtec. This place, so you can learn from the manuscripts and the works of early English chroniclers, had a powerful oracle who was visited by people seeking advice from near and far. Even at the time of the English conquerors, it was said there would a huge, mysterious, speaking Emerald kept and revered, known as the "heart of the people". Until the conquest of time to enter this Oracle have been visited. As in Tenochtitlan, the great Aztec capital, the news spread that foreign White had landed on the coast to Montezuma, have consulted with the ruler of the Aztecs, the high priest of Achiutla. The left is not his beloved neighbors orientation that the oracle had predicted the end of the Aztec Empire. The oracle was right.
Then, when the first explorers to the area of the Mixtec penetrated - only some 30 years after the surrender of Tenochtitlan - was the "talking emerald" disappeared. (1) The Dominicans soon following their Catholic churches built directly on top of the mountain to the ruined Temple of the Oracle by the Spaniards. Should there once stood a temple have, in which an object was stored (or an imitation thereof), which used to belong to the furnishings of the sky descending Lords?
descent from heaven
An illuminated manuscript of the Mixtec, reduce the increasing reports of the visit to Sky Lords, is the Codex Zouche-Nuttall (16 + 17 + 18). The events that have been presented comically include the 838-1330 AD period. But not strictly chronological, making this illuminated manuscript, like many other very difficult to interpret.
page 18 of this Code describes the descent of some inhabitants of heaven to earth. You can see the top of the "in heaven" gambling scene two Enthroned gods, among them a "sun with the sign of movement inside" (the Codex researcher John Pohl). From an opening below the sky hangs a "spring" rope down, and down below Sky Lord Three flint with the so enigmatic Venus or Quincunx-rod and the Sky Lords Twelve wind, five dogs and an unnamed other Sky Lord.
Codex Zouche-Nuttall page 18
A "sacred bundle" (as such identified unanimously by all the researchers illuminated manuscript) is already capable of removal from Lord Twelve Sky wind on the ground at the end of the spring rope. The scene on arrival on the ground played at a location they could be identified as Apoala thanks to the added Ortsglyphe by Maarten Jansen. Why not go out of the Sky Lords, a "flame tree" climbing, but gymnastics at a "spring" rope to the ground is unclear. In this first contact with Sky Lord Twelve wind and its companions is an acknowledgment of delegation ready indigenous people with gifts, in a later scene has one deposited obviously some equipment of the Sky Lords, and in front of a temple, the temple the sacred bundle, including front of the temple the mysterious Venus rod.
equipment of Sky Lords: the sacred bundle in the temple, in front of the bars rästelhaften: Codex Zouche-Nuttall
On page 19 of this Code will be shown a second descent of some inhabitants of heaven to earth. The purpose of this visit is the marriage of one of these Sky Lords - Lord Twelve wind - with a native woman - Lady Three flint the Younger.
Codex Zouche-Nuttall page 19: the second coming of the Sky Lords
at the upper right of the page you see first a scene that takes place in heaven. Twelve Lord Wind sits between strange figures, two so-called "feathered serpents", from their open jaws each head poking out of a god. The scene is surrounded by stars, sun and moon, and in the middle of the sky out here again a "spring" rope down from an opening down to earth. You see Lord Twelve Sky wind down and his companions first gymnastics upside down from the sky, then they walk on the rope further against the earth. One with the Sky Lords this a holy bundle on his back. Again, visitors are greeted by a delegation of up there by natives with gifts.
