Mexican Wholesale

posted by AetnaJo on Dec 15

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posted by AetnaJo on Dec 7

One of the biggest fiestas of the year – in small towns, big cities, the beach resorts, everywhere – Christmas or Navidad in Mexico is celebrated in a variety of ways. A common denominator are the posadas, a recreation of Mary (on donkey) and Joseph searching for a “room at the inn.” Learn more about holiday and the places best known for the procession festivities.

The first thing to know about celebrating Christmas in Mexico is that most everybody takes off the last two weeks in December – to party, spend more time with the family, visit with old friends, even make new friends. One of the biggest fiestas of the year – in small towns, big cities, the beach resorts, everywhere – Christmas in Mexico is celebrated in a variety of ways. A common denominator is theposada, a recreation of Mary (on donkey) and Joseph searching for a “room at the inn.” Accompanying them is a choir of small children who knock on doors asking for lodging for the weary couple. By previous arrangement, there are no takers.

The procession, which takes place during the 12 days before Christmas, moves along, growing in numbers until it reaches the church, where mass is held. After the service, the children get to enjoy a festive pinata party.

Even though variations of this tableaux are repeated throughout the country, you can expect to find some regional differences, which makes a Mexican Christmas not only a cross cultural mix, but a varied and interesting experience. Year after year. Region after region.

For example, in the Ajijic area, a “riviera resort community” suburb of Guadalajara, in the little village of San Antonio, the posada is a most moving and spiritual experience. Same for Taxco and Queretaro. Catch the event in these areas if you can. Also in Queretaro, there’s a huge parade on December 23.

In the town of Cajititlan (near Guadalajara), as in many other places in the Hispanic world, they celebrate the holidays on Three Kings Day (Epiphany), which falls on January 6th. In fact, this was the traditional time to celebrate the gift-giving aspect of Christmas throughout Mexico. But in most parts of the country, the holiday now coincides with the day of celebration north-of-the-border: December 25. Many children now expect gifts on both days.

The ritual often begins in the afternoon or at dinner time when the family shares a rosca or two (a rosca is a sweet, ring-shaped loaf with a ceramic muneca (doll) representing the Christ child baked inside). Unlike a cracker-jack box where the winner takes all, whoever is unlucky enough to get the doll has to throw a party on February 2 (Dia de Candelaria) for all the others present. In this case, the “winner”, who has to foot the time and expense, is often the loser. (Note: on the afternoon of Dia de Candelaria, dancers gather for a performance in the churchyard. Sometimes as many as six different dance groups perform at the same time. The dancers are divided among those portraying Christians and Moors, each competing for the most attention. Other groups are represented as well. In small towns where this festival is held, there’s also a special market on that day.)The party itself usually includes some favorite dish spiced with a zesty regional mole sauce.

The fiesta for the Virgin de la Soledad, the patron saint of Oaxaca, December 16-18, signals the beginning of the navidad festivities. The highlight, again, is the posada, held at a different church each night from December 18-24. On December 23, the annual Noche de los Rabanos takes place. This is a very festive time when booths are set up along the length and breadth of the zocalo. The focal point of each booth is an exhibit of hand-carved, giant radishes. Most often, these sculptures carry a religious theme. But this is not necessarily so. The subject could be comical, a scene from a bullfight or anything that strikes the fancy of the sculptor. On Nochebuena, processions from various churches fan out to the zocalo. There are also colorfully-decorated floats, music, traditional dancing, and pinata prizes. The crowning glory of this fiesta is a mammoth fireworks display.

On Christmas Eve, in Santiago Tuxtla (Veracruz), everybody assembles in the zocalo for an evening of dancing the huapango to the accompaniment of a jarocho band.

In Quiroga (Michoacan), villagers present Nativity plays (Pastorelas) at churches on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.

Even the capital of Mexico City takes on a festive air with the famed zocalo (or sometimes called the Plaza de la Constitucion) ablaze with Bya sea of colorful lights festooning this ancient square. The festival of lights goes on throughout the Christmas/New Year’s period. In addition, there’s a colorful flag-raising/lowering ceremony every morning and afternoon during the holidays. The rest of the city is similarly decorated. And, of course, traditional services are held in the city’s many churches.

Resources: MexicoOnline.com By Marvin H. Perton.

Republished or posted by Aetna J B on 12/7/2010

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posted by AetnaJo on Dec 1

Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – December 12
The Celebration

On this day people from all parts of Mexico make their way to Mexico’s chief religious center at the Basilica of the Virgen of Guadalupe, located in Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo, a northern neighbourhood of Mexico City. There, they will celebrate the Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) with a mass ceremony and a traditional fair in her honor. The Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe became an national holiday in 1859.

