Andean Beliefs

            The very essence of Andean beliefs is varied and diverse.  They have four important attributes that encompass their worldview: collectivity, reciprocity, transformation and essence.

            The first feature, collectivity, is based on the belief and thinking that the group as a whole took priority over the individual.  This concept was also apparent within their art as well, in which the individual’s role, the nonstop patterns and supernatural imagery held much more focus and attention than things like historical detail or portraits.  Their artists were not known by their individual names rather by their styles.  While some may see this as basic or general (as the focus and direction were far from specific appearance), they were able to represent themselves with dynamic and sophisticated pieces.

            Within the feature of reciprocity, the Andean belief was that one part was essentially countered and connected to another part.  The people found their inspiration in the constellations that depicted familiar animals, and, in that connection with their actual life forms on earth.  This too, shows through with their art, as they believed there was an importance surrounding opposites, pairs and even mirror images of various kinds.  Their sculptures showed earth in contrast with the light and with shadows.  Their textiles had features of identical birds or double-headed creatures.

            The third attribute is surrounding transformation.  This Andean belief was that the universe was full of transformation; moving from one aspect of existence into that of another.  They viewed things like life and death, the changing of the seasons, the planets appearing and disappearing as they moved across the sky and the progression and repeating of human history as being natural and a constant cycle; one affecting the other.  This type of cyclical thinking is also a key aspect involving their art forms as they often focused on two things acting as one.

            The fourth and probably most important of all Andean worldviews is essence over appearance.  It is this thought that had a major impact on their art works.  Their art centered on the idea of the symbolism and inner core of the piece rather than the actual appearance it represented.  The Andean art threw out the idea and worry that their images and artistic expressions would be viewed by the human audience, and instead, created pieces for the supernatural world and the afterlife.  In many cases, and as seen with the Lanzon cult image, these works were often placed in areas that were completely surrounded by darkness.

            I have to say that I appreciate and value this last Andean worldview of essence over appearance.  In my experience, society today is way too focused on appearances, and having the capability to produce a work of art without this as a major focal point seems a bit liberating and freeing.  The concentration then becomes the overall process and the motivation behind it.  It becomes about creating it for yourself and your own values as opposed to someone else’s.  The expression becomes your own and there is no caution or hesitation about what other’s may think or feel about your piece.

Xipe Totec

 

        This mask depicts Xipe Totec (“our lord the flayed one”) who was the Aztec god of planting.  The Aztec’s also believed him to be a prominent figure in fertility.  The Aztec people were a culture that had an intense focus on warfare and sacrifice, and there was nothing different about Xipe Totec and the rituals that took place in his honor.  These rituals involved a gladiator style sacrifice of an Aztec victim who’s skin was then flayed from their body and placed over the mask and worn until they eventually rotted off (so incredibly disturbing!).  To the Aztec’s, this symbolized a rebirth and renewal of the seasons as well as the natural life cycle of the maize kernel. 

        When I look at this mask, my focus first turns to the prominent mouth.  The odd depiction of a mouth inside of a mouth is strange and eerie, a representation of the god’s mouth inside that of the flayed victim’s skin.  The eyes appear to be partially closed as if the deity is glaring towards its intended victim and it makes me feel as though his glance was one that could see right through them.  The eyebrows are defined as well, as though a slight scowl is present on the face, a scowl indicative of power and intensity.

        To me, the mask gives off an unfriendly and violent feel, which I find to be ironic considering the deity had ties to fertility.  For me, when I think about fertility, obviously coming from a much more modern outlook, I think of pregnancy and of bringing new life into the world.  From this perspective, I would expect something almost angelic – one that would portray happiness and love.  Instead, with this mask, the feeling of malevolence is here, but in a seemingly subtle and low-key manner – the mask does not necessarily scream brutal sacrifice - which is disturbing in and of itself when you think about the hostile acts that were conducted on the victims.

