SerpentHill,AnAztecGlyph

CliffordC.Richey September2011

Illustration
By elocal.gob.mx[GFDL(www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)orCCBYSA3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0/)],viaWikimediaCommons

Itisunlikelythatalltheprinciplesusedintheseancientcompositionshavebeendetermined. Hopefullyenoughoftheprinciplesareknownforthereadertogainageneralideaofthe composition'smeaning.Forthepresentitappearsthatthefollowingruleswereusedinorganizing andcomposingthecomposition. LayeredOrganization.Gesturesignsweredepictedbymotionsmadeintheairandreliedonthe reader'smemorytoretainthemessagefromonesigntotheother.Thesamesystemcouldnothave beenusedinwrittensignlanguagebecausewritingsignsontopofoneanotherwouldhaveresulted inahopelesstangleofsigns.Thussignswereseparatedbyspatialorganization,suchasthe groupingofFormsintopatterns,ordiscreteImages.Form,Imagery,andGestureelementsareall consideredsigns.Generallytheyappeartohavebeenreadfromthelargestsigntothesmaller.One layer'sinformationdoesnotcarryovertothenextlayerotherwisetherationaleforthelayerswould bedefeated. TheInitialorTotalForm(shape).Thiscouldbeconsideredthetitleorsubjectofthecomposition. IthasnotyetbeenlearnedhowoneshoulddetermineTotalForm.Attimesitseemsthatoneshould justvisuallytracetheoutlinetogaintheForm.Atothertimesthisseemstoresultinanincoherent shapeorperhapsunrecognizableshape.Perhapsitwasintendedthatoneonlylookattheoverall Formandnotincludeeverydetailsuchasminorindentations. Subforms.FoundwithinotherFormsorFormswithacomparativereductioninsize.Alsosmall groupingsofformsseparatefromthemajorForm. Imagery.Usuallyimagerywascomposedofelementarygesturesignsthatheldanassociational (theessenceofthedepictedsubject)value.Suchimagerywasoftentheequivalentofaphrasein English.AnexamplewouldbeanImageofaFrogtorepresenttheconceptof,theonethatleaps upward. BasicGestureSigns.Literallyhundredsofsuchsignshavebeenhistoricallydocumented,intexts onsignlanguage,andcanusedtoassistinlearningthemeaningoftheassociationalimagery throughcontext.Thesesignsweredrawnleavingoutthedepictionofthehands.Theresultantlines andtheformtheytookwaswhatwasconsideredimportant.Forexample,alargeXshapedsign wasbasedonthegestureoftwoarmscrossingeachothersintheactofatrade.Thissignwasalso usedforanexchange,trade,oratransformationdependingonitscontext.See http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/native/sign/index.htmforacompilationofthesigns. Position.Thesignsarepositionallysensitive.Relativedirectionaswellasunwrittensignscanbe determinedbytheirposition.Forexample,thepositionofasignonafaceorbodycanrepresentthat partwithoutitneedingtobeshown.Thepartnotdepictedisincorporatedintothemessagealong withthesignthatoccupiestheposition.Thiscouldresultinsomebizarreformsandimagery.ALeg andFootmightappearwhereanArmandHardwouldbeexpected.BecausetheLegandFoothold themeaningofalongjourneyandtheArmandHandholdthemeaningofawarriorandstewardor priesttheresultant,combined,messagewouldbe,thelongjourneyofthewarriorpriest.Thisalso explainswhyoneoftenseesimageryofseveredlimbs,fingers,evenheadsinthecompositions. CompoundingofSigns.Form,Imagery,andGesturesignscouldallcompounded.Thisoften resultedinoddappearingFormssuchasaSerpent'sBodywiththeHeadofaFox,etc.Compounded GesturesignsaresometimesdifficulttorecognizebecauseoftheirsimplicityorlackofImagery. CompoundedFormisalsodifficultastheshapeswereoftenblendedoneintotheotherandsome imaginationisneededtoferretouttheindividualshapes. Stance.ExampleswouldbeofaFiguresittingmeaning,waiting.AFigureonBendedKneemight represent,theonearisingetc.StancemightalsoincludesuchthingsasFacialExpression. Writtensignlanguagewasaskeletallanguageandthereforecouldbeusedbypeoplespeakinga

