The Whistler: A Moche Vessel

Clifford C. Richey December 2011 e-mail: crichey1937@yahoo.com

Illustration 1: Photo Credit: EdgarLOwen.com

Illustration 2: The Whistler This Moche ceramic is quite interesting because it provides us with a good mental image of what it is about.

Illustration 3: Gourd Shapes Photo Credit: Peter Woodard

The vessel's overall Form is one of a Gourd, a container of seeds. The gourd was probably used as an agricultural metaphor for the earth and the seeds that it contained. The idea that the bodies of the dead were planted into the earth and later arose to the surface a kind of plant like sprouting. Thus the clay vessel itself should be viewed as the earth (an earthen container) and the message of the signs revolves around this metaphor. That the Figure is Sitting indicates that it is waiting for some event.

The overall Imagery is of a Figure waiting and whistling as if passing the time. The Figure holds what appears to be a dead deer in its arms. The next largest sign is the Imagery of the Deer being held within the earth. The Deer is dead or worn out as indicated by its tongue hanging out of its mouth. The Deer appears to have been the sign for the one that wanders around as is characteristic of a deer's behavior. In many Moche ceramics there is imagery of Human or Bean-warriors doing battle with Deer-warriors. This would seem to imply that the Bean-warriors were the local farmers defending their territory from outsiders or wanderingwarriors. The Deer Imagery was created out of several signs. The Ear probably represents a Leaf and and in many Moche depictions the Ear indeed has veins like a leaf. This combined with the arched Tail (ascending) speaks to the sprouting mentioned above. The ascending leaf the sprouting. The Ear is an orifice thus the sprouting is from a hole in the earth's surface. As we have noted in previous papers the placement of signs alluded to something in that position. The Leaf sign placed over the position of the Ear alludes to the orifice or hole in the Ear. The meaning of the Deer's Antlers is not so clear but they may represent a leadership role. They may also have depicted rough Hand signs which would indicate the Hands of the Sun or Sun-priests. In either case the ascension of some type of important person was indicated. The Tail of the deer is the sign for ascending upwards and over the surface (the surface line provided by the Line of the back of the Deer. The Genitals of the Deer indicate that it was male. Further the Gonads are in the Form of the signs for male-spirits (the Form of the glans penis) while the Penis is difficult to see and may be the Rectangular Form of a place sign or another male-spirit sign. Both of these are positioned as on the side (referring to on the side of the earth).

Illustration 4: The Upward Flight The overall Form of the Deer's Hind Legs is that of a Bird (blue outline) flying upwards. It touches the Hand and there is an unclear sign next to the Bird's head. The right Wing of the Bird is a Finger pointing a direction upward and into the opening made by the V: shaped notch in the left Wing. Thus we have the Hand of the Sun, the steward of the Sun, his spirit, in upward flight to an opening, positionally, on-the-side. The Arms and Hands, on their own or not viewed as part of holding the Deer Imagery. indicates The Arms (warriors) and Hands of (sun-priests) of the Sun thus meaning, warriorpriests.

The Hind Legs and Feet (positional) (meaning long-journeys) of the Deer Form the Imagery of a Bird flying upward and the Form of the Legs are ascension signs. The Hem of the Skirt (its Line) is the sign for a broad surface the surface of the land or earth. The Bird is, of course, the gestures sign for flight. The Vertical Lines are the signs (position) for above the surface. This sign, an upside down T , indicates on the surface. But here there is some distance between the Vertical Line and the horizontal surface Line of the Hem.. The Front Legs are not so clear but may have represented a movement or journey downward.

Illustration 5: The Eye, Venus At the Head of the Deer we have its Eye, the Eye of the Sun or Venus, so called because as it arises in the east before the Sun. The Eye has the Triangular earth-female sif above and below it. The Eye is Double Lined (unseen) and positioned with the earth-female signs on either side. Between the sides of the earth. The Nostrils are male-spirit signs facing or headed upwards. Finally we have the Tongue, the one that makes the sound. Shortly we will see what sound this refers to. The Feet of the Figure are below (positional) the Hem of the Skirt and the Feet represent the sign for a journey. The Toes, of the Figure, are four (as opposed to the normal five toes) place signs. The number Four represents the four directions thus meaning all over or everywhere. Journeys everywhere below the surface. The Feet are in the Form of male-spirit signs. Below the surface, male-spirits, their journeys everywhere.

