Masks of the Spirit

Masks of the Spirit PDF Author: Peter T. Markman
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520064188
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
Drawing on secondary works in archaeology, art history, folklore, ethnohistory, ethnography, and literature, the authors maintain that the mask is the central metaphor for the Mesoamerican concept of spiritual reality. Covers the long history of the use of the ritual mask by the peoples who created and developed the mythological tradition of Mesoamerica. Chapters: (1) the metaphor of the mask in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica: the mask as the God, in ritual, and as metaphor; (II) metaphoric reflections of the cosmic order; and (III) the metaphor of the mask after the conquest: syncretism; the Pre-Columbian survivals; the syncretic compromise; and today's masks. Over 100 color and black-&-white photos.

Masks of the Spirit

Masks of the Spirit PDF Author: Peter T. Markman
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520064188
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
Drawing on secondary works in archaeology, art history, folklore, ethnohistory, ethnography, and literature, the authors maintain that the mask is the central metaphor for the Mesoamerican concept of spiritual reality. Covers the long history of the use of the ritual mask by the peoples who created and developed the mythological tradition of Mesoamerica. Chapters: (1) the metaphor of the mask in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica: the mask as the God, in ritual, and as metaphor; (II) metaphoric reflections of the cosmic order; and (III) the metaphor of the mask after the conquest: syncretism; the Pre-Columbian survivals; the syncretic compromise; and today's masks. Over 100 color and black-&-white photos.

Tlaloc

Tlaloc PDF Author: Ernest Novato
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781693219252
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Get Book Here

Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading Gilgamesh, Hercules, Aeneas, and Lancelot are instantly recognized as mythological heroes in the West, evoking visions of Persian monsters, ghastly labors, and the founding and glorification of cities, but the name Quetzalcoatl is as mysterious as its spelling. Even those who have come across his name when learning about the history of Mesoamerica - particularly the Aztec and the god's role in the Spanish conquest of their empire - are often unaware that the Mesoamerican deity has tales that equal any of those in the repertoire of the mythological figures mentioned above, and the tale of his transmission into modern times is no less fascinating. As archaeologists quickly learned, there are numerous temples dedicated to gods all across Mesoamerica, from the Olmec and Toltec to the Aztec and Maya. Furthermore, thousands of people still gather in the ruins of Mesoamerican cities, even as researchers learn more about the civilizations that continue to generate interest among modern societies. Gods and myths reflect the societies that created them. The lustrous Garden of Eden was dreamed up by those for whom such verdant plenty could only be magical when compared with their usually arid environment. Peoples who endured harsh winters sang of eternal hearth fires and those who were threatened by dangerous animals told stories of humans who could tame them. Of course, these deities also often reflected the nuanced difficulties their creators experienced in their daily lives, and this is the case with the Aztec god Tlaloc. As the great scholar of Mesoamerican history and religion Kay Almere Read put it, "Rain and water deities constitute perhaps the largest, one of the oldest, most pervasive and complex group of gods and goddesses in Mesoamerica." The Valley of Mexico is the central elevated basin that contains Mexico City at its heart today. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley's lowest point is actually some 2200 meters above sea level and just like the plains of Mesopotamia or the Nile Delta, it is one of humanity's great birthplaces of civilization. Inhabited for over 12,000 years, it was the home to such creative cultures as the Teotihuacan, the Toltec, and the Aztec. These cultures built vast empires and colored them with sophisticated art and architecture, which is invaluable for scholars who study the groups today, and symbols of Tlaloc have been pervasive across their ruins. One of the reasons for the prevalence of Tlaloc in the Valley of Mexico is that in the semi-arid climate, water was a powerful daily symbol. Although there were no naturally occurring water connections to the sea, the high altitude of the mountains and volcanoes that surrounded it caught the rain water well and formed five important lakes: Xochimilco, Xaltocan, Zumpango, Chalco and Texcoco. As the largest, Texcoco was where the Aztecs eventually built their capital city Tenochtitlan. Since this was not a desert culture, their god Tlaloc was not just a reflection of an opposite extreme they desired; instead, he was a complex god that reflected the duality of water as both a boon and a force for destruction. From his home in Tlalocan, Tlaloc was able to send good and bad waters to the people of the Valley of Mexico and beyond. He was the lord of the chthonic powers of Mexico even as far south as the Maya, who called him Chaac and connected him with warfare and agriculture much the same way the Aztec did. The Aztec tell the story of Tlaloc blessing their rise to regional dominance by sending a famine to the Toltec, and his duality of good waters vs. bad waters was a product of the largely two-season system in Mexico. Tlaloc: The History of the Aztec God of Rain and Giver of Life examines the origins of the deity and his place in the pantheon of gods.

