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The Many Faces of Quetzalcoatl |
| In 1993 shortly after Jim, Mateo, and I arrived in La Moskitia, a ranching family brought out some ancient pieces their children had found while exploring the surrounding jungles. Most of the items were pottery shards of the North Coast appliqué style. We would later find many of that type at a nearby hot spring, an obvious sight of worship. Many of the lips of the vessels contained a familiar pattern of SSSSSSs’ on the outer edge Most all the items they displayed were of this hand worked clay variety. However one piece immediately caught our attention. It was the face of a serpent, carved out of very hard igneous rock. It looked like it was very, very old. That piece has been on my mind for years, it alone has created my personal interest and given me the drive to study the lost civilization that once ruled the region. It was to be the stepping stone for all the recent discoveries made by SEPH, and is responsible for the continuing pursuit of what we believe to be a World Class Discovery. |
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| Until recently, I had never heard of
the myth of Quetzalcoatl, or perhaps had forgotten it from my early school days. This one
carved rock made me hit the libraries and Internet in an effort to find out about the
makers. It did not take long to discover the piece in question was the form of
Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, the primary god for several Mesoamerican tribes, and one
of the most mysterious enigmas in modern MesoAmerican archaeology! The references to this
deity are numerous, and the legends of his gifts of knowledge to the people of the Region
are incredible. Further research of this design has consumed much of my time. After learning of the identity of the deity, finding pieces with similar characteristics became a simple matter. The guidelines that I self imposed for considering whether or not similar pieces fell into the style of our Quetzalcoatl makers included the double convex eyebrow lines, teeth, a tongue, the four "bumps" on the head above the eyes, and most importantly the track of air or "wind" coming from the nostrils and terminating in a swirl behind the mouth. While most of the examples I have seen are well worn over the years, there are many pieces that clearly display these points. This example is from a museum in Tegucigalpa, and is perhaps the most detailed I’ve seen. |
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| A majority of pieces we have seen which fall into this highly
stylized category are very worn and difficult to classify. After looking at many the task
is made easier. This piece, held by SEPH's historical consultant, was found at the
"museum" in Trujillo. It is still possible to make out all of the required
components to classify. |
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There does appear to be a slightly different style that includes
all of the characteristic previously mentioned. This is a less detailed form, sometimes
more artsy, which is considerably more rounded and flowing. These pieces are from the same
region and may indicate earlier work. This artifact was also photographed in the museum in
the capitol, next to the National Congress. |
| Many of the pieces we’ve seen are currently in the hands of
private collections. Some have all the features, and several are missing one, such as this
piece which appears to be missing the wind swirl. |
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| Since one of the areas in which these pieces were
concentrated at one time appear to surround a mountain that ties in with several legends
of Quetzalcoatl, we believe there is much fact associated with the legends and will
attempt further research in our Search for Quetzalcoatl and the mythical city of Ciudad
Blanca! All of the figureheads we have seen, and all posted
here appear to be either attached or broken off of metates, or grain grinding tables.
These three legged igneous "tables" come in all shapes and sizes and are very
common to the area. One of the gifts of knowledge allegedly delivered by Quetzalcoatl was
the method of making tortillas. If proven, it seems fitting many of the deities used for
matates featured the feathered serpent. Many of these metates are quite large, always carved from a single
piece. SEPH has visited sites where there are many broken pieces which were taller than 3
feet. Many authorities in the field believe some of these were chairs, and others
ceremonial grinding tables. I agree with George Hasseman on this premise, and think there
is the strong possibility some may have also served as an altar when removing the heart in
human sacrifice. After months of meeting a chain of some of the most respected minds
in the capitol, two SEPH members were given notes on napkins detailing a complex link of
locations and guides. We finally met with the ultimate guide who knew how to get to a
center of religious activity in the region. I was not shocked, but am always amazed to
discover the people who often hold the important information regarding clues to the past,
are many times, fine young boys. |
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| Our trusted guide had many characteristics in common
with the Last Emperor, and I will always remember him as such. He would casually grab bits
of food from the plants and trees and was truly at home in the bush. He took us to a
family who acts as the guardian of several sites. Two of these locations we visited had
truly significant historical knowledge, and will someday reveal much about the area. One
of the locations had large piles on the surface of many huge matate pieces. The couple of
items that we lifted up to photograph were placed back to their original orientation.
There are signs that this particular site has been visited by "art collectors"
many times before. This site is also on file with IHAH. |
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| The piece in the right hand is a smaller metate leg
with a distinct angle. This is probably rarer as it is the only piece of this type we have
seen. The area has many such "thrones" and is surrounded by small pyramids and
larger mountains. Many of these pieces show detailed carving on the legs and sides. Also,
the finest examples we saw were not at the site itself, but at houses in the vicinity.
Here, one of the SEPH founders displays a huge, extremely heavy, ornately carved leg of a
grand throne. |
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| The other site nearby was just as interesting.
Reputed to be a burial ground, this area we were told has not been visited by any
archaeologist or cartographers. Connecting many of these ancient civilizations are paved
roads. Some of which, near major "centers" can reach a width of over twenty
feet! Sorry, but in keeping within our charter articles we are not allowed to give place-names or any information which would lead the general public to any sites we have seen. We will say that the area of SEPHs current exploration is in The Honduras Moskitia and surrounding areas. We are happy to answer questions of generic sort, dealing with the Indians, artifacts, myths, legends, and anthropology on the area, without referring to any place or family names. Authorities on the area seeking more specific information must first receive approval from the director(s) of the IHAH. Please, if interested, bookmark this site and return next week, when we will have more photos’ and interesting cultural resources posted. And stay tuned as we "Search for Quetzalcoatl and Ciudad Blanca." |