varietyofdifferentlanguageswithdifferentgrammars.Theeloquenceofthetranslationwas dependentonthereaderandthemannerinwhichthesignswereparaphrased. Atthepresenttimeitisunknownwhethertherewasmorethanonesystemofwrittensignlanguage. Whilemanyofthecompositionsofdifferentculturesmay,initially,appearquitedifferentthese differencesseemtobeonemainlyofstyleandartistictaste.Thesestylisticdifferencesmayhave beenintentional,asamatterofpride,andasameansofbrandingaculture. AccordingtoaAztec/Mexicalegend,HuitzilopochtliwasbornonCoatepec,orSnakeHill.The GlyphtranslatedinthispaperistheglyphpresentlyusedtorepresentthecityofCoatepec.However wewillseethatthisglyphisquiteabitmorecomplexthansimplymeaning,snakehill. Huitzilopochtli(hummingbirdontheleft)asarepresentationoftheEasternstarorVenusis represented,inthisglyph,aswhereVenuscouldbefoundwithinthecaveoftheunderworldlocated belowahill.Thiswasacosmologicalstatementandwouldhavereferredtoanyhillsidewherea springgushedfromitsside.TheHummingbirdasametaphoricalrepresentationofVenuswas probablybasedonthefactthatamalehummingbird,duringcourtship,willflyathighspeedina Ushapedformationtoimpressanynearbyfemale.ThisissimilartothemotionoftheVenus, whichrisesintheeastthenfallsbelowtheearthonlytoriseagaininthewestanddescendonce again,aUshapedmovement.Thisglyphdiscussedinthispaperconcernsitselfwiththetime periodwhereVenusisnotseenineitherdirection.Thecosmologicalstatementoftheglyphisnot thesameasfoundinoraltraditionbutitdoesclarifytherolesoftheSerpentandtheHillasentities involvedintherebirthofAztecwarriorpriestsandtheirascensiontoVenus.

Illustration1:SerpentHill Glyph Byelocal.gob.mx[GFDL(www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)orCCBYSA3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0/)],viaWikimediaCommons TheInitialForm(green)isinthe,rathercrude,shapeof aFrog.Thehindfeethavebeenadded(lightgreen)so theshapemaybemoreeasilyvisualized.TheFormis associationalinrelationtothespiritoressenceofthe Frogasonethatleapsupwardfromtheground'ssurface.

Il lustration2:Initial Form:TheFrog,The OneWhoLeapsUpward

TheOnethatleapsupward.

WithintheFrog'sFormistheImageofaVessel.The Vesselwasametaphorusedtoindicatetheearthasa container.Clayvesselswerequiteappropriateforthis metaphorastheywerereallyanearthenvessel. TheVesselearth,TheOnethatcontains. Illustration3:Thevessel, TheEarthenContainer

Illustration4:TheUnseen Cave

WithintheVesselearthweseethesignforacave (green)andwithinit,thesign(lightgreen)fora horizontalplace.ThecavesignisDoubleLined indicating,betweensomething,hiddenor,unseen. Withintheunseencave,ahorizontalplace.The horizontalplaceindicatesthatitstretchesacrossthe bottomoftheearthasopposedtoaverticalplacewhich wouldindicate,depth.Thecaveoftheunderworldwas oftenusedasametaphoroftheovariesoftheearth femalebecausetheearthwasviewedasfemalewhile thesurfaceoftheearthandtheskywasviewedasmale. TheUnseenCave, Thehorizontalplace, Withinit.

ItissignificantherethattheSerpenthasoneHeadwithintheVesselImagewhiletheother HeadisabovethemouthoftheVessel. TheDoubleHeadedSerpent(bluegreen)inasense givesustheheadingsoftheSerpent(meaning,a stream).Thestreamhasonepartbelow(Positional) andwithin(Positional)theVesselearthandtheother above(Positional)themouthoftheVessel.AMouth (anymouth)indicatesasourceofwater.Thusthere iswaterwithintheVesselearth.TheBodyandHead oftheSerpentwithintheVesselisdarkerthanthe otherhalfoftheSerpentthatisoutsidethevessel earthwhichislighter(inthelight). Illustration5:The Serpents,TheStreams TheUnseenSerpent,TheUnseenStream Heading AboveandBelow TheVesselearth.