Today, tens of thousands of people travel to Mexico City to visit the place where the Virgin appeared to the Mexican People. The holiday is a national fiesta that includes traditional music and fun attractions. Pilgrims bring presents to the virgin, usually bouquets of flowers while other visitors will perform dances and song for her. Some pilgirms walk on their knees on the stone street leading to the Basilica, asking for miracles or giving thanks to the virgin for a petition granted.

At the plaza the fiesta starts after the mass ceremony with delicious food, vendors selling crafts and clothes, along with many performences of music and dance. In other parts of Mexico, similar festivities are organized with some unique variations of the celebration. In some places, altars of flowers are built in her honor. Other parts have traditional food prepared like buñuelos, raspados and tortas as well as activities like parades, rodeos, and bullfights.

History of the Celebration

The Story behind this celebration demonstrates how the Catholic faith gained importance in the hearts of the Mexican people. It is a story of miracles and faith which mark a change in the history of Mexico.

The Spaniards, after they conquered Mexico, had in mind the goal of converting the indigenous indians into catholicism. But the spaniards encountered many difficulties because the Mexican people had existing strong beliefs in their many gods. It wasn’t until the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Juan Diego that this started to change.

Juan Diego was a young indigenous Indian walking toward the Hill of Tepeyac on December 12, 1531 when he was stopped by the appearence of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary appearing to Juan Diego was a young woman with black hair and dark skin which looked more like an indigenous person. She ordered Juan Diego to go to the Bishop and ask him to build a church at the Hill of Tepeyac. Juan Diego then ran to the Bishop to tell him what the Virgin Mary had told him. The Bishop didn’t believe what this young men was telling him and decided to ignore the petition.

The Virgin Mary appeared again in front of Juan Diego and told him to collect flowers from the top of the hill, but because it was December Juan Diego knew that there was not going to be any flowers at the rocky hill. Upon reaching the top of the hill, Juan Diego was surprised to see that it was covered with colorful and beautiful flowers. Juan Diego, as he was asked to, collected the flowers using his overcoat and ran again to see the Bishop.

Juan Diego gave the coat full of flowers to the bishop, and here the bishop discovered the image of Virgin Mary’s picture was miraculously traced on the coat. Seeing both the unseasonal flowers and the image of the Virgin, the Bishop realized Juan Diego had told him the truth and The Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe was built on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico City.

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posted by AetnaJo on Nov 16

.Its an oddity that most people I’ve asked don’t know the National Bird of Mexico, especially considering that everyone seems to know that the eagle is the US National Bird. Do you know what Mexico’s National Bird is? I only found out yesterday. Mexico’s National Bird is the crested caracara, a mix between an eagle and a vulture or buzzard, and cousin to the falcon.

Though these large birds weigh in at about three pounds and are approximately two feet long with a wingspan of four feet, they’d rather hang out mostly on the ground, using their long legs to outrun humans. It’s not that they’re afraid of us; it’s more that they like to show off how fast they are. They’re so fast, they’ve even been known to chase down a jackrabbit. The crested caracara has also been known to wrestle with a snake. I can only guess who won.

It has been said that the male offspring of a male caracara and a female chicken are the fiercest fighters, and nearly invincible in cockfights. Of course, if I were a chicken, I doubt I’d be interesting in dating a guy with a flat head, an orange face and a pointy blue nose who scavenges for road kill and dead fish because he’s too lazy to hunt for his own food.

It seems the caracaras must have expensive lobbyists representing them in Washington DC. The United States Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects crested caracaras as an endangered species, even though these big birds only visit Arizona, Florida, and Texas. This leaves the remaining 47 states to the yellow-bellied sapsucker, red-footed booby and dark-rumped petrel. However, in Mexico, where caracaras have the exalted title of National Bird, humans sometimes eat them. Go figure.

Crested caracaras have a raspy, grunting vocal sound when gossiping with one another or trying to get a date. Nature photographer Greg Lasley says, “During the vocalization the bird thrusts its head sharply upward, and sometimes its thrust so far that the birds head is upside down over its back.”

They have no real natural predators who prey on them for food except for man, since they spend a great deal of time on the ground. They will make a shrieking noise when they feel threatened and throw their heads back in the air then snap them forward so hard and fast, you wonder why they don’t break their little necks. Their facial skin color may change from orangey-red to yellow when excited or threatened. They make a sound that is very harsh, and sounds like “cara cara,” which gives them their name. When mating, the same head-rolling and rattling are also things the male does to attract a mate. They must get this idea from watching Mick Jagger videos.

