Bobadilla In Nicaragua
The
early chroniclers of the Spanish conquest have left us invaluable
information as to the circumstances, culture and lives of the Indian
peoples of that era. In my opinion, their observations and histories
are of much more value than tentative theories regarding their
history and cultural, derived from limited
archaeological evidence.
One
of these early Spanish historians, who arrived in the new world
shortly following its discovery, was Gonzalo Fernández
de Oviedo y
Valdés.
He later wrote a very detailed (fifty volumes to be exact) account
of all that he observed. Unfortunately these writings seem to be
only available in Spanish. A portion of his writings deal with his
time spent in Nicaragua, which is of particular interest to me.
 |
| Francisco Bobadilla |
Up to the present I have been under
the impression that there were very few accounts of the early Indians
of Nicaragua. However, in reading the book Nicaragua, its people,
scenery, monuments, and the proposed interoceanic canal by E. G.
Squier, I found a number of lengthy quotations from Oviedo in
English. Either Squier had access to an English translation of the work,
or he translated the material himself. One section of these Oviedo
quotations deals with a series of interviews that a Francisco de
Bobadilla had with the early native Americans of Nicaragua,
questioning them on their beliefs, religion and culture, which I have
found to be very informative.
These interviews were mostly with
the Nicaro Indians who had immigrated to Nicaragua from Mexico around
700 AD. As a result, they mainly reflect Nahuatl or Mexican religion
and culture. I will include a copy of Bobadilla's interview below,
but first let me summarize some of the details I gleaned from his
questioning.
The Indians were reluctant to share
their beliefs and traditions with the Spanish.
Many Indians were “baptized” who
had no idea what they were committing themselves to, or had no
intention of changing their beliefs – conversions of convenience.
The Indians worshiped two principal
gods named Famagostad and Zipaltonal, the first male and the second
female.
They had other minor gods who
controlled many of the natural phenomena. They also had personal
gods which they could call on for assistance.
These gods were male and female, had
bodies, were immortal, and dwelt in heaven.
The images of the gods had been carved
in stone by their ancestors and left for them. They made small
images of these original idols to place in their homes.
They had a vague knowledge or tradition
of the flood, but believed that all men and animals had been
destroyed during this event, and then the gods recreated mankind and
the animals.
Those who died in battle went with the
gods, while they who died a normal death went to a “hell-like”
place under the earth.
They believe that their ancestors had
become gods.
They were uncertain about the
resurrection. Only certain individuals would be resurrected. The
resurrection would not be universal.
They did not practice fasting.
They practiced a rite similar to the
Catholic confession.
The traditions of the Indians were kept
orally and passed from generation to generation in this manner.
The essence of life was something like
the spirit, which they called “julio” and which dwelt in the
heart. When this left the body it resulted in death.
They had a tradition that the gods
anciently communicated with man, but no longer did so.
Although they had been baptized and had
become “Christians”, they understood very little of Christian
doctrine, scriptures, or history.
There were special temples which only
the priests, chiefs and young boys could enter. A chief would spend
a year at a time in the temple petitioning for the needs of the
people. At the end of the year he would leave and another chief
would take his place.
Other common temples were provided for
the general population but only males were admitted.
They practiced human sacrifice and
believed that human blood nourished the gods.
People were sacrificed to propitiate
the gods. Their blood was sprinkled on the idols in the temples.
The sacrificed
bodies of the men were eaten, but not
the bodies of the women or children.
Young children were sacrificed to
induce the gods to send rain.
Sacrificial victims were normally
slaves or war captives, however certain children were raised
specifically to be sacrificial victims and receive special treatment
and privileges during their lives prior to the sacrifice.
The people also offered animals, garden
produce, etc. in the temples.
The people made self sacrifices by
cutting the tongue or genitals.
The Indian temples were large buildings
built of wood with thatched roofs. None but the priests and residing
chief were allowed entrance.
Around the temples were high places in
the shape of small pyramids or cones, eight to fifteen steps in
height. The human sacrifices were conducted on the top of these
pyramids. The top of these platforms was flat, with some large
enough to hold as many as10 men. In the center of this platform was
the large sacrificial stone. as long as a man.
