The Prehistoric World or Vanished races Part 46

Ill.u.s.tration of Castillo, Chichen-Itza.--------

On the ground, at the foot of the stairway on the north side, "forming a bold, striking, and well conceive commencement to this lofty range, are two colossal serpents' heads, ten feet in length, with mouths wide open, and tongues protruding. No doubt they were emblematic of some religious belief, and, in the mind of an imaginative people pa.s.sing between them, to ascend the steps, must have excited feelings of solemn awe." The temple on the summit of this pyramid has some peculiar features about it. It is nearly square--forty-three by forty-nine feet--only one door in each side. In the room within, instead of part.i.tion walls supporting arches, were two immense beams, resting on square pillars, and supporting two arches--the only instance in the ruins of Yucatan of such use of beams.

Ill.u.s.tration of Gymnasium, at Chichen-Itza.--------------

We now wish to speak of one cla.s.s of ruins which are present at Uxmal, but which we did not describe. They are two parallel walls. On the plan of Uxmal they are noticed between the Governor's House and the House of Nuns. This ill.u.s.tration represents this feature. These walls are each two hundred and seventy-four feet long, thirty feet thick, and twenty-six feet high. The distance separating them is one hundred and twenty feet. About one hundred feet from the north end, is seen a building fronting the open s.p.a.ce between the walls. A building stood in a like position at the south end. In the cut a stone ring is seen projecting from each side. On the rim and border of these rings were sculptured two serpents, represented below. The general supposition is that this structure was used in the celebration of public games. Mr.

Stephens refers us to the writings of Herrera, an early historian, for a description of a game of ball played at Mexico, where the surroundings must have been much the same as is here represented.

Ill.u.s.tration of Ring.----------------

Most of the structures in Yucatan have been left in undisturbed quiet since the visit of Mr. Stephens. Five years after his visit, the Indians rose in revolt, and a large portion of country through which he traveled in perfect safety has, since then, been shunned by cautious travelers.

As he says, "For a brief s.p.a.ce the stillness that reigned around them was broken, and they were again left to solitude and silence." At Uxmal, and some places near the coast, more recent travelers have investigated the ruins, wondered over them, and pa.s.sed on, without materially adding to our knowledge respecting them. In 1873 a French scientists Dr. A.

Le Plongon, accompanied by his wife, visited Yucatan for the purpose of exploring the ruins. They spent a year in Meridia, thoroughly studying the customs of the country, and preparing for work.

Their first field of work was this ancient city, Chichen-Itza. As a result, he lays before us a picture of life and times not only vastly remote from us, but surpa.s.sing in wonder any thing hitherto presented.

In the field of American antiquities we need scarcely be surprised at whatever conclusions are presented to us. We believe, however, we are not too harsh in saying that scholars, as a rule, consider Le Plongon as too much carried away by enthusiasm to judge coolly of his discoveries.<54> The most important part of his discoveries seem to have been in the buildings in connection with the Gymnasium last described.

At the time of the Spanish conquest, a very common tradition among the natives was that, in ancient times, three brothers governed the country.

This legend of three rulers in olden times, was not peculiar to the Mayas, but was found among all the Indian nations of Central America.<55> In our opinion this last statement at once shows we have here to deal with a question belonging to mythology and not to history.

But M. Le Plongon considers the buildings at Chichen, especially those of the Gymnasium, ill.u.s.trative of the lives of the three brothers, and of the queen of one of them. In brief, he tells us the names of these three brothers were, Chaac-mol, Huuncay, and Aac. The first of these, Chaac-mol, means Tiger King. It was he who raised Chichen-Itza to the height of its glory. M. Le Plongon would have us believe that the merchants of Asia and Africa traded in its marts, and that the wise men of the world came hither to consult with the H-men,<56> whose convent, together with their astronomical laboratory, is still to be seen. Aac was the younger brother of the three. He conspired against the life of Chaac-mol, and finally killed him. The queen of Chaac-mol then erected the buildings around the Gymnasium as his memorial.

