On the surface of this stone was carved the image of a decapitated and dismembered woman. La Tunda is said to be the child of the devil and is … I vividly remember the story because that same day I made the effort to look at the moon and could see the bunny’s trace on it. This story is one of the weirdest ones. In another version of the story the twins climbed out of the Underworld to the surface of the earth and then climbed into the sky to become the sun and the moon themselves. In Mexico it is believed that exposure of a pregnant woman to an eclipse will cause her infant to have a cleft lip or palate. The area was named because whenever Mexico City experienced torrential rains and flooding, street dogs would congregate in the area. I only remembered that the bunny was kind, the god threw him into the moon, and his reflection was engraved on it. Our curriculum services help teachers and parents simplify their lives, make fun memories, and equip students to confidently read and speak in front of a group through an inexpensive, easy, flexible system for building leaders and creators. The sun did not set. In the local Maya dialect, Ix-Chel literally meant, “Lady Rainbow,” and in addition to being the moon goddess, she had other aspects and functions. After coming down, the god told the bunny that although his physical form was small, his portrait would be engraved on the light for the rest of times. Legend of the Moon: Menominee legend about the cycles of the moon. Touched by the rabbit's virtue, he drew the likeness of the rabbit on the Moon for all to see. La Tunda. Maria was my best friend growing up. In the Dresden Codex, an ancient Maya pictographic bark book, and known as the oldest book in the Americas, the moon goddess corresponds to what early Maya scholars first labeled “Goddess O.”   In this codex the moon goddess is depicted as having a face of an old woman and the ears of a jaguar. The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered its own body, throwing itself into a fire the man had prepared. I vividly remember the story because that same day I made the effort to look at the moon and could see the bunny’s trace on it. In the book written by the Archbishop of the Yucatán, Diego de Landa called Relación de las cosas de Yucatán, or in English The List of Things in the Yucatán, the moon goddess Ix-Chel was associated with medicine, and according to de Landa in the month the Maya called Zip the Maya celebrated the feast of Ihcil Ix-Chel which honored physicians and shamans and included rituals involving divination stones and medicine bundles. These records may appear on monumental architecture or other public works, on pottery or other ceramics or in the few remaining Maya painted bark books called codices. A bunny saw him worried and came close to him without knowing he was a god. The bunny said that although he wasn’t very big it would be enough to fill him. Very few sources exist of other moon deities in Ancient Mexico as the Aztecs were the major complex society in control of central Mexico at the time of the arrival of the Spanish and garnered the most scholarly attention from the Catholic clergy which sought to document and learn as much as they could from the Indians. The rabbit went up and up through the air holding his belly and laughing, and finally he reached the moon. So there was no night. Long long ago when the world was just created there was just the sun but no moon. Al escuchar esto, el dios estaba muy agradecido. God finally made them stop fighting and kept them apart by ordering the sun to shine by day and the mud-spattered moon to shine by night to illuminate the world of witches and thieves. The bunny asked him if he was feeling ok. Quetzalcóatl told him he was tired from walking and was hungry. Some archaeologists and historians theorize that the ancient Maya moon goddess might have been much fiercer than previously thought and that her jaguar aspects – her ears and claws – combined with her gaping mouth, may suggest cannibalism. By quickening curiosity about other cultures, folktales can help students to appreciate the reality of human diversity. As there were centuries “missing” between the Classic Maya writings and the conquest of the Maya lands by the Spanish, it is unclear how the moon goddess changed over time, or if the ancient goddess retained all of her same aspects or functions into the modern historical period. I was literally mind blown! The elements in the Philippine folk tales and fairy tales include the Filipino value systems, spiritual beliefs, and history. In one version of the story, the twins recovered the bodies of their uncle and father and put them up in the sky as the sun and the moon. So there was just day with the sun shining brightly all the time. The two wrestled and the moon fell into mud, which dimmed his brightness. Among the