The Mixtec Pictorial Manuscripts: Time, Agency, and Memory in Ancient Mexico

599 Pages·2010·18.43 MB·English

by  Maarten Jansen

The Mixtec Pictorial Manuscripts
The Early Americas:
History and Culture
General Editor
Alexander Geurds, Leiden University
Editorial Board
Nikolai Grube, Bonn University
John Hoopes, University of Kansas
Maarten Jansen, Leiden University
Arthur Joyce, University of Colorado
Michael Smith, Arizona State University
Eric Taladoire, Sorbonne
Laura Van Broekhoven, National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden
VOLUME 1
The Mixtec Pictorial Manuscripts
Time, Agency and Memory in Ancient Mexico
By
Maarten E.R.G.N. Jansen
Gabina Aurora Pérez Jiménez
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2011
On the cover: Monument to ancient Mixtec rulers in Yanhuitlan (Oaxaca, Mexico), inspired by
a scene in Codex Añute.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jansen, Maarten E. R. G. N. (Maarten Evert Reinoud Gerard Nicolaas), 1952-
The Mixtec pictorial manuscripts : time, agency, and memory in ancient Mexico /
by Maarten E.R.G.N. Jansen and Gabina Aurora Perez Jimenez.
p. cm. — (The early Americas : history and culture, ISSN 1875-3264 ; v. 1)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-90-04-18752-8 (hardback : alk. paper)
1. Manuscripts, Mixtec. 2. Picture-writing—Mexico. 3. Mixtec language—Writing.
4. Mixtec Indians—History. 5. Mexico—History—To 1519. I. Pérez Jiménez,
Gabina Aurora. II. Title. III. Series.
F1219.54.M59J37 2010
972’.7401—dc22
2010030391
ISSN 1875-3264
ISBN 978 90 04 18752 8
Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing,
IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in
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Fees are subject to change.
contents v
To the memory of
Luis Reyes García,
tlacuilo, tlamatini
vi contents
contents vii
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
PART ONE
ÑEE ÑUHU SANAHA: THE ANCIENT BOOKS
I. Introduction to Mixtec Pictography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
II. Treasures from Ancient Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
III. Rediscovery and Decipherment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
IV. Contemporary Studies and Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
PART TWO
TNUNI TANIÑO: SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
V. Post Colonial Hermeneutics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
VI. Acts and Visions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
VII. Memory Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
PART THREE
YAA TNUHU: DYNASTIC HISTORY
VIII. Foundation Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
IX. The Noble Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
X. Colonial Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
viii contents
CONCLUSION
ÑUU TAYU: THE SOVEREIGN COMMUNITY
XI. Political and Ideological Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
list of illustrations ix
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1.1. Late Preclassic–Early Classic calendar sign on carved stone
found in the Agencia Guadalupe Victoria, San Miguel el Grande,
Oax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2. Map of the Mixtec region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.3. The ruined Dominican convent at San Miguel Achiutla . . . . . . . 9
1.4. Yuq yuq or Boustrophedon patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.5. The early colonial palace (Casa de la Cacica) in Yucu Ndaa
(Tepozcolula) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.6. Traditional house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.7. Codex Mendoza, p. 43: places from the Mixteca Alta and their
tributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.8. Codex Yuta Tnoho, pp. 11–12: siqui or ‘wards’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.9. Codex Yuta Tnoho, p. 45–IV: Ñuu Dzaui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.10. The twenty day signs of the Mexica and Ñuu Dzaui calendar . . . 23
1.11. The Mixtec year sign (cuiya) with the four ‘Year-bearers’ . . . . . . 28
1.12. Day of the Dead: sharing a meal in the cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
1.13. The mayordomo carrying his chest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1.14. Cutting the fire wood for the fiesta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1.15. Codex Añute, p. 8–IV: Lord 4 Wind ‘Fire Serpent’ (Yahui) and
Lady 10 Flower ‘Spiderweb of Rain’ (Dzinduhua Dzavui) are
seated on the marriage mat, and rule the Town of Flints (Ñuu
Yuchi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1.16. Codex Tonindeye, p. 26–III (Top to Bottom): in the year 13
Reed [ad 1103], on the day 13 Serpent, Lord 8 Deer ‘Jaguar
Claw’ marries Lady 13 Serpent [here erroneously written as 12
Serpent]. In the year 7 Rabbit [ad 1110] their first son, Lord 4
Dog ‘Coyote Catcher’ is born. In the year 9 Flint [ad 1112] Lord
4 Alligator ‘Sacred Serpent’ is born . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
1.17. Examples of the quechquemitl (dzico) in Codex Yuta Tnoho . . . 35
1.18. Priests holding xicolli tunics (dzico) in Codex Tonindeye . . . . . . 36
1.19. Codex Tonindeye, p. 50: a priest dressed as ‘Fire Serpent’
(Yahui) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1.20. Codex Tonindeye, p. 32–II: Lord 2 Water and his ‘burning foot’ 39
2.1a. Map of Chiyo Cahnu (Teozacualco), left half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.1b. Map of Chiyo Cahnu (Teozacualco), right half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.2a: Codex Yecu showing the four directions: North and West (left
half) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
2.2b. Codex Yecu showing the four directions: East and South (right
half) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
2.3. Codex Ñuu Tnoo–Ndisi Nuu, p. 20–II: Lord 8 Grass (Malinaltzin)
‘Rain Sun’ and his wife Lady 9 Deer ‘Flower Ornament’, rulers of
Ndisi Nuu (Tlaxiaco) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67