On the appointed day of sacrifice, the
victim was taken to the top and placed on the stone altar. The chief
observed the rite from an adjacent pyramid, while the people watched
from below. The priest cut open the abdomen and tore out the heart,
then anointed the idols with the blood. The body was cut in pieces
and distributed among those appointed to receive a portion, while the
head was severed and hung in a special tree as a trophy.
One additional rite was observe.
During certain ceremonies the participants would draw a little blood
from the genital organs and sprinkle this on corn which was then
eaten with great solemnity.
Now quoting from Squier's book:
Among these [the writings of Oviedo] is
a transcript of the proceedings of a commission, of which the Fray
Francisco de Bobadilla, Provincial of the Order of Mercy, was the
head, delegated by Pedro Arias de Avila, Governor of Nicaragua, in
1528, to procure an exact account of the condition of the Indians, to
ascertain the nature of their religion, and to discover how far they
had been affected by the introduction of Christianity. It was on the
28th of September of the same year that Bobadilla arrived in the
province of Niquira, and commenced his investigation.
The first who appeared before him was a
chief named Chichoyatona, whom Bobadilla piously proceeded to
baptize, naming him Alonzo de Herrera. He then inquired of him if he
knew there was a God who had created man, the world, and all things.
But Chichoyatona either did not know, or else did not care to answer
questions, and the friar got nothing from him. He next tried an old
man named Cipat, but he replied to the same question that he neither
knew nor cared, and was accordingly dismissed. It is not, however, to
be supposed that Cipat was really so ignorant; for the Indians of
Nicaragua, in common with those of every part of the continent, were
extremely jealous of all things relating to their religion.
Bobadilla, no wise discouraged, tried
another chief, named Mizeztoy, and this time with better success.
Mizeztoy stated that he was a Christian; that is to say, had had
water poured on his head by a priest, but had really quite forgot
what name had been given to him. The result of his examination is
given by the chronicler as follows:
Friar, Do you know who made heaven and
earth? Indian, My parents told me, when I was a child, that it was
Famagostad and Zipaltonal, the first male and the second female.—
F. What are they, men or animals? I, I do not know; my parents never
saw them; nor do I know whether they dwell in the air or elsewhere.—
F. Who created man, and all tilings? I, As I have already said,
Famagostad and Zipaltonal, a younger named Ecalchot, a Guegue (or
very old personage), and the little Ciagat — F. Where are they? I,
I do not know, except that they are our great gods, whom we call
Teotes. — F. Have they parents or ancestors? I, No; for they are
gods.— F, Do the Teotes eat? I, I do not know; but when we make
war, we do so that they may eat the blood of our enemies whom we have
slain or taken prisoners. We scatter the blood on all sides, in order
that the Teotes may make sure of it; for we know not on which side
they dwell, nor even that they do really consume it— F. Do you
know, or have you even heard, that the world has been destroyed since
the creation? I, I have heard our fathers say that it was destroyed
by water, a very long time ago.— F. Were all men drowned ? I, I do
not know; but the Teotes rebuilt the world, and placed upon it men
and animals again.— F. How did the Teotes escape ? upon a mountain
or in a canoe ? I, They are gods, how could they drown. — F. Were
all animals and the birds drowned ? I, Those now existing were
created anew by the Teotes, as well as men and all things.— F. Are
all the Indians acquainted with what you have just told me ? I The
priests of the temples and the caziques know it— F. By whom are the
Teotes served ? I, The old men say that those who are slain in battle
serve the Teotes, and that those who die in the natural way, go under
the earth.— F. Which is most honorable, to go under the earth, or
to serve the teotes7 I. By far to serve the Teotes, because we shall
then meet with our fathers.— F, But if your fathers have died in
their beds, how can you meet them ? I, Our fathers are themselves
Teotes, — F. Can the Teotes bring the dead lo life, and if so,
where are the reawakened dead ? I, All that I know is, that infants
who die before they are weaned, and before they have tasted maize,
will be raised again, and return to their fathers' houses, where
their fathers will recognize and provide for them; whilst, on the
other hand, those who die at a more advanced age will never come to
life again.— F. But if the father should die before his children
come to life again, how can he recognize or provide for them? I, If
the fathers die, I know not what becomes of the children.— F.