modern-day Maya of Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas, an elder brother of the sun who was also the son of the moon goddess was transformed into a rabbit after he allowed wild plants to grow in the sun’s cornfield. Twin deities the sun and moon promptly decapitate Rahu, … After hearing this, the god was very appreciative. Informant: Maria Burguete. The complex civilization of the Maya had collapsed about 6 centuries before the Spanish arrival and those Maya remaining in the heartland of the ancient civilization still had some of the old beliefs documented by the occasional conquistador, friar or priest. The Aztecs, the Maya and their Predecessors by Muriel Porter Weaver, Your email address will not be published. The sun and the moon were forced to go and settle in the sky and remained there forever. About: Philippine folklore, like many types of regional folklore, began in the oral tradition, passed throughout generations, with stories that reflect the people who tell them. And the Sun constantly chases the Moon, trying towin back her affections. I have yet to hear of any moon rabbit legends among European-Americans (i.e. Francisco Hernández de Córdoba also noticed that the small island north of Cozumel served as some sort of secondary pilgrimage site for the moon goddess and he found it littered in small statues and figurines, and other representations of Ix-Chel. To be honest, I did not remember the legend as well as she did. indigenous tribal cultures) who have been here for thousands of years, not mainstream American pop culture or American folklore. Truly, the message of the legend is to teach children about kindness. In the Dresden Codex, an ancient Maya pictographic bark book, and known as the oldest book in the Americas, the moon goddess corresponds to what early Maya scholars first labeled “Goddess O.” The goddess’ head functions as both the representation of the number one and the phonetic symbol pronounced “na.”  In the ancient Maya world, na meant “noblewoman,” and so the head of the moon goddess usually preceded the written names of female elites. On her cheeks were carved representations of bells and from this, archaeologists knew exactly who she was. The Battle of the Crabs. Robert Bitto Very little is known about the religious beliefs of these peoples other than they were polytheistic. The sun received the positive values: life and flourishing nature; the moon’s values were a little more negative: the world of the dead, a decline. Folktales of different cultures have an important place in the social studies classroom. I was talking about legends of NATIVE AMERICAN cultures (i.e. The Moon suddenly disappeared. If a mother watched it, the same thing would happen to her baby. There was no concept of night as the sun never set. Huitzilopotchtli defeated Coyolxauqui and her army and took her body, chopped it up and threw it down off Snake Mountain. If you enjoy this beautifully told legend as much as we do, you’ll want to read the whole book! Informant: “I learned this legend in sixth grade Mexican History class. The water kept flowing in and the sun and the moon had to climb on the roof to save themselves from drowning. Very little evidence exists to show a moon goddess, but there is very little information at all on the gods of the Toltecs as their civilization ended by the 12th Century and they left behind no written record. Often times she was depicted as having claws for hands and feet. The whereabouts of the templo’s location had been the topic of speculation of centuries, but with the 1978 discovery of the moon goddess’ stone, the location was confirmed. The night of the full moon is believed to be a … That is why on nights when the moon is full and red you can still see the rabbit bending over holding his stomach with laughter. 10 Legends About the Moon Chang'e Moon Rabbit Selene/Luna Tecciztecatl Anningan Mawu Soma Rona Ixchel Werewolves As is customary in the Aztec artistic tradition for representations of deities, the woman has what archaeologists call “monster faces” on her joints. For protection, the mom must carry something metallic, such as a safety pin, on her underwear. The rabbit was not burnt, however, and the old man revealed that he was Śakra. 1 (Sunday Seven) Long ago there were two hunchbacks. Collector: “When did you first hear this legend and what does it mean to you?”, Informant: “I learned this legend in sixth grade Mexican History class. Out of the sky a ball of feathers fell into Coatlicue’s apron, and caused her to become pregnant. As an aside, the discovery of the gigantic round stone of Coyolxuaqui found near the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City in 1978 actually led to a more important discovery. So, to some modern-day Maya instead of the “Man in the Moon,” there is a “Rabbit in the Moon,” put there by the moon goddess herself. So, Huitzilopotchli took Coyolxauqui’s head and tossed it up to the sky where it became the moon, and Coatlicue would never be far from her daughter. The Sun threw the junglevegetables at the Moon’s face, and that was the final straw. Required fields are marked *. When I first heard the legend, I was really moved by the story: a little cute bunny offers himself to a god and the god is moved by the bunny’s kindness. 