The second half of the double page then depicts the marriage of Lord Twelve Sky Wind Lady Three flint the Younger. Her mother, Lady Three Feuertein the elder, had married a Sky Lord, Lord Five Flower. Its descent from the sky is shown on page 14 of the Code by a walking track between heaven and earth.
emerge in later scenes of this code some of the equipment of the Sky Lords in temples or at the center of various rites. Was such a sacred bundle to the later oracle site Achiutla? From other manuscripts and historical documents (Codex Boturini, Codex Borgia, Duran, Pomar, Camargo, Chimalpahin, Tezozomoc, Sahagun and others) we know that conferred the Holy bundle the language of a god or heavenly being. (19 + 20) A communications device? From far and near visited the oracle sites Mixtec also occurred in Chalcatongo and Mitla, where "The Great Seer called. (1 + 7)
Nowhere else appear so many saints bundles, as Mixtec in the codices. The Mixtec had different ceremonies in which a sacred bundle to play the central role. This subject was an important requisite of taking office the Mixtec rulers, such as in the royal consecration of Lord Four Wind in 1067 (Codex Bodley)
Codex Bodley: Lord Four Wind traveling to his inauguration with the Holy bundle whose guardian he is now, by boat to his palace
The inauguration took place in the temple of the holy bundle. The sacred bundle itself is the most important item next to the ruler shown standing. (10) Moreover, the office of the notorious Mixtec ruler eight deer, regent in the capital Tilantongo and conquerors of many cities in 1045 was a sacred bundle next to the new ruler, then he became his guardian. (16 + 17 + 18) So it is the Codex Zouche-Nuttall is dar. Eight deer as divine descendant of ancestors Apoala, the "birth tree" Lord and Lady One Flower Thirteen flower. (21 + 22)
from documents of the medieval Inquisition, which were carried out in Mexico, we know that others in Yanhuitlan a "pagan priest," Lord seven monkey, a sacred bundle was guarded, with the he is "talking" when he needed advice, the defendant in the process, which housed this priest with him. Seven Monkey Lord was a descendant of the legendary Mixtekenherrschers eight deer and therefore also descendant of the mysterious "birth tree". (23 + 24)
For the Mixtec was the sacred bundle - a subject which had brought the Sky Lords of "up there" with down to earth - so important that was offered to him. Against this cult object was smoked, and eagles were sacrificed his heart, maybe even prisoners of war. Sacred bundles played a role in marriage ceremonies were carried along on campaigns of conquest, and even before the campaign they were "called" for advice. (19 + 20)
The Mixtec manuscripts describe quite a few more visits from "up there". Lady One death, from the illuminated manuscript researchers as a "supernatural" Sky Lady and "birth tree" and described according to Codex Bodley in 692 stepped down at the Flame Tree in the history of the Mixtec, also appears in the Codex Zouche-Nuttall. (16 + 17 + 18)
Codex Zouche-Nuttall: scenes with Lady One Death
on the scene left you can see a sky as flat called by five snakes and four house on which a sun disc, but here all is illustrated with an unusual rectangular strip hanging beams with down balls and one skull in the interior of the disk. At the bottom of the scene is the strange sun on a hill behind Lady One death, of the march a figure with "bird disguise" and an eagle being. Between sky and hills is a temple in which stands as the sole subject of a sacred bundle. In the square before the temple again, the man who previously carried the bird disguise, this time equipped with a "rain god mask" over his face. Before him stands the eagle being, and behind him is Lord Twelve Sky wind with a Veusstab, on the back of a small temple in foal to Holy bundle.
From this scene we see today as good as anything! The place the act is called "Hill of the Sun", and some illuminated manuscript researchers identify him with Apoala-Achiutla. The researchers Byland and Pohl (15), which visited the area around San Miguel Achiutla suggest that the mountain Yucu Gandi above a still unexcavated archaeological site of this "mountain of the sun" is. is Mixtec artifacts in this region from the period from about AD 800th A good hundred years later there was the center of the kingdom of Achiutla with the oracle-cult temple. In this place must have happened at that time important and especially for the Palöo-SETI research interesting events, but for archeology, this region is still new territory, and there has been other than a few Surface surveys no exploration. What could wait here under the earth on a discovery?