TheBodyoftheSerpent(thestream)isDoubleLined(unseen)andisturning aroundaCircular(locationsignthatalsoservesasthenumberone).The overallFormandImageryofthissignisthesignforahillasviewedwith topographicallevels(themoreconcentriccirclesthehigherthehillor mountain).ThelowerSerpentisbelow(positional)thehillwhiletheupper Serpentisontheside(Positional)ofthehill.TheHeadoftheupperSerpent makestheVshapedopeningsign(betweentheSerpent'sHeadandthehill sign).Alsothereisasurfacesign(aShortStraightLine)halfwayuptheright sideoftheSerpent'sHead.ThustheSerpent'sHeadprotrudesthroughthe ground'ssurface,atanopening.Thisdescribesahillsidespring.

TheMouthoftheVesselearth, TheWatersource, TheOpening. Inits Surface. TheHalfCircle(lightblue)abovetheSerpentisthesign fortheupperhalfortheupperworld.Fromthesidesofthe Mouth(thewatersource)oftheVesselearththeCurved Lines(red)readtheCrook(takenupward).TheU shapedsignsturning,thetwo(thetwoturningsignson eachside). TakenUpwards OntheLeft,TheEast, to Theupperhalf,Theupperworld TheTwoTurning. TakenUpwards OntheRight,TheWest, to Theupperhalf,Theupperworld, TheTwoTurning

Illustration6:The Upperhalf,TheUpper world

Illustration8:TheOwl,The GreatOnethatFliesinthe Darkness

Illustration7:MexicanStriped Owl TheFormoftheOwlmatchesquitewellwiththe MexicanStripedOwlthathaslargeEarTufts.ThePopol Vuh,aMayantext,describesowlsasmessengersof Xibalba(theunseenplace).TheEyesoftheOwl (Positional)arelocationalsignswiththePupilsbeingthe +shapedsignfor,crossingthroughthesurface.The Eyesareofcourse,theEyesoftheSun,Venus.The essenceorspiritoftheOwlisthatitistheonethatflies inthedarkness. TheOwl,TheOnethatfliesintheDarkness, TheMessengerfromtheUnseenPlace. TheEyeintheeast,

TheEyeinthewest Thelocation, Of Crossingthrough, The Surface.

WithintheFormoftheStripedOwlistheImageofa Fox(redbrown)meaningawonder.Thewonder below(Positional)theVesselearth. TheFox,TheWonder Below, TheVesselearth. Illustration9:TheFox,The Wonder

WithintheFoxImageryareThree(shorthandfor many)Flowersorblossoms.TheLinesthatmakethe arisingsignsallstemfromtheNose(theholes, Positional)oftheFox.TheUshapedsignthatmakes uptheFox'sNoseisthesignfor,turning.Theshort Linesareslantedtocreateopeningsignsaswellas helpingtomaketheFlowerForm.TheFlowersseemto bebasedontheshapeofwaterdrops(rain?)entering theopeningsandthenturningandarisingorsprouting andthenflowering.ItistheFlower,itsblossomingthat ismetaphoricallyalignedtorebirth.

Thedropsofwater,Theraindrops, Themany, Intotheopenings, Themany.

Illustration10:TheArisingof theFlowers

TheTurning, Thearising, Oftheflowers, Themany.

TherearetwoBirdsonthelowersidesofthecomposition (pink,brown,andyellow).InNativeAmericangesture signsthelefthandisrepresentativeoftheeastwhilethe righthandisrepresentativeofthewest.TheBirdisthe signforflight.TheBirdsareheadingdownward descendedbelow(Positional)theVesselearth.TheBodies oftheBirdsareLargeFlowers(pink)andashortline connectstheBodiestotheHeads.Theflightsintheeast andwest.TheHeadoftheBirdontheleftwasmadefrom thesignfor,directiondownwardhere.TheHeadonthe rightisacompoundof,placeheldinlocationdark. BeneaththeFlowerstheBird'sFeet(Positional,ajourney) aretheFingersignsfor,pointingadirection,onthesides. Illustration11:TheFlightsin theEastandWest TheBirds,TheFlightsdowntheSides.