The nest of the caracara is quite large and made of twigs and such. Many layers are used, with a new layer added each year. In many cases they will reuse the same nest year after year. The female will lay two or three eggs and the male helps to warm and incubate them during the 28 days it takes them to hatch. The adults eat mainly carrion but they do kill fresh meat for their young, who remain in the nest for three months minimum, sometimes longer. Like with human kids, it’s not easy to get your young ones to leave home either, considering its free room and board.

Caracaras will fly the highways nearly every morning to eat animals that traffic has killed during the night and, if they’re unable to pick apart the carrion themselves, they wait for kin vulture to do so and then move in and take it away from him. Hey, nobody said they were stupid.

One strange behavior they do have is that they will attack brown pelicans returning to the nest with food for their young, forcing them to disgorge what they’ve caught and then stealing it. I suppose they could market that as predigested the way they market cars as pre-owned. Either that or they choose only bulemic pelicans. They will also watch for turtles laying eggs and dig those up assuming, I guess, that the turtles, which do not return to the nest, will never find out.

Caracaras will scratch like chickens for worms and insects, and hunt small animals such as skunks, possums, rats, squirrels, frogs, crabs and even young alligators.

This bird has been called caracara eagle, king buzzard, Mexican Eagle, Audubon’s caracara, and Mexican buzzard.

Groups of birds in general are called a flock, but really interesting birds have special names, like a murmuration of starlings, an exaltation of larks, a charm of goldfinches. However, the caracara, being related to so many others, has a choice of four: convocation of eagles, cast of falcons, venue of vultures (unless they are flying in which case they’d be a kettle of vultures), or a wake of buzzards.

Speaking of buzzards, two of them were preparing to migrate north for the summer but, after talking about it, they decided they were too old to fly all that way, so they decided to take a plane. As they were about to board the aircraft, the flight attendant, noticing that both buzzards were carrying a dead armadillo, asked, “Would you like to check those armadillos through as luggage?” “No thanks,” the buzzards replied, “they’re carrion.”

Published or Updated on: October 19, 2010 by Maggie Van Ostrand © 2010

Re-Published or Updated on: November 15,2020 by Aetna J B

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posted by AetnaJo on Nov 3

The Costa Chica (“Short Coast” in Spanish) is one of two regions in Mexico with significant Black communities, the other being the state of Veracruz on the Gulf coast. The Costa Chica is a 200-mile long coastal region beginning just southeast of Acapulco, Guerrero, and ending near the town of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca.

The shaded area in the map shows the location and extent of the Costa Chica.

While the Costa Chica is home to many Blacks, there are many indigenous groups, as well. I have spent very little time learning about these people, and can’t speak with very much confidence about them. What I do know is that there are two major indigenous ethnic groups in the region: the Amuzgos, the coastal Mixtecs and, to a lesser extent, Tlapanecos and Chatinos.

What is also clear to me is that there is very little social interaction between Blacks and indigenous people. Part of this is the issue of the language barrier, but I believe the issue is much more complex than that. There has been a long history of hostility between the two groups, and while today there is no open hostility, negative stereotypes abound on both parts. I would hope to explore these inter-ethnic relations further, and that would likely require my learning one of their languages. Wish me luck!

Most of the homes in the region were round mud huts, whose roots have been traced back to what is now Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Now, the norm is a one-room house with wall of adobe. Also, while some of the better houses are constructed with brick or cinderblock, others can be a rather makeshift structure of sticks, mud and cardboard.

The economic base of the Costa Chica, not unlike most of the rest of the country, is agricultural. These campesinos, or peasant farmers, concentrate most of their efforts in the cultivation of corn, almost exclusively in order to make tortillas for their own consumption. Other common crops are coconut, mango, sesame, and some watermelon

Published or Updated on: September 1, 1998by Bobby Vaughn © 1998

Republished or Updated on November 3, 2010 by Aetna J B

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posted by AetnaJo on Oct 27

Día de los Muertos - It sounds so mysterious, Mexico’s celebration for when dead relatives, both young and old, are allowed to return to the mortal world for two days to visit loved ones. Spirits coming down and walking among the living, sampling earthly treats and joining in the festival … it sounds like a merry version of our Halloween holiday.

But instead of scarry goblins and blood curdling shrieks, the people in Mexico welcome the spirits of their families with the delicious smell of food in the air, tasty candies decorated like skulls, and lighted candles to guide them home again. Gravestones are decorated, and the whole family will gather in the graveyard to await and pay respects to the deceased.