Finally what is their destiny? I, I know only what I have told you;
and it must be true, because our fathers have told us so."
The Fray Bobadilla next questioned the
cazique Abalgoalteogan, who also bore the name of Francisco, and who
said he was a Christian. The Fray asked him, " if he was glad
that he was a Christian ?" to which he replied that, " he
thought he was," and gave as a reason for his felicitation that
only Christians went to heaven, while "all others went to hell
with the devil." Being a more hopeful subject than the rest, the
Fray proceeded to interrogate him. His testimony, as to the gods,
coincided with that of Mizeztoy, and with him he affirmed that all
knowledge concerning them was perpetuated by oral tradition; that
formerly the priests had converse with the gods, but that since the
arrival of the Christians, the latter had withdrawn from earth; that
although the Teotes are of flesh, and male and female, yet that they
are uncreated, immortal, enjoy eternal youth, and reside in the
heavens. That the earth was once destroyed by water, and became a
great sea, and that afterwards Fanagostad and Zipaltonal descended,
dispersed the waters, and recreated all things. That of the dead, the
good alone go above with the Teotes, the bad to a subterranean abode
named Miquetanteot; that there is no resurrection of the body, but by
the act of death "there comes forth from the mouth something
which resembles the person, called julio which goes to the place of
the Teotes, It is immortal: but the body decays forever." The
good are those " who take care of the temples, and observe the
laws of friendship; the wicked are those who do differently, and they
are sent under the earth."
The Fray next interrogated an old man,
past sixty years of age, named Tacoteyda, who was a priest in one of
the temples of Nicaragua. When he was asked if he was a Christian, he
said No, that he was old, and why should he become a Christian?
Whereupon the Fray told him, that if he became a Christian, it would
be a source of great good to him here and hereafter; but that if he
did not, he would inevitably go to the devil. But the old priest was
firm in his own faith, and would not be baptized. He concurred
entirely with the others, in representing Famagostad and Zipaltonal
as themselves uncreated, the creators of heaven and earth, and the
greatest of gods. He added, that they were like the Indians
themselves, forever young, dwelt in the heavens towards the rising of
the sun, and that their aid in war, or for other purposes, previously
to the arrival of the Christians, was procured by addressing
petitions to heaven. Tacoteyda testified that Famagostad and
Zipaltonal received to themselves, at their abiding place in the
eastern heavens, those who had lived worthily, or had been slain in
battle, but that all others were sent under the earth; that those who
went above did not carry their bodies with them, but only a heart or
rather that which was the cause of life, and which in departing from
the body caused death. The Fray asked him what the gods would do when
all men ceased to live. To which the Indian priest replied, very
frankly, that he did not know; nor did he know anything of a flood
which had destroyed the world.
Altogether, his examination does not
appear to have been satisfactory to the Fray Bobadilla, who dismissed
him, and sent for an Indian named Coyen, who was very aged, exceeding
eighty years, and whose head was white as cotton wool. He said he was
a Christian, or rather that water had been poured on his head, and he
had had a new name given him, which, however, he had forgotten. His
testimony, in respect to the gods, confirmed what had been said by
the others; they were immortal—resembled the Indians—were ever
young—dwelt on high—anciently communicated with the priests in
the temples, but did so no longer, and loved the blood and hearts of
children, and the ' perfume of resins. He had heard, from his
ancestors, that the world had been destroyed by water in remote
times, and that none were saved, but that the gods had created the
world anew. The good went on high with the Teotes, the bad below the
earth. The body putrefied in the ground, but the principle of life,
which dwelt in the heart, and which was immortal, went above.
Upon the 30th of the same month, the
Fray resumed his inquiries, and called up the chief of Xaxoita, whose
name was Quibiat, a comparatively young man, who was not a Christian,
but desired to become one, whereat Bobadilla was so delighted, that
he not only baptized him, but gave him his own name. The Fray
undoubtedly thought he had found a profitable subject, but Quibiat
answered every question with " I do not know!"
