The Native Races [of the Pacific states], Volume 4, Antiquities: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 4Bancroft, Hubert Howe
History
The Native Races [of the Pacific states], Volume 4, Antiquities: The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 4
Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Indians -- Bibliography; Indians of Central America; Indians of Mexico; Indians of North America -- Pacific Coast of North America
The island of Zapatero has furnished some seventeen idols, which are
found in connection with the stone-heaps already described, lying for
the most part wholly or partially buried in the sand and enveloped in
a dense shrubbery. It is not probable that any one of them has been
found in its original position, yet such is their size and weight that
they are not likely to have been moved far from their primitive
locality. Indeed Mr Squier, with a large force of natives, transformed
into zealous antiquarians by a copious dispensation of brandy, had the
greatest difficulty in placing them in an upright position. An
ancient crater-lake conveniently near at hand accounts satisfactorily
for the almost entire absence of smaller idols, and would doubtless
have been the receptacle of their larger fellow-deities, had the
strength of the priestly iconoclasts been in proportion to their godly
spirit, as was the case with Mr Squier's natives. As it was they were
obliged to content their religious zeal with overthrowing and defacing
as far as possible these stone gods of the natives. There seems to be
no regularity or system in the arrangement of the statues with respect
to each other, and very little with respect to the stone mounds. It is
probable, however, that, if the latter are indeed ruined teocallis,
the statues stood originally round their base rather than on their
summit. The idols of Zapatero, which is within the limits of the
Niquiran or Aztec province, are larger and somewhat more elaborate in
workmanship than those found elsewhere; and the genital organs appear
on many of their number, indicating perhaps the presence here of the
wide-spread phallic worship. The cuts show ten of the most remarkable
of these monuments.
Fig. 1 is nine feet high and about three feet in diameter, cut from a
solid block of black basalt. The head of the human figure crouching on
its immense cylindrical pedestal forms a cross, a symbol not uncommon
here or elsewhere in America. All the work, particularly the
ornamental bands and the niches of unknown use or import in front, is
gracefully and cleanly cut. Fig. 2 is a huge tiger eight feet high
seated on a pedestal. The heads and other parts of different animals
are often used in the adornment of partially human shapes both in
stone work and pottery, but purely animal statues, intended as this
apparently is, for idols, are rare. Fig. 3, an idol "of mild and
benignant aspect" is shown in the leaning position in which it was
found. Fig. 4, standing in the background, was raised from its fallen
position to be sketched.
[Illustration: Idols of Zapatero.--Fig. 3, 4.]
[Illustration: Idols of Zapatero.--Fig. 5.]
[Illustration: Idols of Zapatero.--Fig. 6.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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