Follow the links below to learn all about this unique Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos. For the truly adventurous there is information on how to arrange tours to the more coloful events in Mexico and to take part in the celebrations.

Skeleton puppets seem to welcome you to the
Day of the Dead celebrations

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posted by AetnaJo on Oct 16

I know this is October.LOL  I was meaning to post this article, ‘Mexico in the month of September‘ last month but is just slipped by me. Non the less this includes such good information that I couldn’t wait another year.

September 1, 1880 Porfirio Diaz’s government awards the concessions for building railroad lines from Mexico City to the U.S. border.

1, 1925 The inauguration of the Bank Of Mexico which will function as a central bank, the only one able to print money. On this precise date, 57 years later, in 1982, President Lopez Portillo announces the nationalization of all banks. (The banks have since been privatized again.)

1, 1969 From this date, Mexicans reaching their eighteenth birthday come of age, and assume voting rights.

3, 1783 Spain and England sign a treaty which allows the English to exploit the timber resources of Belize, formerly a Mexican province. The province is later renamed British Honduras, a name which persists until it gains independence from Britain, when it reverts to “Belize”.

4, 1781 The city of Los Angeles is founded by Felipe de Neve, governor of the Californias.

4, 1884 Francisco J. Múgica is born in Michoacán. Mújica becomes one of the key figures in the Mexican Revolution, and occupies important government posts under President Cárdenas. The town of Jiquilpan, not far from Lake Chapala, has a museum housing a permanent photographic record of both men’s achievements.

4, 1969 Line 1 of Mexico City’s “metro” (the subway) is opened. The line boasts French technology and super-quiet trains.

7, 1949 MEXICO’S TOP MURALIST DIES.

José Clemente Orozco, the internationally famous mural painter from Guadalajara, dies in Mexico City. First recognized as a great artist in the U.S., he later painted murals in many of Guadalajara’s public buildings, including the Government Palace, the University and the Cabañas orphanage, which later became the Cabañas Cultural Institute. Orozco’s work ranks amongst the finest ever produced in Mexico.

8, 1546 Deposits of silver ore are discovered in the state of Zacatecas, the first such deposits to be found by the Spanish conquistadors. Coincidentally, two years to the day later, more deposits are found. This discovery leads to the founding of the city of Zacatecas

8, 1824 The author of the music of Mexico’s national anthem, performed for the first time officially in 1854, is born in Spain. Jaime Nuño Roca lives to the ripe old age of 84.

8, 1847 Mexican forces defend Chapultepec Castle against invading U.S. troops. In the succeeding days, there are numerous acts of heroism, including that of the “Child Heroes” (which some modern day historians believe never took place!) The major battle for the castle begins on the 12th and ends on the 13th when the last remaining cadets throw themselves off the ramparts, rather than surrender.

8, 1862 Death, from typhoid fever, of General Ignacio Zaragoza (born 1829), whose forces, only four months earlier (May 5), had defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla.

9, 1847 The U.S. troops in Mexico City hang 16 Irish soldiers of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion (see August 20th for their story). More captured Irishmen are put to death on the 10th and the 13th of September, 1847.

9, 1850The American Congress formally admits “Upper California”, as a State of the Union -leaving Mexico only “Lower (Baja) California”.

10, 1824 Colima is formally declared a “city”.

12, 1931 Mexico joins the League of Nations.

14, 1526 The city of Antequera (now known as Oaxaca) is founded by Francisco de Orozco.

>15, 1498 Christopher Columbus begins his third voyage to the New World.

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15, 1810 CALL FROM PULPIT FOR INDEPENDENCE!

Father Miguel Hidalgo, and his fellow conspirators, decide to begin an armed uprising aimed at gaining independence from Spain. The days prior to the 15th have been full of intrigue and incident, with the Spanish authorities desperately trying to capture the ring-leaders. In the early morning of the 16th, Hidalgo issues his call to the people, an event commemorated today by the Independence Eve “Grito” (shout) made by the President every 15th of September. The 16th is Mexico’s “Independence Day”, a national holiday.

15, 1882 The Public Education Law makes primary education free and compulsory. Even today, all the primary school textbooks used in public schools are free.

15, 1939 The Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) was founded. During the 1990s, PAN candidates win several state governorships from the PRI party. In 2000, standing for PAN, Vicente Fox became the first opposition candidate to wrest the presidency from the PRI for more than seventy years. Fox’s term of office ends in 2006.