So he was sent off and an Indian named
Atochinal called in, who, although but a sorry Christian,
nevertheless answered all the questions put to him, in precisely the
same way with those who had been previously examined, except that he
did not know whether the world was destroyed by fire or water, only
that his fathers said that it had been destroyed.
The Fray afterwards collected thirteen
Indians, priests, caziques, and others, and made various inquiries of
them, which, with their answers, are given below. It should be
remembered, however, that the Fray was now amongst the Niquirans, or
people of Mexican stock.
The Fray first asked them if they were
the original inhabitants of the country; to which they answered, that
although their ancestors had been here from time immemorial, they
were not the true aborigines, but came originally from a distant
country called Ticomega Emaguatega which was situated towards the
west, i. e. N. W. They quitted because they had masters who ill
treated them. " Friar. Were these masters Indians or christians
? Indian. Indians.— F, What was the service which was required of
your fathers? I, They tilled the ground, and served their masters as
we now serve the Christians. Their masters overtasked, abused, and
even ate them. It was fear which induced them to emigrate. Their
masters came from another country, and by numbers and force overcame
them.— F. What is your religion? Whom do you worship? I. We adore
Famagostad and Zipoltonal, who are our gods,— F. Who sends you rain
and all other things? I. The rain is sent by Quiateot son of the god
Home-Atelite and the goddess Home-Ateciguat. They dwell at the
extremity of the world, where the sun goes. — F. Have they ever
lived on earth? I. No.— F. From whence do they come. I. We know
not— F. Who made the heavens and earth, and all things else? I.
Famagogtad and Zipcdtoncd. — F. Did they make the father and mother
of Quiateot? I. No; what relates to water is an entirely different
thing, but we know very little of the matter.— F. Has Quiateot a
wife? I. No.— F. Who serve him? I. We think he ought to have
servants, but we know not who they are.— F. What does he eat? I.
What we do; for our food has come from the gods.— F. Which do you
regard as the most powerful, the father, mother, or son? I. They are
equal to one another.— F. When do you ask for rain, and what do you
do to obtain it? I. We go to the temple dedicated to him, and
sacrifice some young children. After having cut off their heads, we
sprinkle the blood on the images and stone idols in the house of
prayer consecrated to our gods, and which, in our language, is called
Thobat. — F. What do you do with the bodies of the sacrificed? I.
Those of the children we bury; those of the men are eaten by the
caziques and chiefs, but not by the rest of the people.— F. When
this is done, does the god send you rain? I. Sometimes he does, but
sometimes not— F, Why do you go to the temples, and what do you say
and do there? I. The temples are to as what the churches are to
Christians; there are our gods, and there we bum perfumes in their
honor; we ask of them health if we are sick; rain if it is needed,
for we are poor, and if the earth should be parched we can have no
fruits;—in short, we ask of them all things of which we stand in
need. The principal cazique enters the temple and prays in the name
of all; the rest of the Indians do not enter. The cazique remains
there for prayer an entire year, and during that time never leaves
the temple. When he comes forth a great festival is celebrated in his
honor, with dancing and feasting. His nostrils are then pierced, to
show that he has been pontiff of the temple, which is esteemed to be
the greatest of honors. Another chief is then sought to take his
place, so that there may always be one in the temple. As to those
temples, which are only a kind of oratorio, any one can place in them
one of his children; and any one who desires may enter, provided he
is unmarried, and on condition of not having had connection with any
woman for an entire year; that is to say, until the caziques and
priests who are in the temple shall have come out— F. Are married
persons who are willing to quit their wives and go into the temples,
suffered to do so? I. Yes, But at the expiration of the year they
must return to their wives, and if caziques, resume their
government.— F. How are they provided with food? I. It is brought
to them by children from the house of the priests, and during all the
time they are in the temple no one can enter it beyond the vestibule,
except those young persons who carry provisions.— F. While in the
temple do they converse with the gods? I. For a long time our gods
have not visited or conversed with us. If our ancestors may be
believed, they were once in the habit of doing so. All that we know
is, that the person charged with praying to the gods, asks of them
all things needful.— F. In time of war, do they come forth from the
temple? I.. No. The vestibule of the temple is very convenient for
meeting.— F. Who clean and sweep the temples? I. Young boys only;
married or old men take no part in the matter.— F. Have you, during
the year, any prescribed days of general attendance at the temple? I.