TheBirdontheLeft(theeast)hasasitsHeadthesignof,aFinger(pointing,adirection,here below).OtherwisetherestofthesignsBody,Tail,andFootarethesameastheBirdontheRight.. TheBirdontheRight(thewest)(Headingdownward)(Stance) Flightinthewest DarkTriangles(earthfemale)andVsigns,(3)themanyopenings DarkFemaleearthsigns(4)inalldirections,(darkness) TheFlower,TheHandoftheSun,aStewardoftheSun,Sunpriest (theinternal,white,signsmeaningisnotentirelyclear.It seemstobeaboutVanopeningandaUsign,turning below(Positional). Waiting(SlantedLine)(Stance) (Rectangle)Place(alsoSlanted)(Stance) TheEye(oftheSun)(PositionalastheBird'sEye) Circle,location,theoneinthedarkness Vshapedsign,heldin Thejourney(TheBird'sFoot)(Positional) Finger (pointingadirectionhere,possibly,ontheside) Theaboveisafairlygoodexampleofhowthebasicgesturesignswerecompoundedto createImagery.Althoughafewpointsarenotentirelyunderstood(thesignsinternaltothe FlowerandtheBird'sFootwhichisabitvague)weareabletogleanthegreaterpartofthe message:

Theflightdownwardintheeast. Theflightdownwardinthewest. Theopenings(4)intheearth, Everywhere. Thewaitingplace. Where TheEyeoftheSun,Venus Is Heldinthedarkness. Itsjourneyontheside(oftheearth) HereweseetwoHummingbirds(pink,red,yellow),one ontheLeft(theeast)andoneontheRight(thewest).The Hummingbirdsappeartobesippingnectarfromthe Flowers.TheBodies(Form)oftheBirdsareFlowersand Hands(pink).WeknowfromtheFormoftheFrogthat theseareitsHandswhilefromtheContextofthe HummingbirdImageryvisitingtheshapethatitisalsoa Flower.TheTailswouldseemtobeFeathers(partsin flight).TheEyes(Positional)areassociatedwiththeEyes oftheSunorSunpriests.TheEyes(white)arealso Il locationalsignswiththePupils(black)are+signs lustration12:Hummingbird meaning,crossingthrough.Theneck(red)isthe ontheLeft,Hummingbirdon Triangular,earthfemalesign.TheBeakoftheBird theRight (yellow)isaMouth,(awatersource)whichwasplaced intotheVshapedsignindicating,anopening.Incontactnearlythewholelengthofthe HummingbirdsisanArm(awarrior)andaHand(skintone)(aHandoftheSun,asteward orpriestoftheSun).ThistellsusthattheHummingbirdsandthewarriorpriestsareoneand thesame. Thehummingbirdintheeast,Venusintheeast. Thehummingbirdinthewest.Venusinthewest. Theonethatsucksthenectar Oftheopeningflower, Theblossom,Thehand(oftheSun), Thelocation,Theone, Ontheside of Earthfemale, Crossingthroughthesurface. TheArm,thewarrior. TheHand,thestewardoftheSun, Attheopening.

Fromthistranslationofthecompositionwecannowunderstandthatitisnot,specifically,aglyph foraplacenamedSerpentHill.ButthereisareferencewithintheglyphtoaSerpentHill(theTwo HeadedSerpentcombinedwiththeCircularsignforahill.Butaswehaveseenthatisonlyasmall partofthemessagepresentedbyentirecomposition.WealsoNotethatthisAztecglyphusesa slightlydifferentImagerysignforahillthantheMayaused.Thedifferencedoesnotmakethe messagemuchhardertounderstandasthecontextofthemessagerelatestoahill.Alsothe topographicaloroverheadviewsofthehillsignsarethesame.ItmaybethattheAztecwerejust emphasizingthatthiswasahighhillbyexaggeratingitsheight.

Illustration13:AztecandMayaSignsforaHill ThereweremanySerpentHillsallovertheAmericasbecauseanyhillwithaspringorstream emanatingfromitwouldanswerthatdescription.