16, 1850 The opening of the first railway in Mexico: 11 kilometers of track between Veracruz and Molino.

16, 1869 President Benito Juárez inaugurates the railroad from Mexico City to Puebla. It takes another four years to finish the Puebla-Veracruz section of the line.

16, 1896 Mexico adopts the decimal system.

17, 1810 1000 PESOS FOR THEIR HEADS.

Spanish authorities offer a bounty of 1000 pesos each for the heads of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama and Abasolo, the leaders of the Mexican Independence movement, which on that same day, installs the first independent government, in San Miguel el Grande (today San Miguel de Allende). The price on each of their heads was soon raised to $2500!

17, 1964 President Lopez Mateos opens the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. Recognized as one of the world’s outstanding museums, the building was designed by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez and is a “must see” for anyone visiting Mexico City for the first time.

19, 1553The Spanish Crown gives a coat of arms to the city of Valladolid, today known as Morelia. This year (2001), the city will celebrate its 460th anniversary.

19, 1985A severe earthquake, measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale, shakes Mexico City and surrounding states. An estimated 20,000 people lose their lives and some 3,000 buildings are damaged.

20, 1870 The National School for the Blind is founded in Mexico City.

21, 1629 Disastrous floods, with the water rising up to 2 meters in some places, cause extensive damage and loss of life in Mexico City.

25, 1493 Christopher Columbus departs from Cadiz, on his second voyage to the New World. Exactly twenty years to the day later, Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean, naming it “the Southern Sea”.

25, 1572 The first Jesuits arrive in New Spain. The Jesuits play a crucial role in the exploration of north-west Mexico, and in the early development of education and colleges.

26, 1949 After exhaustive research, Dr. Eulalia Guzmán discovers the remains of the last Aztec Emperor, Cuauhtemoc, buried in a church in the state of Guerrero.

27, 1821 Mexico formally wins independence from Spain.

27, 1862 Miguel Angel de Quevedo is born in Guadalajara. Quevedo, a road engineer, is a pioneer tree planter, and eventually becomes the Head of the Forestry department in the Agriculture Secretariat. He is sometimes referred to as the “Apostle of the Trees”.

29, 1759 The first completely new volcano to be formed in the Americas in historic times, Jorullo, commences activity. Jorullo is located in the state of Michoacán, very close to the site of the America’s second (and better known) new volcano, Paricutín.

The main source for this series is:
Efemérides Mexicanas by Noé Solchaga Zamudio and Luisa A. Solchaga Peña,
published in two volumes by Editorial Avante, Mexico City, 1983.

Published or Updated on: September 1, 2009 by Tony Burton © 1997

Contact Tony Burton

Re-published or re-posted on Oct 16,2010 by Aetna J B

Sources: Tony Burton mexconnect.com

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posted by AetnaJo on Oct 12

OAXACA IS GUELAGUETZA!

Bailables

The famous Guelaguetza festival is held each July in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (WA-HA-KA). Also known locally as “Los Lunes del Cerro” (Mondays on the Hill), this celebration takes place on two consecutive mondays. A beautiful cultural event dating back hundreds of years, this festival attracts visitors from around the world.

Participants from the seven different regions of the state gather in the capital city, also named Oaxaca, to dance, sing and play music. This cultural exchange is a visually stunning exhibit of color and movement. The dancers and musicians wear clothing representative of their district. Their costumes, decorated with ribbons and bells, add a wonderful presence to the festivities.

In addition to folkloric dance and song, the cultural exchange extends to culinary delights. Regional food specialties are featured, enchanting the taste buds with exquisite flavors. Oaxaca is internationally known amongst food connoisseurs as having exceptionally delicious cuisine. Tantalizing Oaxacan dishes typically feature exotic mole (MO-LAY) sauces accompanied by fragrant aromas.

The roots of the Guelaguetza festival call upon pre-Columbian traditions that have existed for millennium. Indeed, the word “guelaguetza” hails from the Zapotec Indian language and means an offering or gift. Included in the translation is the concept of an exchange, or an act of reciprocity. Guelaguetza was woven into the area’s indigenous cultures as a form of social etiquette and expectation. Its practice benefited everyone involved.

Bailadora
Since time immemorial, the area’s indigenous peoples honored the goddess of maize (corn) through ceremony and ritual. Each year at the height of the rainy season (mid-July), the people would gather and pay homage to Centeotl, the corn goddess. These supplications were performed to assure a bountiful forthcoming harvest.