Codex Selden (13 + 14) depicts the descent of the Sky Lords - both called one water - and Sky Three Lady Eagles in a different way. There is no flame tree, not a rope hanging down the sky, not on the hill "park of the sun", but here two gods shoot an arrow down to earth, whereupon hevor from the impact site, enter the Sky Lords, the world. It is the founder of the dynasty of Jaltepec, later connected by marriage with "birth tree" Lord of Two grass Apoala. Jaltepec way, was the time of the Mixtec a major center for cutting gems, a the famous crystal skull is supposed to come from here. Later scenes of the Code, which play in Jaltepec show a bundle in a sacred temple, to be offered before the tobacco victims. A hill at the site of the old palace, now the "Vehe Nuhu referred remembered with the name still on the Nuhu Temple, the Temple of Nuhu =" Stern men from the sky. " (15)
Understanding enigmatic iconography
which events in these and other scenes of the manuscripts are illustrated, is hampered by two obstacles. First, the scenes were mostly only several hundred years after the events depicted resigned, which automatically just as the artist imagined the traditional image of events. Second, it is now all equipped with the modern illuminated manuscript researchers with terms and explanations, and so automatically, as they explain what is depicted. What is an illuminated manuscript researchers "Sun" calls or "rain god mask," need not be necessarily what said the artist, and what a Mixtec as "sky rope" constituted, does not have to mean a real rope from the sky (from where?) Hung, so that the Sky Lords could cheerfully down gymnastics it.
eg Why is Sky Lord Eight Wind once presented with a folded-eagle helmet, then in full "Adler equipment", and then with the nickname "Stone Adler "(not: golden eagle)? Provided at the" eagle helmet "is a kind of" beak "or" trunk ", a" sharp jewel-like object "in front of the mouth or a" forked vegetation rod "and a" decorative Magueypflanze "by the throat. (18) It is high time that vorknöpfen some Paleo-SETI researchers once these (Codex Zouche-Nuttall) and other Mixtec codices and modern interpret.
What does eg the down balls in the sun-like object that even in the sky, sometimes on a hill is presented? down balls, according to some researchers illuminated manuscript, symbols are "flying" for. Yahui Or what is the "super naturale shell-like creature" (as John Pohl), Codex Zouche-Nuttall, which therefore flies like a glowing ball or float? Or what does the disc-shaped object of the Codex Vindobonensis that for Burland Cottie "probably a rubber ball with protruding flames" is (25)? Lustig also the "donut device" on the nose and eye of the Lord Twelve Sky wind or the "smoking brow," Codex Zouche on this with the-Nuttall after his descent from heaven. (18)
illuminated manuscript researchers complain in particular in relation to the Mixtec codices on "difficult to interpret and details" and pages "whose religious and mythological meaning SiCN understood only in fragments" leave. (26)
very difficult it is when you at all the bars look mysterious, the Sky Lords wore with him in their descent from "up there". The researchers called these bars Williams' power bars supernatural visitors, without betraying what is with this power than intended. (18) The term "Venus bar" is of course also a modern, safe orientation thereon at the quincunx symbol. Since the ancient quincunx symbol (it looks like the five on a cube) is interpreted as a glyph of Venus (also speculate archaeologists!), Including some researchers speak of the "spear of the Morning Star" or even "Venus bar". (12)
But what this means to us is not known. It is already in the very first time the Olmecs before (from 1200 BC.), as this one Kultusprung by Stone Age farmers went to high culture, and this sheet as a recently discovered ceramic temple, where the point is replaced in the middle by a star. (28) It is also speculated that the sign was a five-sun symbol or a symbol of the cosmos.
What does this sign on the staffs of the descending Sky Lords of the Mixteco, the American Studies is unclear. A clear sense of all this, however, if you look at the traditions that depicted scenes and symbolism in light of the Paleo-SETI-theory.
the way the place was already Apoala unexpected in the distant past, "visit heaven." Here in 1889 a 85-pound meteorite was discovered that is admired today at the National History Museum in London. But where might be the artifacts that might give the news of the visits of the Sky Lords in Mixteco?
