by Saúl Miranda Ramos
The pre-Colombian Cultures in Latin
America have some counterparts in their cosmogony despite the distance, the
time, and the language they have had. I ignore which one was the device, or
whether it was without it, let this people to perform their Philosophies with
huge differences but with several points in common. Incas, Mapuches, Aztecs and
Nahuas have lots of linked topics which could be scrutinized since some
symbolisms such as the “Chakana”, the “Cultrún”, the “Fejeuary-Meyer” codices
and the “Voladores” dance.
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| The Chakana Cross |
The first Cultural symbol highlighted is the
Chakana which is a millenarian Inca Symbol and belongs to the ancient Andean
cultures in Peru. It´s origins come from the astronomy and geometry related to
the universe. Besides, the figure of the “Chakana” is a squared stepped cross with
12 sharp ends in its sides looked as a pyramid; In addition, it seems like the
constellation “Cross from the South”, also makes reference to the sun. The
cross indicates 4 opposite sides, 4 cardinal points, and 4 seasons, so each
segment has 3 steps which represents 3 worlds: the God´s one, the human´s one
and the world of the dead persons. Furthermore, the center represents the
twoness and the emptiness, the unimaginable, unknown, and so on. Another, its
name comes from the Quechua Language that means “Bridge to the high”, for it is
the union between the under and the high, land and sun, inferior and superior. Also,
it provides information about the earth cycles and the cosmogony of the Andean
cultures such as heaven and earth, sun and moon, north and south, up and down,
time and space, feminine and masculine. Moreover, it works as a calendar and
helps people to guide them in sowing and harvest, so May 3th is the Chakana´s
day; perhaps since in these days the constellation “Cross from South” are
straighten in a perfect cross and it is allied with corn harvest. Finally, the
Chakana has been venerated by ancient Peruvians, and nowadays lots of crops
possess chakanas for the benefit of them.
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| The Cultrún |
In the other hand, the “cultrun”,
which is a Mapuche Symbol culturally produced in the South of the actual Chile
and Argentina, provides an interpretation of the world addressed in the
indigenous vision of Mapuche community. The Cultrún communicates the three
levels of the universe: above land where gods live, in the middle lands in
which we live, and under the land where is habited by the evil. Also, the
interpretation of the Cultrún comes in the opposite sense of the clockwise and
it is started in the lower part. The first interpretation is about the moon and
its states. The starter is the crescent moon followed by the full moon,
the waning moon and the new moon. Another reading of the Cultrún refers to the
rising sun, the midday sun, the twilight and the dark sun read since bottom
against the clock hands. The third discourse has to do with the land elements
such that the lower semicircle represents earth, the second reflects fire, the
third illustrates wind, and finally the last one figures water. Furthermore, people
from South are represented in the centered nethermost, in the place of the full
moon are the people from east, continuing with people from North at the top,
and People from the sea belong to the left side. The last part is one which is
placed in harmony with sowing, and matches with the sun periods. The place of
dark sun matches with the outbreaks time, the next with the rains time,
followed by fallow time and ending with abundance time. The relationship
between the Cultrún and the Chakana is the cross figure in which both of them
are based and the relevance in four points as in cardinals.
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| Fejéuáry-Mayer codices |
Meanwhile in the Mexican Cultures
the Fejéuáry-Mayer codices and the voladores dance show us the directions of
the universe. In the cross displayed, the most important part is the East, also
called Tlahuactlampa. This side is the origin of the light, were the sun rise; also
is the place of Quetzalcoatl. Next to, at the West Cihuatlampa is the head of
women, is the place where go dead women in labor. Above, to the north is
Mictlampa that is the place of the dead people, the place of Mictlantecuctli
and Mictlantecihuatl. Beneath, to the south is Huitziltampa also known as thorn
place, that is the place of the hummingbird where rain comes and the place of
silence. In the highest part are Xohuali, Ejecatl, Citlani Cueitl, Tonantzin,
Coyolxauhqui whom are the population of the universe, suppliers of life, and
the divinity that invent itself. Among them there are Day (Totatzin), father
sun (Tonatiuh), Night (Tonantzin, Yohuali), and mother moon (Mestli). Beyond,
is the existence of Tonantzin, Tlali, Coatlicue who are Mother of land, the
fertile, and the woman of the jade skirt with serpent figures. Nevertherless in
the current context of Mexico, voladores dance tell us how to worship to the
sun asking for a good harvest in a closer place to the sun (at the top of a
high tree trunk). There, a square is placed as a mechanism to descend where 4
cardinal points and a center are represented by a person. The dancers are wearing
brilliant color clothes as tropical birds, so the music is produced by a little
flute and a drum producing sounds close the singing of birds. Finally, each
person in this ritual throw himself to the space to fly, for perform 13 turns
which whether it is multiplied for the 4 persons the result is 52 (the number
of years of the indigenous calendar).
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| Voladores Dance |
Despite the distance, the time, these
cultures have similarities, yet we don´t know how they have communicated each
other or not; but it is true they are astronomers and check for long times the
movements of the stars. As an example, the Cross of South is present un many
other cultures and countries such as the flags of Australia, Brazil, New
Zeland, Samoa, Santa Cruz Argentina, Tierra de Fuego Argentina, Magallanes and
Tierra de Fuego Chile, between others. That is why Indigenous from Mexico, Chile,
Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Australia are considerate so culturally different and
so similar.
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| A cross in the altar of the dead people day in Mexico |
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| Magallanes Flag, Chile |
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| Flafg of Papua, New Guinea |
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| Flag of tierra de Fuego, Antartida, Argentina |
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| Flag of Samoa |
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| Flag of New Zeland |
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| Flag of Brazil |
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| Flag of Australia |
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