During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic missionaries sought to dissuade such pagan rituals. As a result, the church promoted the feast of the Virgin of Carmen, celebrated on the 16th of July, as a countermeasure to the corn goddess festivities. A hybridization of cultures occurred and the two distinct traditions became interwoven over time, finally evolving into the modern La Guelaguetza festival we know today.

In 1932, the city of Oaxaca held a grand celebration, to commemorate its 400th year anniversary. It was designated a royal city by a decree of King Charles V in the year 1532. This extraordinary event brought together participants from the seven regions of Oaxaca to meet in the capital and share their unique gifts with one another.

An annual event, the Guelaguetza has become extremely popular with both nationals and foreigners alike. The dramatic displays of dance, music and song attracts thousands of visitors each year. Exquisite textiles, ceramics and other native arts are also highlighted with each region represented.

The dates of the festival fluctuate each year, according to the calendar and the following calculations. Typically, the first date falls on the monday after July 16th. However, an exception exists to this formula. Should the monday in question fall on the anniversary of President Benito Juárez’ death (July 18th), the start date is traditionally delayed by one week. Due to the dates changing each year, it is best to check with your travel agent when making your reservations.

Danza Piña
Official ceremonies commence at dawn on the festival’s first day. These celebrations take place on a hill that has a wide panorama of the city. This major landmark, “Cerro del Fortin” (Fortin Hill) has been the site of many events throughout Mexico’s history. It is an ideal spot for the festival and boasts a wonderful open-air amphitheater where the main performances take place.

In the true spirit of guelaguetza, the dancers at the end of their performance toss gifts into the crowd. These offerings represent their region’s specialty and might include straw hats, flowers and even pineapples! In addition to the two monday celebrations, adjacent festivals and parades occur on the weekend preceding the main event and throughout the week.

Women wearing traditional dress accompanied by baskets of flowers provide a lovely element to these processions. Large walking puppets delight the many children who are in attendance. Fireworks complete the festive atmosphere which is charged with electricity. There is a competition to elect a contemporary Goddess Centeotl and reenactments of the life of Princess Donaji, the last Zapotecan princess. The Guelaguetza Festival truly is a wondrous cultural event enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

Resources: Mexonline.com

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posted by AetnaJo on Oct 4

I happened to mention to someone that I was writing an article about the ‘myths’ of Quetzalcoatl and the Virgin of Guadalupe.

My Mexican friend became immediately incensed. “Myths? He yelped. Myths? Are you one of those people who don’t believe in the Bible?”

Bible? I thought as my jaw dropped open. What has the Virgin of Guadalupe have to do with the Bible? Instead, both the Virgin and the legend of Quetzalcoatl have to do with the effect of euro-centrism on the Mexican culture.

Beginning with the landing of Cortez in 1519, alien Catholicism, with a white god and a white panoply of saints had been forcibly impressed on a confused people with a deeply religious background.

In 1531, Juan Diego made a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin (Our Mother), when the vision later called the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to him and miraculously impressed her image on Juan’s cloak, and image that exists to this very day in a place of honor, the magnificent and enormous new sanctuary that the Church has built upon the hallowed spot in Tepeyac.

The important part of the miraculous occurrence is that the Virgin was brown-skinned. Finally there was a religious figure that the indigenous people could identify with. And identify they did, raising her image to such heights that by 1895, Pope Leo XIII officially decreed her to be ‘The Queen of Mexico.’

She has become the very soul and consciousness of the Mexican people. Father Hidalgo was a ‘Guadelupana’, a devotee of the ‘Dark Virgin’, adopting her as the spirit and icon of the revolution. Even today, her December 12th fiesta is hugely celebrated, and in many areas easily overshadows Christmas.

Once again, the Catholic (the dictionary definition is ‘broad in sympathies, tastes and interests’) Church had shown its true genius, the ability to co-opt and integrate an existing theology. Try going into one of the truly rural churches serving a wholly indigenous community (such as Chamula in Chiapas) and you will see a very different kind of worship where Christianity is only a very thin veneer over the still vital practice of the old religion.

Catholicism has triumphed in Mexico, but has it? Does Catholicism include a church where there are no pews or kneelers, where pine needles are strewn over the floor, where the saints whose names you might recognize are provided with a very different and local history. Here you will see worshippers in small groups surrounded by dozens of candles, often presided over by a curandero who is curing the sick by passing a chicken or an egg over the affected body part to ‘suck up’ the poison. Where Coca-Cola is major to the service because the ingestion of the drink leads to the gaseous expulsion of demons. Where the assigned priest has been forbidden to conduct Mass, and is only suffered to conduct weddings, baptisms and funerals.