We have twenty-one festival days for amusement, drinking and dancing
around the court, but no one is permitted to enter the temple.— F.
Do the women take any part in collecting the straw, bringing wood, or
anything else which may be of use either in building or repairing the
temple? I. The women can take no part in anything which concerns the
temple, and are never admitted within it— F. Since you sometimes
sacrifice women, do you not violate the law which forbids them from
entering the temple? I. When women are sacrificed in the temples or
principal houses of prayer, they are first put to death in the court;
but it is allowable to introduce them into the ordinary temples —
F. What do you do with the blood of those who are sacrificed in the
courts of the principal temples? I. It is brought into the temple,
and the priest sprinkles it on the idols with his hands.— F. What
do you do with the body ? Z It is eaten; except the bodies of
females, which are not touched. When the victim is a man, the priest
has his share.— F, Are those who are sacrificed voluntary victims?
Are they selected by lot? or is it a punishment inflicted upon them?
I. They are slaves, or prisoners of war.— F. As you esteem your
gods so much, how can you sacrifice persons of infamous condition to
them? I. Our ancestors did so, and we do likewise.— F, Do you make
any other offerings in your temples ? I. Every one brings such
offerings as he pleases, such as fowls, maize, fish, fruits, etc They
are carried to the temple by the young people.— F Who eats these
offerings? I. The priests of the temple; and if any remains, it is
eaten by the boys.— F. Are the provisions cooked before being
carried to the temple? I. Always.— F. Does any one taste of these
offerings before the priest? I. No one presumes to touch or taste of
them before him; for this is considered one of the most important
regulations of the temple.— F, Why do you make a self-sacrifice by
cutting the tongue? I. We always do this before we purchase, sell, or
conclude a bargain, because we believe it will bring us a fortunate
result. The god we invoke on such occasions is named Mixcoa. — F.
Who is your god Mixcoa? I. Carved stones, which we invoke in his
honor.— F How do you know this god will aid your bargains? I.
Because when we invoke him, we make good bargains.— F. Has
Nicaragua ever been visited by any other nation than the Spaniards,
who might have taught you all these ceremonies, ordered you to pour
water on your heads, or to cut off the foreskin? and did you know
that the Christians were on the eve of coming to your country? I. We
know nothing of all this; but since you have come among us, you have
told us it was good to pour water on the head, and to be baptized.—
F, What is it that is cleansed by pouring water on the head? I. The
heart— F. How do you know that the heart is cleansed? I. We only
know that it purifies us; it is the duty of your priests to explain
how.— F. At your death how do you dispose of your property, and
what precautions do you take for another life? I. When we die, we
recommend our children and property to our survivors, that they may
not perish, but be taken care of after we are dead. He who lives a
good life, after death goes on high among the Teotes; if a bad one,
below the earth.— F. Who are your gods? I. Famogostad and
Zipaltonal; and when we go to them they say, "here come our
children!"— F. Why do you break the idols upon your tombs? I
In order that they may think of us for twenty or thirty days; after
that they forget us.— F, Why, at the death of any one of you, do
you paint yourselves with red paints, decorate yourselves with
plumes, singing, playing on instruments, and celebrating festivals?
I. We do nothing of the kind. When our children die, we envelop them
in cotton cloth, and bury them before our door. We leave all our
property to our children, who are our heirs, if legitimate; that is
to say, the children of a husband and wife, and born in the house;
but they are not our heirs, if born of other women, or out of the
house ; for those only are legitimate, who are born in the house. If
we die without children, all we possess is buried with us.— F, What
are your funeral ceremonies? I. Upon the death of a chief or cazique,
a large quantity of cotton cloth, shirts, cloaks, plumes, hunting
horns, and all sorts of articles belonging to the dead, a portion of
each kind, is burned with the body, together with all the gold he
possessed. Afterwards all the ashes are gathered together, placed in
an earthen vase, and buried before the house of the deceased.— F.