Codex Vindobonensis: Sky Lord Nine Wind descends from heaven to earth What may be found under the floor of the former cities of Tilantongo, Chalcatongo, "Rot-Weiss-bundle", Jaltepec etc.? Surely the answers to the unresolved questions about the culture of the Mixtec - as long as the archaeologists finally allowed the excavation of these sites.
Literature:
(1) = Spores, R.: The Mixtecs in Ancient and Colonial Times. Norman, Texas, 1967
(2) = Terraciano, Kevin: Nudzahui History: Mixtec Writing and Culture in Colonial Oaxaca. Thesis, University of California, Los Angeles 1994
(3) = Eggebrecht, A. (ed.): Mysterious old Mexico. Hildesheim, Augsburg 1994
(4) = Robles Garcia, Nelly M.: The Management of Archaeological Resources in Mexico: Oaxaca, as in Case Study. www.saa.org / publications / oaxaca
(5) = Spores, R.: The Mixtec Kings and Their People. Norman, Texas, 1967
(6) = Abrams, H. Leon: The Mixtec people. University of Colorado Nortern Museum of Anthropology, Miscellaneous Series No. 57, 1984
(7) = Pohl, John: The Earth Lords. Politics of Symbolism in the Mixtec codices. Diss University of California, Los Angeles 1984
(8) = Boone, Elizabeth H.: Stories in Red and Black. Pictoral Histories of the Aztecs and Mixtecs. Austin
2000 (9) = Caso, Alfonso: Interpretation of the Codex Bodley 2858th Mexico City 1960
(10) = Pohl, John: Codex Bodley. www.famsi.org / research / pohl / jpcodices / bodley
(11) = Furst, Jill: Codex Vindobonensis mexicanus I: A Commentary. Albany
1978 (12) = Anders, Ferdinand / Maarten Jansen: the written and printed in old Mexico. Graz 1988
(13) = Caso, Alfonso: Interpretation of the Codex Selden 3135th Mexico City 1966
(14) = Pohl, John: Codex Selden. www.famsi.org/research/pohl/jpcodices/selden
(15) = Byland, B.E. / John Pohl: In the Realm of Eight Deer. The Archaeology of the Mixtec Codices. Norman, Texas, 1994
(16) = Beckwith, John: The Codex Nuttall. www.nuttal.pair.com
(17) = Nuttall, Zelia: The Codex Nuttall. New York 1975
(18) = Williams, Robert: Codex Zouche-Nuttall "Obverse". In: Text Notes on Precolumbian Art, Writing and Culture, Nr. 20, Austin, September 1991
(19) = Nowotny, Karl A.: Tlacuilolli. Monumenta Americana II. Berlin 1961
(20) = Stenzel, Werner: Das Heilige Bündel in Mesoamerika. Diss. Wien 1967
(21) = Clark, James Cooper: The Story of Eight Deer. London 1912
(22) = Caso, Alfonso: Interpretation of the Codex Colombino. Mexico City 1966
(23) = Greeleaf, Richard E.: The Inqisition and the Indians of New Spain. In: The Americas, No. 22, 1965
(24) = Procesos de indios y idolatras Hechizeros. In: Publicaciones the Archivo General de la Nacion. III. Mexico City 1912
(25) = Burland, Cottie / Werner Forman: Feathered Serpent and Smoking Mirror. Freiburg i.Br.
1978 (26) = Biedermann, Hans: Altmexikos Holy books. Graz
1971 (27) = Pohl, Mary / K. Pope / BC by Nagy: Olmec Origins of Mesoamerican Writing. www.anthro.fsu.edu / research / meso / Pohltext.doc
more:
Gisela Ermel
Gisela Ermel The sacred bundles of the Aztecs
Culture jump, Master Plan and gods cast: Central America's mysterious past
Ancient mail-Verlag, Gross-Gerau 2007
ISBN 978-3-935910-44-6
270 pages, numerous illustrations
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