No, it is the Virgin and the old religion that has triumphed, and we only think it is Catholicism.

Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl (‘Bird of precious green feathers-snake’ or ‘Feathered serpent’) comes down to us in so many forms that it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. He was: Ehecatl, God of Wind, Hun Nal Ye, The Morning Star (Venus), Man of the Sun, bringer of knowledge, font of wisdom, holy man, uniter, creator and performer of art and music, warrior, cultural hero, King of Tula, priest, drunken fornicator with his own sister, fallen hero, and tragic figure.

Aztec image of Quetzalcoatl

His face and form is likewise obscure, and he has been shown as: a typical Indian, or dressed monklike in a long white robe fringed with black crosses, as a bearded white man and a beardless, masked black man. He has been depicted with his body and face painted black, or with his face painted yellow and having a grotesque bird-like beak.

Although it has been said that a white Quetzalcoatl was only a fiction spread after Cortez landed, that does not explain why Moctecuzhuoma was obviously terrified by the landing of a bearded white man at the very spot from which Quetzalcoatl was said to have sailed away. Nor does it explain why the indigenous people attributed the godlike qualities not to bandy-legged, black-bearded Cortez, but rather to his deputy, the surpassingly handsome blond, immoral, bloodthirsty and headstrong young Pedro de Vargas, who the Indians identified with the sun.

Not the least of the white man’s godlike qualities was the arrogant imperviousness to the deadly pandemic that had arrived with them, while all around, the indigenous peoples were ‘dropping like flies’ in their millions. It is now estimated that on Cortez’ arrival there were 36 million inhabitants of the area now known as Mexico, but less than 2 generations later there were less than 2 ½ million remaining.

Because of the myriad legends swirling around this mythical/historical figure, it has been proposed that Quetzalcoatl could well have been several individuals. Possibly the term ‘Quetzalcoatl’ was actually an honorific given to successive individuals, as we have done with King, Pope, Czar, General, and the like.

An enormously widespread (legend-myth-history-religion). Quetzalcoatl, in his various forms, is the protean figure over the length and breadth of North and South America, with surprisingly little variation.

There is a widespread belief that in times past, strangers from the east had visited Mexico and had ‘returned to the land of the Sunrise.’ Quetzalcoatl was said to have landed at Veracruz with several companions and after bringing the gift of civilization and staying for several years, he departed on a magic raft, promising to return. Spanish religious later interpreted this to be a visit by the Apostle St. Thomas, coming to convert the Americas.

It is difficult to trace the legend of a bearded white god. It is true that several of the Maya and Aztec gods sport full black beards. A hirsute adornment which, while unusual among the Indians, is not totally unknown.

Conquistador Hernán Cortés

It is also true that some of the gods have white faces, but a depiction of a white-faced, bearded Quetzalcoatl remains elusive and might well be apocryphal.

The legend of Cortez as a returning god might well have owed more to the ships, the sickness, the shining armor (particularly the helmets), the horses, the dogs, and the fearsome weapons. Think of what our reaction would be to a UFO landing on the White House lawn and a bona fide alien alighting.

It is said that there was a widespread belief in the imminent arrival of bearded white gods from over the sea, but there seems to be no solid foundation for this belief.

In Peru, Hernando De Soto was told that the father of the Inca (ruler) had foretold that in the reign of the 30th Inca, white men would come to visit a superior rule and culture among the Peruvians.

But these beliefs and rumors only seem to have ‘sprung full-blown from the brow of Zeus’ after the Spaniards had already come!

It is only fair to point out that there are friezes of Kulkulcan, the Mayan incarnation of Quetzalcoatl, which clearly depict a Caucasian-featured, long-faced person with a long straight nose and a long, pointed beard. Archaeologists have even nicknamed this figure ‘Uncle Sam’, for the very real resemblance to the American patriotic symbol.

In both cases, the legends are at least partially a reaction to the coming of the Europeans and sully the pristine truth. Somehow, the legend of a white-skinned, bearded Quetzalcoatl became an apologia for the Conquest, while the legend of the Virgin allowed the indigenous people to have a stake in the conquering religion.