Why do you not bury them in your temples? I. Because it is not
customary.— F. Do you place provisions in the vase? I. At the time
of burning, a little maize is placed in a calabash, by the side of
the dead body, and burned with it— F. The heart, julio, or soul,
does it die with the body? I. If the deceased has lived well, the
julio goes on high with the gods; if not, it perishes with the body
and is no more.— F. Do the Indians see anything at the moment of
dying? I. They have visions of persons, lizards, serpents, and many
things which fill them with fear. They know thereby that they must
die. The objects which they see do not speak, but strive to frighten
them. Sometimes the dead return to this world, and appear to the
living for the same object— F, Do not the crosses placed above the
dead, by the Christians, protect them ? I. Much; for since this
practice of the Christians was introduced, we have no more visions.—
F, Who taught you to give your idols the form which they have? I. Our
fathers left us idols of stone, and from them, as models, have we
made those in our houses.— F. Why do you have them in your houses?
I. That we may easily invoke them when necessary.— F. Do you
sacrifice to the idols in your houses? I. No. Friar. Before your
temples stand earthen huts of a circular form, and terminating in a
point; they resemble a sheaf of grain in appearance; the summit is
reached by a stairway through the middle of the hut: what is the name
of these huts, and what is their use? Indian, Their name is Tezarit;
the priest of the temple, whose name is Tamagoz, ascends to the
summit of the hut, and there makes the sacrifices of the victims,
sprinkling their blood on the stone idols."
The Fray Bobabilla afterwards continued
his inquiries in respect to other matters, with what results will be
seen elsewhere. He ascertained that the god of hunger was called
Vizetot, and the god of the air Chiquinau or Hecact, which last was
probably intended for Eltecatl, the Mexican name for air or wind. He
also ascertained the names of the days of their months, which
entirely coincided with those of Mexico, as also many interesting
facts connected with their religious ceremonies. They affirmed that
they had twenty-one principal festivals each year, on which occasions
no work was done, but the entire people surrendered themselves to
rejoicing, and the observance of the rites prescribed for these
occasions. During these periods they abstained from all connection
with their wives; the females sleeping within the houses, and the
males without. This abstinence was deemed most essential, and any
infraction, it was supposed, would be summarily punished by the gods.
It does not appear that fasting was enjoined on any occasion.
The Spaniards were very much surprised,
both here and in Mexico, at finding a well-established rite,
corresponding entirely with that of confession, as it existed in the
Catholic Church. The confession was not, however, made to the
priests, but to certain old men, who always maintained the strictest
reserve, in respect to what was communicated to them. The penances
were imposed for the benefit of the temple. These old men were chosen
by the council, and wore a calabash suspended from their necks, as a
mark of dignity. It was requisite that they should be unmarried, and
distinguished for their virtues. Neglect of religious ceremonies and
blasphemy of the gods, were regarded as offenses requiring early
confession and absolution, lest they should entail sickness or death
on the offender. No person was required to confess himself, however,
until after he had attained the age of puberty.
They seem to have had a great variety
of superstitious notions, corresponding generally with those
prevailing amongst the other Indian nations, both to the northward
and southward. Amongst these was the practice of throwing sticks or
grass upon certain stones at the road side, in passing; by which they
thought they would be less subjected to hunger and fatigue. They had
also a superstition something like that of the "evil eye,"
amongst the Arabs and some other Oriental nations. They supposed that
there were persons whose looks were mortal, and whose eyes were fatal
to children. They had, also a great fear of sorcerers, whom they
called texoxes.
Oviedo has not described the temples to
which he so frequently refers, but Cerezeda informs us that they were
built of timber, and thatched; but large, with many low, dark, inner
chapels. These, it seems, were surrounded by large courts, beyond
which none except the priests and the cazique during his year's
novitiate, dared to pass. Besides these, there were what the Indians
called Tezarit oratorios, or "high places," which stood
before or around the temples, and which Oviedo describes as being
conical or pyramidal in shape, ascended by steps. Upon these the
human victims were sacrificed.
