The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations: A Comparative Research Based on a Study of the Ancient Mexican Religious, Sociological, and Calendrical SystemsNuttall, Zelia
Religion
The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations: A Comparative Research Based on a Study of the Ancient Mexican Religious, Sociological, and Calendrical Systems
At the same time, as the nahui-ollin on the stone encloses symbols of the
four elements, the union of which was believed by the native philosophers
to be essential for the production and maintenance of life, I was led to
observe also the fact that the words for life and heart, and the verbs to
be alive, to live, to resuscitate, etc., are all derivatives from the root
yuli, or yoli, which undoubtedly has a common origin with the verb
olinia=to move. It therefore not only appears that, to the native mind,
motion and life were indissolubly linked together, but that the name
nahui-ollin must have signified four-fold life as well as movement. It
likewise typified the four sides of the great pyramid which formed the
nucleus of the capital and was crowned by two temples, respectively
occupied by symbolical images of the “Divine Twins.” It is impossible not
to realize that, in ancient Mexico, the pyramid constituted an image of
the entire system.
Each of its sides obviously pertained to one of the four regions and was
probably painted with its symbolical color.(71) It seems safe to assume
that the pyramid was originally erected by the coöperation of people from
the four quarters of the capital and state and was possibly added to at
fixed intervals so that it represented not only the constitution of the
commonwealth, but testified to its age and growth. The widely-prevalent
primitive custom that each individual should add one or more stones to a
heap of stones, as an individual contribution, may have been carried out
in the building of pyramids, the origin of which will be discussed further
on.
Although it is almost superfluous to do so, as by this time the set of
associated ideas must be familiar to the reader, I shall briefly summarize
some of the chief four-fold division or organization of which the
nahui-ollin was the graphic symbol. It represented:
1. The four elements or substances and kinds of life.
2. The four regions of the heaven, each composed, in turn, of four
sub-regions.
3. The four provinces of the state, each containing four districts.
4. The four quarters of the capital, each of which had four wards.
Like the nahui-ollin the pyramid was an image or embodiment of the
fundamental all-pervading principle. Both therefore equally expressed
further meanings which I shall proceed to enumerate.
5. Four stars and also four star-groups or planets which seem to have been
associated with the cardinal points and are indicated by four discs
exhibiting two concentric circles and four glyphs placed around them.
Although at a disadvantage, not being able to substantiate my statement
here, I shall mention that, amongst the above, the Pleiades and the
planets Venus and Jupiter doubtlessly figure, the latter as two evening
and two morning stars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account