Editor’s Note: Lawrence H. Freeman is the reference library and tour director for the Lake Chapala Society, and the acknowledged expert on pre-Columbian culture and ruins throughout Mexico, as well as a regular contributor to El Ojo Del Lago, the local monthly English-language newspaper/magazine. He is currently in the process of setting up guided tours for English-speakers throughout Mexico. Contact him about the story or the tours by e-mail at ligligl@hotmail.com. Story by Lawrence H. Freeman

Resource: Mexonline.com

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posted by AetnaJo on Sep 29

Rufino Tamayo, a Oaxacan painter of international renown, was one of the great modern artists of the 20th century. Tamayo died in 1991 at the age of 91 and had a long and esteemed career. His artwork can be found in important collections worldwide. During his life he was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including France’s Legion d’Honneur.

Tamayo was a prolific artist who was a master of many mediums, including oil, watercolor and lithography. The artist, in addition to producing works on paper and canvas, was also a muralist whose work adorns the walls of museums, universities and libraries throughout the world. Additionally, Tamayo pioneered a new print-making technique known as mixografia with several of his works produced in this medium. This innovative process allows a traditional lithographic print to be created in relief which produces fine surface detail as well as volume. In his later years, Tamayo added sculpture to his artistic repertoire, utilizing his own paintings as a source of inspiration for subject matter.

	Watermelows

Rufino Tamayo was a contemporary of fellow Mexican artists Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Unlike these muralists, however, whose work held strong political commentary, Tamayo eschewed this path and forged his own. The subject matter found in his work is apolitical and purposefully so.

Although his work is embedded with distinctly Mexican roots, both in color and in subject, Tamayo’s art is ultimately a response to universal and not temporal matters. Tamayo’s lack of enthusiasm for political commentary was not appreciated by Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros who firmly prescribed that important art had to address the societal injustices of the day. Finding his work criticized in Mexico, Tamayo left the country to live for extended periods in both the United States and France. This decision proved beneficial for Tamayo who created many of his important works abroad.

	Rufino Tamayo

Born in Oaxaca to parents of Zapotecan Indian ancestry, Tamayo’s cultural heritage is evident in his artwork. Orphaned at a young age, Tamayo was sent to live with his aunt in Mexico City. The young artist worked as a vendor at his aunt’s fruit stand, helping her sell produce. The bright and beautiful colors of the tropical fruit has been credited as influencing the artist’s future palette. This experience also provided the catalyst for a favorite motif of Tamayo’s, namely the watermelon, which is depicted in many of his works. As a young man, Tamayo attended the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, San Carlos, in Mexico City but left before graduating to pursue his studies independently.

After leaving school, Tamayo accepted a position at the Mexican Archaeological Museum. This proved to be a pivotal turning-point for the artist. At this museum, Tamayo was responsible for copying copious amounts of pre-Columbian artifacts by hand. This activity enormously influenced his future work. Through this process, Tamayo became intimately acquainted with the artwork of his ancestors which in turn, greatly shaped his artistic vision and expression. Additionally, Tamayo was also inspired by European modern art movements, especially the work of the Cubists and also that of the Surrealists.

Throughout his life, Tamayo and his wife amassed a wonderful collection of pre-Columbian treasures which today reside in the Museo Rufino Tamayo Art Museum, located in his home state of Oaxaca. Additionally, works of Tamayo and other modern masters, can be found in the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum in Mexico City. This collection, which Tamayo and his wife orchestrated, was generously donated by the couple to the people of Mexico.

	Tres Personajes

Recently, an amazing story unfolded concerning one of Tamayo’s famous works. The painting, entitled Tres Personajes went on a mysterious adventure after being sold for $55,000 to a patron in the 1970′s. During a move in the 1980′s, the piece disappeared from a storage locker. It was not seen again until 2003 when it was spotted in an alleyway in New York. The large brightly colored canvas was placed outside with the trash, placed between two large dumpsters. A woman, who was on her morning walk came across the painting. Initially, she was reluctant to bring the painting back to her small apartment due to its size. However, there was something about the painting that spoke to her. The woman fortunately listened to her intuition and it was a good thing she did. The painting recently sold for over $1,000,000 at auction. The woman enjoyed a reward of $15,000 from the painting’s owner plus a finder’s fee from the auction house.

Considering the quality and mastery of Tamayo’s paintings, it is easy to understand why the woman was compelled to retrieve the painting from its incongruent surroundings. Tamayo’s paintings actually glow from within. The artist had a command of color that was sublime and his subject matter transcends individual commentary. Perhaps the following quote from Octavio Paz, the Mexican poet and Nobel laureate, sums up the work of Rufino Tamayo best- “If I could express with a single word what it is that distinguishes Tamayo from other painters, I would say, without a moment’s hesitation: sun. For the sun is in all his pictures, whether we see it or not: night itself is for Tamayo simply a sun carbonized”.

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