“Within view of their temples,"
says Cerezeda, who is more explicit, "there were divers bases or
pillars like pulpits, erected in the fields, of unburned brick, and a
certain kind of clammy earth, called bitumen, which are from eight to
fifteen steps in height. The summit is flat, and varies in size,
according to the purposes for which it is designed. Some are broad
enough to hold ten men. In the middle of this space standeth a stone,
higher than the rest, equaling a man's body in length ; and this
accursed stone is the altar of their miserable sacrifices. Upon the
appointed day of sacrifice, the king ascendeth another of these
altars, whence he may view the ceremony, and the people gather about;
when the priest, in full view of all, from this eminent place,
performeth the office of preacher, and shaking a sharp knife of stone
which he holds in his hand, proclaims that a sacrifice is to be made,
as also whether it is to be a prisoner, or one who is a slave, or has
been kept from infancy for this purpose. For every chief maintains
certain persons for sacrifice, who are fed daintily, and so far from
being sad and sorrowful, in anticipation of their fate, are persuaded
that, by this kind of death, they shall be turned into gods and
heavenly creatures. They are reverently received wherever they go,
and whatever they ask is given to them. Those to be sacrificed are
stretched out flat on the stone whereof I have spoken, and the
priest, cutting open the breast, plucks out the heart, wherewith he
anoints the mouths of the idols. The body is then cut in pieces, and
distributed amongst the priests, nobility, and the people. But the
head is hung, as a trophy, upon the branches of certain small trees,
which are preserved for that purpose near the place of sacrifice. The
parts which are distributed they partly bury before their doors, but
the rest they burn, leaving the ashes in the field of sacrifice."
According to Herrara, the high-places
above described, stood within the courts of the temples. He also
informs us, that the sacrifices were frequently attended by
ceremonies, in which all the people joined,—by dances, penances,
and processions. In these processions, the priests wore cotton
surplices, sometimes short, and sometimes long, hanging to the ground
and heavily fringed. They carried also little bags of powdered herbs.
The people followed, each person bearing a little flag, "with
the representation of the idol which he most venerated," and
carrying also their weapons of war.
"Their standard," quaintly
observes the chronicler, “was the picture of the devil set on a
spear, and carried by the eldest priest, the religious men singing
the while, to the place of worship. The ground was then covered with
carpets, and strewed with flowers. When the standard halted, the
singing ceased, and all commenced praying. At a signal from the chief
priest, they punctured various parts of their bodies, and receiving
the blood on paper, rubbed it on the face of the idol; and, in the
mean time, the youths skirmished and danced in honor of the festival.
The wounds were cured with the powder and herbs carried by the
priests." " The ceremonies ended," says Cerezeda, "
the priests bow down the spear a little, at which time, the priests
first, and then the nobles, and lastly the people, whisper the idol
in the ear, and every one uttereth the tempestuous outrage of his
mind, and bending the head to one shoulder, with reverent trembling
and mumbling, they humbly beseech that, luckily and happily, he would
favor their desires."
There was another rite, practiced at
certain times, connected with a worship which prevailed to a greater
extent in America than has generally been supposed, and which
discovers to us the rationale of many remarkable observances
otherwise inexplicable. It consisted in sprinkling blood, drawn from
the organs of generation, upon maize, which was afterwards
distributed, and eaten with great solemnity. This scenical rite,
under one form or another, may be traced through the rituals of all
the semi-civilized nations of America, in strict parallelism with
certain Phallic rites of the Hindus, and of those other numerous
nations of the old world, which were devoted to a similar primitive
religion.
The Fray Bobadilla was piously
indignant at the practices of the Indians, and longed to be able to
prove to them how insignificant their Teotes were as compared with
the God and his subordinates whom he worshiped. In this respect he
was favored, for there were several manifestations from above in his
behalf, hardly less extraordinary than those which befell the
Spaniards in Mexico, where the Virgin and the archangel Michael
visibly, and in person, assisted in the fights against the Indians.