20 years old. After hearing this, the bunny said he didn’t have anything else to offer, but he offered himself as food. In some representations, the moon goddess is the drawing of an elaborately dressed woman sitting inside a crescent moon. Little is known about the religion of the Toltecs who ruled over central Mexico before the Aztecs. The illustrations, in the style of Jean Charlot, were drawn by Lowell Houser. 1 At the same time, the common elements in folktales may serve to increase children's empathy with people of other cultures. What we know of the moon goddess from the height of the complex ancient Maya civilization of interconnected and warring city-states comes from the remaining written and illustrated records interpreted by archaeologists and historians. A priest would sit inside of a statue and give oracles to the women who would travel there to ask for blessings and advice regarding marriage and childbirth. There are many aspects of the ancient lunar deity that are open to speculation or are just not known. To me, it was really a story about kindness.”. In El Yunque National Forest when the humidity is high, the tiny coquí frogs climb to … http://mexicounexplained.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/MoonGoddesses.mp3, Xochiquetzal, Aztec Goddess of Love (and More), UFO Encounter at Ajusco – The Case of Carlos Díaz, The Miracles of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos, Pachita: Psychic Surgeon, Medium & Mystic. The lostchildren have become stars. Born and raised in Mexico City. Then they sent oiled betel-nuts to summon their relatives to the ceremony. There was no set time for work or a fixed time for rest. The Popol Vuh It was bright and sunny and there was daylight all ...... Continue Reading. La Mesa, CA 91942. Al bajar, el dios le dijo al conejo que aunque su forma física fuera pequeña su retrato quedaría enmarcado en la luz por el resto de los tiempos. Did they also have moon goddesses? Your email address will not be published. Scholars explain that the Twin story may be a metaphor or fable existing outside of religion much like the idea of the mythical Mother Nature existing as a separate legend apart from the creator Christian God in Western European culture.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'mexicounexplained_com-box-4','ezslot_6',161,'0','0'])); What of other ancient Mexican cultures besides the Aztecs and Maya? FOUR MEXICAN-SPANISH FAIRY-TALES FROM AZQUELTAN, JALISCO BY J. ALDEN MASON THE following four fairy-tales were collected by the writer in the pueblo of AzqueltAn, state of Jalisco, Mexico, January, 1912. As punishment, in addition to being turned into a rabbit, the sun’s brother gave him to the moon goddess who threw him up into the sky where he attached himself to the moon. We both went to the same school in Mexico and were introduced to this legend at the same time (6th grade Mexican History class with Ms. Fernandez). Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS. A very long time ago, when the world was just created, the moon was not there and the sun shone all the time. One day, the god Quetzalcóatl transformed into human form to explore the earth. The moon was older, bigger, and brighter, and the jealous sun picked a fight with him. This story seems to conflict with the idea of a traditional goddess of the moon. This is why, on a fullnight, you can see the marks left by the Sun against the Moon’s face. In some representations, the moon goddess is the drawing of an elaborately dressed woman sitting inside a crescent moon. The belief originated with the Aztecs, who thought that an eclipse occurred because a bite had been taken out of the moon. 7840 El Cajon Blvd. The antelope chase Coyote, who tosses the moon into a river each night, just out of reach of the antelope. A few meters down the electric company workers hit a massive disk-shaped stone slab measuring almost 11 feet in diameter and almost one foot thick. She is also thought to be connected to the maize god, the jaguar god of the underworld, the death god, and an aged god in the Dresden Codex known only as “God L.”   The moon goddess of the ancient Maya has also been associated with several things connected with water, including rainfall and wells. El conejo le ofreció su comida pero el dios le dijo que él no comía plantas.
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mexican folktales about the moon 2021