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About the Casa Aztlán logo
"Quetzalcoatl" in Nahuatl is the feathered serpent. It is a deity of the
Mesoamerican civilizations, and especially the Aztec's. Quetzalcoatl was the
name given to the Supreme Being by the Nahuatl-speaking communities. The name
has two roots: "Quetzal," which means feather; and "Coatl," meaning serpent.
Some scholars believe this is the main deity
within the pantheon of this prehispanic civilization, others however believe
the deities who gave life to Quetzalcoatl are the main deities.
About the Website Design
The design for this website was inspired by the Tzutzujil Mayan concept Jaloj-K'exoj.
This concept has been referred to as "the Flowering of the Dead" by
anthropologists (Carlsen and Prechtel, 23). As a way of thinking this idea transcends the Maya,
Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mexican, Aztec,P'urhépecha, and Totonac cultures of Central America and Mexico. Jaloj-K'exoj, the
Flowering of the Dead, is a cyclical belief in reincarnation,
revitalization, rejuvenation, and reform. Literally the term can be
translated as "change" (Carlsen and Prechtel, 26). It is the beginning and the end at the same
time. It is birth and death. Though there are many incarnations of
this concept in Mesoamerican cultures, one of the easiest ways to understand it is through the Mayan metaphor of the corn plant.
In
death the corn plant releases its seeds. The death of the individual
spawns a generation of new life, thus life comes from death. It is both
the beginning and the end at the same time. This way of thinking
manifests itself in many ways throughout Mesoamerican cultures. In
Mayan thinking the Flowering of the Dead reveals itself in the Mayan
number zero and is symbolized by a flower, seed, or conch shell. All
of these symbols for the zero are viewed by Mayan people as that which
gives birth in death. It should also be noted that in Mayan languages
seeds are sometimes referred to as "little skulls" (Carlsen and Prechtel, 28). Thus, the zero is
the passing from death into birth. It is revitalization and renewal.
Even the ancient Mayan glyph used to depict death consisted of a
skull with a flower sprouting from it (José Mucía Batz). This idea is also expressed in
the Mayan calendars, the numbers 2, 4, 5, and 20, the rhombus, the
concept of the pair, other glyphs, weaving, and Mayan
linguistics. It permeates Mayan culture.
This Mesoamerican
concept, is no doubt the origin of the Day of the Dead celebrations
observed in Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. It is also, more
than likely, the reason that the Zapatistas of Chiapas came up with the concept of the 5 "carocoles
" or conch shells. The 5 conch shells is the Mayan number zero, it is
the rhombus. It is the Flowering of the Dead, a symbol for renewal and
change. It is revolution!
If you're interested in Mayan culture and would like a different kind of vacation, visit this Mayan adventure travel project in Guatemala. It's run by one of our Casa Aztlán volunteers.
This website was designed by Brad Busenius.
References