Illustration 6: The Flowing Water The Face (his appearance) is Skull like and may indicate, the dead one. The Three Holes that serve as the Eyes and Mouth were arranged as a Triangle (based on the Form of the female genital area) that represents a female-spirit. However the overall form of the Head is that of a male-spirit. Within that Form is a (red) Heart shaped line that is the gesture sign for a prisoner or a captive. Thus if we put this altogether we obtain the following: The dead one, His appearance, a captive female-spirit, (an earthspirit). The Saw-toothed shapes on both sides of the puckered up Mouth (a water-source) are the signs

used for water. The Mouth is between the two (green) Saw-toothed water signs and the Mouth is an actual hole. The (light blue) Lines on the sides of the Cone shaped Mouth are the signs for a flow. The water-source, water flowing from a Cone shaped hole.

Illustration 7: Mouth in the Form of a Cone

Illustration 8: Small Mud Volcano

Photo Credit: ManoMann

The above photograph was taken in California, USA but it is likely that similar forms can be found in other volcanic areas of the world including Peru. In a previous paper1 we discussed how the Spouts found on the ceramics of various Native American cultures may have been modeled after mud volcanoes. This idea is also reinforced by the fact that many such vessels are also whistles. This whistling sound, made by escaping gases. is often heard in areas of volcanic activity and may have inspired the metaphor used in this Moche vessel. It also noteworthy that this vessel's imagery is of a figure sitting and whistling. This also leads us to believe that Moche ritual music may not have been music as we know it. The sounds may have imitated the sounds of nature as related to the cosmology. In this case the metaphor is of the sound of invisible male-spirits escaping from the underworld and ascending to the sky. At the very least the Spouts represent holes with tubes extending downward into the container (the earth metaphor).

1 Richey, Clifford C., http://www.scribd.com/doc/17278419/Inca-Moche-Other-Burial-Vessel-Notes

Illustration 10: Signs on the Face The (red) Concentric Circles sign for a hole was used for both Eyes and the Mouth. What was usually the Darkened Center Circle of the sign is in this case an actual hole. The Eyes represent the Eyes of the Sun (Venus) in the east and west (left, the east, and right, the west, as part of the gesture sign system) being determined by the Center Line of the Nose. Around the Eyes or rather the Position of the Eyes is a (yellow) Shepherd's Crook sign that means taken or brought and is in a downward stroke, --takendownward.. The Crook terminates in the Neck and Head of a Bird (blue ) indicating flight. The Nostrils (gray) are the Rounded male-spirit signs (as based on the glans penis) and are facing upwards. The Position of the Nose is taken by the Form of a Long Necked Bird (dark blue) indicating arising high in flight. The inner Neck Line pf the Bird is in the Form of the sign for ascending and the curved top of the Head probably represents, the arc of the sky. The Mouth, any mouth, is the sign for a water-source. In this case the Mouth is Positional as it is covered over by the Cone shaped sign. On the sides of the Cone are the multiple Parallel Lines sign for a flow or flowing. Connected to this is the Saw-toothed sign for water. Taken all together we have a cone shaped area on the earth's surface from which water flows. The Eyes indicate that they (Venus in the east and west) are taken down in flight and these male-spirits are within the flowing water. It is from the holes in the east and west that the male-spirits ascend upward in flight, presumably to the sky. In terms of the Initial Form of the vessel the Spout has an Inner Form (the space between the handle and the vessel) which is that of a Large Eye (the great star Venus). The U shaped Handle is the sign for turning on the side (of the Gourd Form another earth metaphor). Of course, the Spout represents a high hole in the earth's surface with a tunnel leading down into the underworld. We re not going to attempt an overall translation of this vessel on a sign by sign basis as we have done in other papers. The reason for this is that many of the signs, especially around the Face, are not all that clear in the photograph. This vessel really needs to be inspected first hand in order that the signs can be more accurately observed. Despite some inaccuracy in distinguishing signs in this paper it seems quite clear that the whistler imagery and the puckered up lips was related to cone shaped mud volcanoes and the the sound of escaping gases. This metaphor fits in quite well with what we have previously learned about the warrior-priest cosmology. Finally, the ancient composer drew a bandage like wrapping around the Head of the figure. The Form of this Wrapper is in the shape of an Oval and indicates everything. The Wrapper's Double Lines (its sides) mean, unseen, and its Imagery, one of a binding. Everything unseen bound together.

Illustration 9: Heart Form: The Captive