Thus, there had been no rain in Nicaragua for a long time; but upon
the Fray's arrival at the Indian towns, it rained for five
consecutive days, which he regarded as a miracle, and straightway
assured the Indians if they would become Christians, "it would
rain whenever it was wanted, the seasons always be good, and that,
besides, they would thereby save their souls. "The Indians
approved of the rain, and in order to secure it, allowed the Fray to
collect "a large number of idols, heads of deer, and parcels
stained with blood, in the public square, and give them to the
flames. "They even allowed him to convert their temple into a
Christian church, which he did by sprinkling it with holy water, and
setting up within it a cross and an image of the Virgin, which last
he especially enjoined them to keep clean.
According to the notary of Granada,
quoted by Oviedo, the Fray baptized not less than 43,000 Indians
within the space of nine days; this was at the average rate of about
5,000 a-day, and may be called a " fair business." But the
miracle of the five days' steady rain was nothing compared with what
happened to the Fray in the province of Matearas, where he found a
child dying, to which he administered the rite of baptism, whereupon
the babe ejaculated "cruz!" and died! This so astonished
the mother, that she requested to be baptized also, which was no
sooner done, than she exclaimed that she saw her child ascending to
heaven. The child had a magnificent funeral in consequence, and the
Fray made the most of the miracle, inducing not less than ten
thousand Indians to be baptized on the strength of it.
But the zeal of Bobadilla did not stop
here; he burned "a vast number of idols, temples, and oratorios,
erected crosses on their ruins, as also on the roads and elevations,
and gave the Indians images of the Virgin and a quantity of holy
water."
But the chronicler did not put much
faith in these conversions; for he says that he would agree to give a
peso de oro for every Indian able to tell his baptismal name, and
repeat the Pater and Ave, and take a maravedi for every one who could
not, and make money by the operation. In his opinion these baptisms
did no good, and were only valuable to swell reports to be sent to
Spain. " Far better," he sensibly ejaculates, "is it
to instruct and truly Christianize one Indian, than to baptize
thousands, who know not what it is to be a Christian, or what to do
to be saved. I should like to ask those," be continues, "
who have been god-fathers to four and five hundred Indians, what they
have done for their godchildren?"
(Squier, E. G. (Ephraim George),
1821-1888. Nicaragua, its people, scenery, monuments, and the
proposed interoceanic canal (Kindle Locations 5793-5799). New York,
D. Appleton.)
Following this approach, I have studied the faces of the Olmec peoples found in the collections of museums, collectors, etc. in an attempt to find the answers to the above questions. The results are rather interesting. But first, let me explain the approach I have used, and the illustrations included in this blog. By doing a search on Google for the images of "olmec masks" you find pages of thumbnail pictures such as those above. Each one of these thumbnails may be enlarged and examined individually. Most of these masks are jade funerary masks that were used in burials of the dead, probably prominent or wealthy individuals. I assume that in most cases they would have been created to resemble the living person. If so, they are excellent examples of what a living Olmec would have looked like. And if we make the additional assumption that the Olmecs were Jaredites, we have representations of the Jaredite face. (If you click on the photos in this blog the picture will be enlarged for better viewing.) 
One feature that can be noted is that many of these faces have a mongoloid appearance. This is a term that is currently out of favor, however, in our case it is very helpful in describing the racial background of the Jaredite peoples. This characteristic also suggests a relationship with east Asian peoples which warrants further study. 
A different type of face is illustrated by the giant stone Olmec heads found in the so-called "Olmec Heartland" along the gulf coast of southeastern Mexico. These are the type of heads which will be shown in a Google search for "olmec heads" although there are vastly more examples of the jade masks in existence. These are huge sculptures of negroid appearing individuals. About 17 of this type of sculpture have been found. They are felt to have depicted Olmec rulers of that particular area. They seem to represent a completely distinct group of people when compared to the Olmec jade masks above. 
So what can we conclude from the study of these Olmec heads? I suggest that the original Jaredite migration consisted of a mixture of all the different racial groups present in the Sumerian society from which they originated. Jared, and his group of friends, could possibly have included Canaanites, Semites, and Japhethites. The main Olmec (Jaredite) body would have been a blend of these various nationalities. However, the gulf coast individuals seem to represent a concentration of the Canaanite faction. 
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
