Malinalco: A Nahua Town in Mexico

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Malinalco A Nahua Town in Mexico
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Colorful houses line this street in the town of
Malinalco which sits at the foot of fog-covered
mountains. The Nahuatl word Malinalco comes
from the term Malinalli, which is commonly
translated as twisted herb.
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A typical streetcorner in Malinalco where the old
and young, as well as the vendors and tourists,
can be found.
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Local people still arrive into the village on
horseback to shop, visit friends or simply ride
into the town square.
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Its just another day for this boy as he casually
passes by some of the cows he shares the street
with.
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Women dancing in Malinalco, celebrating their
ancestry.
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This is the mountain where local artisan Eduardo
Reyes finds the clay he needs to make his
whistles and pre-Colombian replicas. Two
examples of his work are objects in the culture
box.
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The soil of Malinalco and the surrounding areas
is rich in organic materials and nutrients. Corn
fields provide the staple food of the modern
Mexican diet as well as the diet of the ancient
Nahua.
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Heres a sample of what the modern Nahuatl
language looks like. When climbing up the 440
steps to the Malinalco archeological site, one
sees all explanations in three languages,
Nahuatl, Spanish and English. This one refers to
the ancient peoples who lived in the area.
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Symbols are very important in Nahua culture. This
fountain, found in one of Malinalcos popular
restaurants , shows the use today of the ancient
Nahua glyphs. The green one on the upper right
is the glyph for Malinalco. In the glyph for
Malinalco life and death are especially
important. The zacate grows out of the skull, and
plants and flowers sprout from the soil
fertilized by the remains of the dead. In other
words, from death comes life. In this way, matter
revives as a result of its own death.
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This woodcarving stands as a true testimonial to
the talented Nahua artists of today. Malinalco
is known all over Mexico for its traditional
woodcarvings and talented woodcarvers. In the
town there is a state supported taller or
workshop where students and adults can learn to
carve. Then their work is displayed in local
museums or sometimes travels to other museums in
Mexico.
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This woodcarving found in the excellent local
museum in Malinalco show a different
interpretation of the origin of Malinalco.
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A pictorial representation drawn on a wall of
what marketplace life is like for those who still
live in the Valley of Mexico.
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To reach the archeological site is literally a
hike up a mountain. It is thought that the
archeological site of Malinalco was a sacred site
for the Aztec elite military orders of the Eagle
and Jaguar knights. Their warriors might have
been trained here.
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What makes this temple so unique in all of
Mesoamerica is that the entire temple is carved
out of living volcanic rock. That includes the
benches, stairways, and sculptures. A jaguar
figure, carved in the late 1400s, can be seen in
this photo.
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The doorway into the temple is the mouth of a
serpent. As you walk in, you are walking on the
snakes forked tongue. On the opposite side of
the doorway, is a representation. of a
pre-Hispanic drum dating to the late 1400s as
well.
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This photo shows a copy of the original águila or
eagle. It is inside an exact replica of the
original temple. The eagle was most likely used
in the temple for astronomical sighting.
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As part of a bench, this jaguar was carved
against the back wall. The original is still up
at the site but for safety reasons the inside
temple is not accessible.
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A religious procession, as the crowd carries
their Jesus Christ in the streets on the day of
the Fiesta de Malinalco, August 6. The people
participating in the procession carry flowers
with them, and also use flowers to decorate the
entire village.
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Flowers have a significant role in religion, as
they are used in processions and for altars. They
are also used as decoration, as the edges of the
street and the fronts of houses are commonly
decorated with flowers. They are also commonly
found in gardens, sunrooms, or pots and decorate
the rich and the poor alike.
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Almost the entire population of Malinalco is
Roman Catholic. Crosses and altars scatter the
mountainside and are frequently accessed by the
people.
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Some of the altars can be quite isolated along
the mountain. People leave flowers and candles.
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A closer look at one of the altars this one is
colorfully painted.
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At the festival on August 6, people celebrate
their ancient Nahua roots by dressing and dancing
like the Nahua might have centuries ago. Eagle
and jaguar warriors often wore one-piece suits
with attached headgear. They carried shields
decorated with precious stones or featherwork.
They also wore casques and helmets of wood and
bone, decorated with feathers. All of this can
still be enjoyed as they dance for days in front
of the church and convent of Malinalco.
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A boy watches on as those around him dance using
their Aztec sonajas. The handkerchief he wears on
his head is similar to the one found in the
culture box.
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Many people gather for a festival of Nahua dance,
music, dress, and tradition. Here someone proudly
holds a pole with ribbons. People come from near
and far to celebrate the patron saint of
Malinalco and often dance literally for days.
Many people gather for a festival of Nahua dance,
music, dress, and tradition. Here someone proudly
holds a pole with ribbons. People come from near
and far to celebrate the patron saint of
Malinalco and often dance literally for days.
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The people beat their drums, dance in their
feather headdresses, as part of the Malinalco
festival celebrated August 6th. You can see one
of the symbols of Malinalco on the back of one of
the headdresses.
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The people incorporate the old and new to their
Nahua festival. The man plays a tuba, not a
traditional Nahua instrument, as they didnt have
brass instruments, but for the festival he plays
the tuba to celebrate his culture.
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Here are some of the toys children can buy at the
market. Pictured are puzzles, checkers, and beds
for their dolls.
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Wearing her brightly colored outfit, Doña Alicia
sews up some of the bags found in the culture
box.
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Artisan Eduardo Reyes is pictured showing the
clay he finds in the ground to make the clay
aguilas and caracoles found in the culture box.
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A market vender or marchanta cheerfully bags
some seeds she sells in the market, using the
scale to weigh the desired products. Her
particular stands also offers a variety of
different kinds of rice and chiles.
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This man is pictured making the Aztec sonaja
rattles found in the culture box. He too lives in
Malinalco.
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A stand in this canopied marketplace sells belts
and leather bags.
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Using her talented hands, Camelia Ramos Zamora is
demonstrating how she weaves rebozos. These
rebozos are famous all over Mexican as being one
of the very best examples of fine work. In the
culture box there is one made by Camelia in the
form of a small scarf, or sash. The rebozo shop
where you can find and her famous father, Don
Isaac Ramos, is called El Xoxopastli.
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Rebozos like these are versatile they are used
as a beautiful shawl or a tote bag or even a
pouch to carry a baby. They are woven by Doña
Camelia and her father, Don Isaac with much
patience as well as love and devotion to their
art.
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Vamos a comer lets eat! In the street you
can buy a lunch of rice, hard-boiled eggs,
cheese, cactus leaves and cooked vegetables. Also
available is guacamole, limes, and peppers for
added flavor. Notice the eternal coca-cola as
well.
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This woman sells sopes on the street to
those who buy from her each day.
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Sopes are specially made tortillas filled with
beans, cheese or vegetables and then lightly
fried on the comal which is also seen in the
photo.
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Fresh food at this produce stand includes
walnuts, mushrooms, peaches, and pomegranates
These are among the fruits, vegetables, and nuts
that grow in the region.
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Some of the many types of candies offered at the
market, a favorite stop for young and old alike.
Notice how such simple objects can be so
beautifully displayed.