Maya - Life in 2012

            The Maya culture is one that stems from a long history dating back to approximately AD 250.  There are so many amazing and remarkable facets that make this society one of the greatest ever known.  What many people do not realize, however, is that the Mayan society is still very much in existence – amazingly so, with a population who’s numbers reach between six and seven million.

            Today the Maya are trying to find a balance between their ancient society and one that embodies their ancestry with functionality in today’s world.  The religion found today, for example, is one that embodies their past beliefs and rituals but also incorporates Catholicism.  Aspects that were once major parts of everyday life are being incorporated as similarly as possible – the community still has secular and religious leaders, rituals are performed, Shamans keep track of the established 260 day calendar and worships and offerings are still features encompassed from their past. 

            Despite the attempt to keep tradition alive and cohesive, it is astonishing to read about the difficulties and struggles that the Mayan culture deals with on a day to day basis.  Most of us wake up each and every day, completely unaware of what this culture has to face and endure.  Today, missionaries are responsible for the destruction of the treasured and valued rainforest that is such a crucial characteristic in their society, targeting the area in hopes of harvesting its ample mahoganies.  The “conquest” from these missionaries is essentially becoming catastrophic to this ancient culture.

            In addition, the Maya people experienced great devastation in their numbers when approximately 30 years ago they found themselves in unwarranted conflict with their own government and leftist guerrillas.  The result of this destruction was hundreds of thousands dead or missing.  The Maya are in a similar situation today with the dealings of continued racism among the people of Guatemala.  Despite the richness that surrounds this culture’s history and its numerous accomplishments; many Maya people today keep their heritage a secret to avoid this unwanted negative attention.

            In order for this culture to continue on in its survival, I feel more attention and awareness have to be brought to light in regards to their unmerited struggles within their region.  The Mayan culture has suffered from discrimination and racism and its people are looked down upon in Guatemala for the simple fact that they are Maya.  What a shame to have a culture as rich and influential as the Maya, with members of its society afraid to admit that they are members, for fear of severe repercussion.  Obviously they have done many things right to have survived for as long as they have, and I feel this wealth of knowledge and success should be sheltered, shared and revered for these many accomplishments.

Belize

           Growing up, I lived a shelter life in the fact that the only country I have visited outside of the United States has been Canada – and for some reason I feel like that doesn’t count.  To be completely honest, I do not know a lot about the countries to our immediate south.  When choosing a country to write about, the one thing that popped into my head was The Blue Hole in Belize.  I have seen dozens of pictures of this phenomena and find it intriguing, stunning and incredibly fascinating.  Based on this fact alone, I was inspired to research the country more to see what lies within its borders. 

            Belize has a strong and interesting history.  Something that is a bit out of the ordinary is that the country was a British colony and remains part of the British Commonwealth, which is very unlike Belize’s surrounding Spanish neighbors.  In addition, because of the rich climate and access to the ocean and its plentiful offerings, there was a large Mayan population throughout the country.  Today there are numerous ruins throughout the country, some of which are tourist sites that can be toured, while others remain unfound throughout the remote jungles of the country.  There are many archeological expeditions every year in hopes of uncovering new sites.  This to me is impressive and amazing in that the Mayan culture is still very present.

            The culture throughout Belize is incredibly diverse and because of the many different backgrounds throughout the country, is a very mulit-ethnic area.  Because of where the country is located, the people living in Belize are of backgrounds such as Mayan/European, Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna, East Indian, Chinese, and even Middle Eastern.  Due to the numerous diverse backgrounds, Belize is said to have extremely friendly people and is to be one of the most peaceful countries in the surrounding region.

            Something else that I found to be remarkable is the ecology of Belize.  The country has everything from lush rainforests and jungles to mangrove swamps and coral reefs, another way in which the country is diverse.  The weather is usually very warm, tropical and humid. 

            Overall, Belize seems like a country with ample amounts of culture, diversity and history.  It’s amazing how you can know so little about a country or a place within the world and one small thing can spark an interest into learning more about that location.  Belize is definitely a place of interest and I have hopes that one day I’ll be able to explore the country and its many attributes.