Travels Amongst American Indians, Their Ancient Earthworks and Temples / Including a Journey in Guatemala, Mexico and Yucatan, and a Visit to the Ruins of Patinamit, Utatlan, Palenque and Uxmal

by Lindesay Brine

It is possible that the custom of offering human sacrifices, together with subsequent acts of cannibalism, may have become grafted upon the religious observances of an earlier and less cruel race. It is, however, to be noticed that the plan of the pyramid of the Dwarf with its altar, and the open court at the foot of the steps leading down from the temple, conform with the particular purposes of the ceremonies connected with the sacrifices to the idols. Bernal Diaz, when describing the manner in which the Spanish captives were sacrificed and eaten during the siege of Mexico, mentions facts which agree with the statements made by the caciques in Yucatan, concerning the events that occasionally happened in their sacred places.

“Sometimes,” observes Landa, “the sacrifice took place on the stone upon the highest step of the temple, and then the body was thrown down the steps and rolled below. The officials then seized it and flayed off the skin excepting the feet and hands, and the priest, having taken off his garments until he was naked, covered himself with it, and danced with the others. This was considered to be a matter of much solemnity. It was the custom to bury those who were sacrificed in the court of the temple, or, if not, they were eaten by the chiefs and those who were able to obtain portions; the hands, feet and head were for the priest and officials. Those who were thus sacrificed were held as saints (tenian por santos). If they were slaves captured in war their owner took the bones and kept them to show them in the dances as emblems of victory.”

The aboriginal inhabitants of Yucatan were, like those dwelling in the neighbouring land of Guatemala, devoted to the worship of idols, and travelled great distances to take part in the ceremonies which were performed at the shrines of their principal gods. The Island of Cozumel was one of the sacred sites which was held in great veneration when the fleet of Grijalva arrived there in 1518. It was observed by the Spaniards that there and elsewhere, the pyramidal structures or altars were maintained in good order, and had regular priests attached to them for the purpose of executing the various duties connected with the superstitious usages. It was afterwards ascertained that several of the larger sacred temples in the interior had at that time been abandoned, although many of them looked as if they had not been long built. With respect to Uxmal, it was considered that the ruins were comparatively modern and belonged to a period but little anterior to the Spanish conquest.

The well preserved state of portions of the buildings is, at the present time, nearly four centuries after the arrival of the Spaniards, especially noticeable. I observed that the wooden lintel over the door of my room in the Casa del Gobernador was in perfect condition. The edges or corners were still sharp and unworn. It was also evident that, although the great weight of the masonry above must have exerted a heavy pressure upon the centre of the lintel, there were no signs of the slightest deflection. The strength of the wood seemed to be unimpaired. The preservation of many of the lintels over the doorways of the rooms in the Casa de las Monjas was, in several instances, equally sound. Many of the stone carvings on the exterior were also apparently uninjured by their exposure to the weather. But, before proceeding with this subject, it is expedient to take into consideration some of the characteristics of this building.

It is not known why it was called the Casa de las Monjas (House of the Nuns). Possibly the Spaniards may have been surprised by its similarity in plan with their own nunneries, but it is also not improbable that there may have been some tradition received from the Indians which caused the adoption of this name. It has been stated by Clavigero, and other historians, that there were certain especial customs attending the worship of the god Quetzalcoatl. Women served for terms of years within his temples. They were dedicated to the performance of religious service from an early age, lodged in a convent and instructed in religion. They were also educated and employed in a manner suitable to their station and sex. It was said that certain vows were made and various religious duties were performed.

Entrance to the Casa de las Monjas.

The main entrance to the nunnery is through a gateway placed in the centre of the southern part of the quadrangle. Upon each side of this entrance there are four chambers, and it is to be noticed, as an evidence of the conventual character of the building, that these are the only rooms that have direct access to the outer world. All the others are within and look into the court. They had a blank wall at the back, which excluded all communication with the exterior. The principal front looks towards the pyramids adjoining the Casa del Gobernador. The architectural proportions of the archway are symmetrical. The height and span, like all other parts of these Indian structures, are practically determined by the angle of inclination of the converging sides. In this case the arch is about seventeen feet high and nearly eleven feet wide. After passing through it, a wide court is entered. It is surrounded on four sides by long ranges of low stone buildings. The base, or lower part of them, is built of plain square slabs of masonry. The upper parts are covered with fanciful designs, sculptured with great skill.

The whole of these buildings are exclusively arranged for the purpose of providing the greatest possible number of chambers or monastic cells. I did not count them, but it has been stated that there are altogether eighty-eight. It is perhaps important to note, with reference to this unusual number of rooms, that they are too numerous to admit of the theory that they were intended for the accommodation of the priests serving the adjacent temples, for according to the statements of Clavigero, the number of priests always corresponded with the number of the Teocallis. It is therefore presumable that these cells had some other purpose. The priests may have been lodged in the Casa del Gobernador. That building contains twenty-four chambers, the majority of which are of the same size and plan as these in the Casa de las Monjas. It is useless to attempt to conjecture the precise purposes of these buildings, for there has been no exact information obtained upon the subject, but everything points to the conclusion that the whole of the structures at Uxmal were connected with the worship of the gods, and had no relation to the ordinary lives of the Indians.

It is probable that places like Uxmal and Palenque with their temples and monasteries, were set apart for religious purposes, and the Indians assembled there from the adjacent country with the object of being present at the ceremonies, in the same manner as they are now accustomed to perform their pilgrimages when the patron saints of the churches have their festivals. When taking into consideration the question of the period when it may be conjectured that the temples at Uxmal were abandoned, it is necessary to direct attention to the design or emblem which is placed upon one of the walls of the interior of the Casa de las Monjas.