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Symbolism of Solstices in Mesoamerican Cosmovision
Symbolism of Solstices in Mesoamerican Cosmovision
RESUMEN
La autora reitera su hipótesis, corroborada por otros autores, acerca de la importancia de los puntos solsticiales
como marcas de un espacio rectangular regido por el sol. Importancia que se muestra en los registros de los
solsticios en los monumentos arqueológicos en su celebración en las fiestas religiosas del calendario anual; en el
simbolismo, en los glifos kin y ollin, en los diagramas cósmicos, y en los rituales agrı́colas, sobre todo en los
relacionados con el maı́z.
ABSTRACT
The author reaffirms her hypothesis, corroborated by other scholars, about the importance of the solstice points
as markers of a cosmic rectangular space ruled by the Sun. Importance which is shown in the solstice registers
in the archaeological sites, in the symbolism of the kin and ollin glyphs as well as in the cosmic diagrams, in
Cantos de Mesoamérica (Mexico City, 10-13 November 2009)
Editors: José Daniel Flores Gutiérrez & Rosalba Nieto Calleja
the festivals celebrated during the solstices and in the agricultural rituals, specially the ones held in the maize
fields.
Key Words: archaeoastronomy
11
12 GONZÁLEZ TORRES
cial rains (González, 1975: 74)2 . I placed the win- tung registered 113 places with solsticial orienta-
ter solstice (ibid :75) in atemoztli, following what tion among the Mayans (cit Milbrath: 65). Also
Torquemada (1943, II:288) says: “the reason to or- in places like Cuicuilco, Teotihuacan, Xochicalco,
der to celebrate [this feast] is because the Sun has Monte Albán, Cholula, Tepoztlan and the Great
reached the highest of it’s way and [as everybody Temple the solstice points were marked.
knows] after twenty one days it makes it’s path and Aguilera (ibid: 202) notes that according to the
undoes what it has walked”. And Duran (1967, I: drawing of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in the
287) adds: “a commemoration of the descent of [the Florentine Codex, the proportions of the rectangle
god] Huitzilopochtli was celebrated”. of the serpent’s wall, larger in length than in width,
The month before atemoztli was panquetzliztli, suggests that it was reflecting the form of an earthly
when Huitzilopochtli’s big feast was celebrated. In mat [petate] which, very likely, was determined by
relation to this month, the Historia de los Mexicanos the four extreme points of the apparition and disap-
por sus pinturas (Del Castillo, 1950:234) says that it pearance of the Sun in the solstices”. And further,
was celebrated when the Sun was in its declination, she interprets that according to hypothetical lines in
so I (González, 1975:75) infer that “to the eyes of the horizon dividing the four regions of the world
the Mexicas the Sun was getting weak, therefore it leaves: “from the center to the left, is the side of the
was necessary that the nourishing blood and hearts summer solstice, ruled by Tlaloc, the months when
were given to him with the help of the war god: the rains are more abundant. From the center to
Huitzilopochtli”. Aguilera (1982) places the winter the right, the side of the winter solstice, the driest
solstice in atemoztli and Huitzilopochtli’s celebra- months are Huitzilopochtli’s region. These two divi-
tion in panquetzaliztli. According to her calculations sions are the seasons determined by Mexico’s climate
the inauguration of the Great Temple of Tenochtit- counted by the Indians: xopan, the time of the wa-
lan took place in a winter solstice and Broda (1980) ters and tonalco the side of heat and of the Sun, the
places this event on December 22nd of 1487. dry season”.
4. ARCHAEOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS
5. SOLSTICES AND ETHNOGRAPHY
Most of the archaeological ruins of buildings in
Mesoamerica are astronomically oriented and many Several authors who have carried out ethno-
of them were oriented in relation to the Sun’s cul- graphic research in different sites of Mesoamerica,
mination, equinoxes and solstices. Aveni and Har- mention the reference of the four corners of the
2 According to Sahagún, tecuilhuiltontli took place from world, or the four solsticial points, which define the
June 12th to July 1st, and atemoztli from November 13th to rectangular space of the earth. These mentions refer
December 28th. to the cosmological view as well as to the rituals per-
14 GONZÁLEZ TORRES
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