The Iconography of the Teotihuacan Tlaloc

The Iconography of the Teotihuacan Tlaloc PDF Author: Esther Pasztory
Publisher: Dumbarton Oaks
ISBN: 9780884020592
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 28

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Teotihuacan Trinity

The Teotihuacan Trinity PDF Author: Annabeth Headrick
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 0292716656
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Get Book Here

Book Description
Northeast of modern-day Mexico City stand the remnants of one of the world's largest preindustrial cities, Teotihuacan. Monumental in scale, Teotihuacan is organized along a three-mile-long thoroughfare, the Avenue of the Dead, that leads up to the massive Pyramid of the Moon. Lining the avenue are numerous plazas and temples, which indicate that the city once housed a large population that engaged in complex rituals and ceremonies. Although scholars have studied Teotihuacan for over a century, the precise nature of its religious and political life has remained unclear, in part because no one has yet deciphered the glyphs that may explain much about the city's organization and belief systems. In this groundbreaking book, Annabeth Headrick analyzes Teotihuacan's art and architecture, in the light of archaeological data and Mesoamerican ethnography, to propose a new model for the city's social and political organization. Challenging the view that Teotihuacan was a peaceful city in which disparate groups united in an ideology of solidarity, Headrick instead identifies three social groups that competed for political power—rulers, kin-based groups led by influential lineage heads, and military orders that each had their own animal insignia. Her findings provide the most complete evidence to date that Teotihuacan had powerful rulers who allied with the military to maintain their authority in the face of challenges by the lineage heads. Headrick's analysis also underscores the importance of warfare in Teotihuacan society and clarifies significant aspects of its ritual life, including shamanism and an annual tree-raising ceremony that commemorated the Mesoamerican creation story.

The Mythology of all Races

The Mythology of all Races PDF Author: Hartley Burr Alexander, Ph.D.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 638

Get Book Here

Book Description


Customs Bulletin and Decisions

Customs Bulletin and Decisions PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Customs administration
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan

The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan PDF Author: Karl A. Taube
Publisher: Dumbarton Oaks
ISBN: 9780884022046
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Get Book Here

Book Description


Customs Bulletin

Customs Bulletin PDF Author: United States. Department of the Treasury
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Customs administration
Languages : en
Pages : 870

Get Book Here

Book Description


Cumorah Revisited

Cumorah Revisited PDF Author: Charles Augustus Shook
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 606

Get Book Here

Book Description


Myths And Symbols

Myths And Symbols PDF Author: Stephen D. Peet
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
ISBN: 3849620085
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 787

Get Book Here

Book Description
Dr. Peet is well known as a writer on American antiquities. He has gathered together from a great variety of sources much interesting and impressive material in regard to the religions of the aboriginal inhabitants of our country. It will be a surprise to the average reader as he peruses these interesting pages to see how elaborate was the religious belief and worship of the untutored races that preceded the era of civilization in America. There is much material in the book upon which to base theories as to the origin of the aboriginal inhabitants of the continent. There is poetic and romantic suggestion in abundance. The student of ethnology or of natural history or of theology and even the merely curious reader will find the book one of great interest. We can but admire the learning of the author, and his diligence in research. Contents: Introduction. Chapter I. Races And Religions In America. Chapter II. Totemism And Mythology. Chapter III. The Serpent Symbol In America. Chapter IV. The Serpent Symbol In America. (Continued. ) Chapter V. Animal Worship And Sun Worship Compared. Chapter VI. American Astrology Or Sky Worship. Chapter VII. The Pyramid In America. Chapter VIII. The Cross In America. Chapter IX. Phallic Worship And Fire Worship In America. Chapter X. The Water Cult And The Deluge Myth. Chapter XI. Transformation Myths. Chapter XII. The Worship Of The Rain God. Chapter XIII. Ethnographic Religions And Ancestor Worship. Chapter XIII — Continued. Anthropomorphic And Mountain Divinities. Chapter XIV. Commemorative Columns And Ancestor Worship. Chapter XV. Personal Divinities And Culture Heroes. Chapter XVI. Culture Heroes And Deified Kings. Chapter XVII. Personal Divinities And Nature Powers In America.