Ill.u.s.tration of Building at end of Gymnasium.------------

At the south end of the eastern wall Mr. Stephens noticed two ruined buildings, an upper and a lower one, of which our next cut is a representation. He was struck with the remains of painting, which entirely covered the walls. He tells us the walls were everywhere covered with designs in painting, representing, in bright and vivid colors, human figures, battles, houses, trees, and scenes of domestic life. We give, in a plate, detached portions of these figures. We must understand that, in the original, these were beautifully colored. The colors used were "green, yellow, red, blue, and reddish brown, the last being invariably the color given to human flesh."

Ill.u.s.tration of Painted Stucco-work.----------

M. Le Plongon contends that these paintings represent scenes in the lives of the three brothers and the Queen of Chaac-mol, "in the funeral chamber." Says he: "The terrible altercation between Aac and Chaac-mol, which had its termination in the murder of the latter by his brother, is represented by large figures three-fourths life size."<57> And in another place he tells us: "The scenes of his death is impressively portrayed on the walls, which the queen caused to be raised to the memory of her husband, in the two exquisite rooms, the ruins of which are yet to be seen upon the south end of the east wall of the Gymnasium.

The rooms were a shrine where the conjugal love of the queen worshiped the memory of her departed lover. She adorned the outer walls with his effigies, his totem-tiger, and his shield and coat-of-arms between tiger and tiger;<58> whilst on the admirably polished stucco, that covers the stones in the interior of the rooms, she had his deeds--his and her own life, in fact--painted in beautiful, life-like designs, superbly drawn, and sweetly colored."<59>

He tells us further, that Aac, after the commission of his crime, fled to Uxmal for protection, where he built the edifice described as the "Governor's House." The seated figures over the central door-way (see Ill.u.s.tration of Figure over Doorway, earlier), he says, represents Aac.

In the hieroglyphics around the head he finds the name. Although neither Mr. Stephens nor the other travelers mention any thing of the kind, he says that, under the feet of this figure, "are to be seen the bodies of three figures, two men and one woman, flayed."<60> Though the figures are headless, he has no doubt but that they represent Huuncay, Chaae-Mol, and the queen, his wife. We are further told that the ruined structure on the second terrace, called the "House of Turtles," was Aac's private residence.

Ill.u.s.tration of Queen consulting the H-men.-------

This wonderful story of the lives and adventures of the three brothers was revealed to the doctor by a careful study of the detached painting mentioned by Mr. Stephens. One of the paintings which served him so good a turn is shown in the cut above, which he considers represents the queen, when a child, consulting one of the wise men as to her future destiny.<61>

Perhaps as interesting a portion of his discoveries as any, is finding sculptured figures of bearded white men on the pillars of the temple, and painted on the walls of Chaac-mol's chambers. He thinks they have a.s.syrian features. He also claims to have discovered figures having true Negro features.

As to the antiquity of this city he readily figures up nineteen thousand years; but this did not take him to the beginning. He arrives at this estimate in this way: To the north-east of the pyramid, we have described, are to be seen rows of small columns, which have excited the curiosity of all who have seen them. Mr. Stephens represents them in four rows, inclosing a rectangular area. M. Le Plongon says they surrounded three sides of a terraced pyramid, which once supported the main temple of the city. Mr. Stephens has no suggestions to offer as to their use.

Le Plongon claims they were used to measure time, and quotes from old authors to the effect, that each stone in them stands for twenty years; and, as there is always just eight stones in a column, each column means one hundred and sixty years. He counted one hundred and twenty of these columns--and then, as he says: "Got tired of pushing my way through the nearly impenetrable thicket, where I could see many more among the shrubs." From this number he computes nineteen thousand two hundred years.

What shall we say to this story that M. Le Plongon brings us of ancient Maya civilization? It is unquestioned that he has expended a great amount of patient labor in his work, has braved many dangers, and is thoroughly in earnest. He has also spent years in the field, and ought to be well qualified to judge of the ruins. We believe, however, he is altogether wrong in his conclusions. The keystone of his discoveries--the one on which he relies to prove the accuracy of his methods--fails him. This was the discovery of the statue of Chaac-mol himself, which is here represented. He claims to have found it as the result of successfully rendering certain mural tablets in the funeral chamber, but a careful reading of his own account of the affair leaves us under the impression that the "instincts of the archaeologist" had as much to do with it as any thing else.<62>

Ill.u.s.tration of Chaac-mol.-----------------

Be that as it may, he certainly did find this statue buried in the ground. He is very positive it is Chaac-mol, claiming to have read the name readily in hieroglyphics on the ear-tablets. He says: "It is not an idol, but a true portrait of a man who has lived an earthly life. I have seen him represented in battle, in council, and in court receptions.

