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Description

Watercolour and ink

Since it is the season for so-call spooks, I wanted to make an artistic interpretation of a Mesoamerican (or rather Maya since her clothes are inspired from those of that region) sorceress.

Firstly, it must be noted that the terms ‘witchcraft’ and ‘sorcery’ are western terms and do not exactly apply to prehispanic Mesoamerica. That being said the notions of sorcery are considerably ancient in Mesoamerican society, probably extending back to the Olmecs or even earlier. Sorcery/witchcraft/etc were a normal and expected part of Mesoamerican life. Like most pre-modern societies, there was not a hard distinction between "natural" and "supernatural" causation of events. Magic was a natural force, to be used and utilized. Despite such a word being used among traditional doctors or healers in today’s maya society (some using the word xamani which is a mayanisation of the word), the explicit notion of ‘shaman’ was not recognised among the prehispanic maya. Nevertheless, medicine men, known to the Maya as h’meno’ob (ritual specialists) or ah-men, possessed ‘shamanic’ qualities such as dream healing, body transmutation, travel to the underworld among others. [1]

Mayan medical practice was a complex blend of mind, body, religion, ritual and science. Health was the result of living according to the laws of nature and society and thus being in balance, and illness the result of the transgression of those laws. Medicine was only practiced by the specially selected individuals who had received an extensive education. [2] In addition to ritualistic and spiritual elements, the ah-men had extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and how they should be used. After studying the symptoms of a sickness, a medicine man may prescribe a remedy to his patient. The number of times or days that the remedy should be ingested or applied depended on an individual's gender; typically the number thirteen was associated with men, and the number nine with women. Ah-men often employed specialists for specific healing techniques such as bone-setting and childbirth, similar to the method of modern doctors. Bone setting was done by a designated bone-binder, or kax-bac. In addition to his duties as a doctor and sorcerer, an ah-men not only cured diseases, but also sporadically accepted compensation to cause them. [3]

Interestingly, the Nahua concept that comes closest to the western understanding of a ‘witch’ would most likely be the amo qualli ticitl described by Sahagún in Historia general de los Cosas de Nueva España. In essence this term referes to a ‘bad [female] physician’. Whereas the good physician was a diagnostician who restored people’s health, set bones, stitched them up, and revived them, the bad physician was a fraud who killed with his medicines, worsened sickness, and was known to be a sorcerer and soothsayer. One of the most common forms of witchcraft and sorcery in Mesoamerica is the ability to transform into various animals. For the Aztec-Mexica, this shape shifting sorcerer was known as Naoalli (Nahualli) [4] “...a wise man, a counselor, a person of trust - serious, respected, revered, dignified, unreviled, not subject to insults. The good sorcerer [is] a caretaker, a man of discretion, a guardian. Astute, he is keen, careful, helpful; he never harms anyone. The bad sorcerer [is] a doer [of evil], an enchanter. He bewitches women; he deranges, deludes people; he casts spells over them; he charms them; he enchants them; he causes them to be possessed. He deceives people; he confounds them” (Sahagún 1953–1982, bk. 4:31).

From this we can make a couple of inferences. The first is that "a sorceress" (naoale in the text, but nahualli in the modern orthography) causes harm to people, physical and psychological harm. The second is she is a liar, a deceiver (teixcuepani). She is using her gifts and skills to manipulate people.

[1] De la Garza, Mercedes & Valdés, María del Carmen Valverde. 2013. Continuidad, cambios y rupturas en la religión maya. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

[2] www.baus.org.uk/museum/88/maya…

[3] Roys, Ralph L. (1931) The Ethno-Botany of the Maya. Tulane University.

[4] Coltman, Jeremy D. Witchcraft and Sorcery in Ancient Mexico. www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/ho…

Description

Watercolour and ink

Since it is the season for so-call spooks, I wanted to make an artistic interpretation of a Mesoamerican (or rather Maya since her clothes are inspired from those of that region) sorceress.

Firstly, it must be noted that the terms ‘witchcraft’ and ‘sorcery’ are western terms and do not exactly apply to prehispanic Mesoamerica. That being said the notions of sorcery are considerably ancient in Mesoamerican society, probably extending back to the Olmecs or even earlier. Sorcery/witchcraft/etc were a normal and expected part of Mesoamerican life. Like most pre-modern societies, there was not a hard distinction between "natural" and "supernatural" causation of events. Magic was a natural force, to be used and utilized. Despite such a word being used among traditional doctors or healers in today’s maya society (some using the word xamani which is a mayanisation of the word), the explicit notion of ‘shaman’ was not recognised among the prehispanic maya. Nevertheless, medicine men, known to the Maya as h’meno’ob (ritual specialists) or ah-men, possessed ‘shamanic’ qualities such as dream healing, body transmutation, travel to the underworld among others. [1]

Mayan medical practice was a complex blend of mind, body, religion, ritual and science. Health was the result of living according to the laws of nature and society and thus being in balance, and illness the result of the transgression of those laws. Medicine was only practiced by the specially selected individuals who had received an extensive education. [2] In addition to ritualistic and spiritual elements, the ah-men had extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and how they should be used. After studying the symptoms of a sickness, a medicine man may prescribe a remedy to his patient. The number of times or days that the remedy should be ingested or applied depended on an individual's gender; typically the number thirteen was associated with men, and the number nine with women. Ah-men often employed specialists for specific healing techniques such as bone-setting and childbirth, similar to the method of modern doctors. Bone setting was done by a designated bone-binder, or kax-bac. In addition to his duties as a doctor and sorcerer, an ah-men not only cured diseases, but also sporadically accepted compensation to cause them. [3]

Interestingly, the Nahua concept that comes closest to the western understanding of a ‘witch’ would most likely be the amo qualli ticitl described by Sahagún in Historia general de los Cosas de Nueva España. In essence this term referes to a ‘bad [female] physician’. Whereas the good physician was a diagnostician who restored people’s health, set bones, stitched them up, and revived them, the bad physician was a fraud who killed with his medicines, worsened sickness, and was known to be a sorcerer and soothsayer. One of the most common forms of witchcraft and sorcery in Mesoamerica is the ability to transform into various animals. For the Aztec-Mexica, this shape shifting sorcerer was known as Naoalli (Nahualli) [4] “...a wise man, a counselor, a person of trust - serious, respected, revered, dignified, unreviled, not subject to insults. The good sorcerer [is] a caretaker, a man of discretion, a guardian. Astute, he is keen, careful, helpful; he never harms anyone. The bad sorcerer [is] a doer [of evil], an enchanter. He bewitches women; he deranges, deludes people; he casts spells over them; he charms them; he enchants them; he causes them to be possessed. He deceives people; he confounds them” (Sahagún 1953–1982, bk. 4:31).

From this we can make a couple of inferences. The first is that "a sorceress" (naoale in the text, but nahualli in the modern orthography) causes harm to people, physical and psychological harm. The second is she is a liar, a deceiver (teixcuepani). She is using her gifts and skills to manipulate people.

[1] De la Garza, Mercedes & Valdés, María del Carmen Valverde. 2013. Continuidad, cambios y rupturas en la religión maya. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

[2] www.baus.org.uk/museum/88/maya…

[3] Roys, Ralph L. (1931) The Ethno-Botany of the Maya. Tulane University.

[4] Coltman, Jeremy D. Witchcraft and Sorcery in Ancient Mexico. www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/ho…