I am well acquainted with his life, and the manner of his death." This statue was seized by the Mexican Government, and taken to Mexico. Here a curious discovery was made. Another statue similar to this was already in the museum. This latter had been found not far from Mexico. Since then, still a third, smaller than the others, but evidently representing the same personage, has been discovered. In short, it has been shown that this is an idol, worshiped as well by the Aztecs as by the Mayas, and, instead of being buried, as Le Plongon a.s.serts, five thousand years ago, we have not much doubt it was buried to prevent its falling in to the hands of the Spaniards.<63>

Ill.u.s.tration of Bearded Itza.-------------

As to the antiquity with which Le Plongon would clothe Chichen, if his method be right, he has not more than made a beginning. Mr. Stephens counted three hundred and eighty of these same columns, and tells us there were many more.<64> We know no good reason for supposing Chichen was not inhabited at the time of the conquest. The wooden beams and lintels in the temples have not yet decayed, and the masonry had not been cleaned out of some of the rooms. On this point we wish to make a suggestion, a mere hint. The pillars that supported the arches in the temple mentioned some pages back were covered with sculpture. Amongst some others, but very faintly represented, was the preceding figure of a bearded man. May it not be that it represents a Spaniard? We must recall the stucco figure of the horse and its rider at Kabah. It seems to us a reasonable suggestion that they should carve on the pillars of their temples representations of the Spaniards, for the Spaniards were twenty-five years in gaining a permanent foothold in Yucatan, and during that time the Indians would continue to build and ornament as before.

Ill.u.s.tration of Arizona Ruin.------------

REFERENCES

(1) Bancroft: "Native Races," Vol. V, p. 78.

(2) Stephens's "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan," Vol. I, p. 113, _et seq._ (3) Bancroft's "Native Races," Vol. IV, p. 95.

(4) "Report of Bureau of Ethnology," Vol. I. Mr. Holden's article.

(5) Fourteen years later, these ruins were visited and described by an Austrian traveler, Dr. Scherzer. His account, though much more complete than Mr. Stephens's, has not yet appeared in English. Mr. Bancroft, in "Native Races," Vol. IV, p. 118, _et seq.,_ gives a _resume_ of all information known as to these ruins.

(6) "Central America," Vol II, p. 122. We are not sure about this inclosure. But Mr. Catherwood mentions a wall, and we are told the ruins are, in all respects, similar to those of Copan.

(7) For full information consult Bancroft's "Native Races,"

Vol. IV, pp. 115 to 139.

(8) "Central America," Vol. II, pp. 152-3.

(9) Bra.s.seur De Bourbourg styles Fuentes's description of Copan "La description menteuse de Fuentes." Bancroft: "Native Races,"

Vol. IV, p. 80, note.

(10) Charney, in _North American Review,_ 1881.

(11) "Native Races," Vol. IV, p. 300, _et seq._ (12) Morgan's "Contribution to N.A. Ethnology," Vol. IV, p. 268.

(13) Bancroft's "Native Races," Vol. IV, p. 319.

(14) Armin: "Das Heute Mexico."

(15) "Native Races," Vol. IV.

(16) Bancroft's "Native Races," p. 326.

(17) Short's "North Americans of Antiquity," p. 389.

(18) Holden, in "First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology."

(19) Bra.s.seur De Bourbourg.

(20) "Myths of the New World."

(21) Holden, in "First Annual Report Bureau of Ethnology."

(22) This tablet is named after its discoverer. The building in which it is situated was but a short distance from the others; yet, owing to the density of the forest, neither Waldeck nor Stephens discovered it. A cast of it is now in the National Museum at Washington.

(23) Rau, in "Smithsonian Contribution to Knowledge," Vol. XXII, p. 40.