Another type of well-known object originates from this region of Canada.
Be careful not to use the wrong name to describe them, because they are not “totems”, but “totem poles”.
Like transformation masks, the totem pole calls up an animal spirit, which serves as the clan’s emblem. The word “totem” refers to this spirit.
To sum up, the totem is an animal spirit, represented in a totem pole.
The animal spirit, known as a totem, is sometimes represented in a sculpture called a “totem pole”.
Let’s head to Western Canada, to the Subarctic. Several indigenous cultures (the people groups born there) created objects needed for their rituals, until the latter were forbidden by the English colonisers.
Throughout the 19th century, some clans continued the manufacture of “transformation masks”.
These masks were worn by dancers during ceremonies. They represent the spirit of a mythological animal, considered to be the founder of the clan. When the mask opened, the spirit revealed its human form. This was a spectacular way for the dancers to show off their prestigious ancestors.
Some cultures in Western Canada made “transformation masks” representing the spirit of a mythological animal.
To make our study of it easier, we usually divide this region of the world into several geographical areas.
North America is divided into several geographical areas.
When the Europeans arrived, all these peoples gradually disappeared, but this did not mean that their cultures were completely forgotten. How could this be true?
This was partly due to the codices, which were manuscripts produced by the Mesoamerican civilisations before the arrival of the Spanish.
These books deal with all types of topics, such as rites, astronomy and how the societies were organized… a real mine of information for understanding these lost cultures.
Our knowledge of Pre-Hispanic civilisations is partly due to the codices, which were manuscripts produced before the Spanish arrived.
From the end of the 15th century, Europeans arrived in America. This had terrible consequences for the Pre-Hispanic civilisations, which underwent profound political and cultural changes.
The Pre-Hispanic civilisations collapsed and were profoundly altered after the arrival of Christopher Columbus and other European explorers.
Natural mummies have also been found in an area of desert in South Peru. These ones belonged to the Paracas culture.
No sacrifices this time! When the Paracas died they were buried in “fardos”.
This is how to make one:
The Pre-Hispanic civilisations collapsed and were profoundly altered after the arrival of Christopher Columbus and other European explorers.
For these human sacrifices, the Pre-Hispanic peoples often used prisoners of war, but not exclusively so! At the summit of Llullaillaco, the second highest volcano in the world, we have rediscovered several mummies of children.
They were from noble Inca families and had been taken to be offered to the deities of the mountains. This was seen as a great honour!
However, these were nothing like Egyptian mummies with their bandages! In this region, with its extreme weather conditions, mumification took place naturally.
Human sacrifices were often prisoners of war, but sometimes also members of noble families.
Pre-Hispanic civilisations have often been reduced to one of their most astonishing aspects: human sacrifice, a reputation which cannot just be summed up as a form of bloodthirsty barbary!
Below are a few explanations for a better understanding of these practices.
In Pre-Hispanic societies, death was not seen in such a negative light as it is in the West.
These societies considered death necessary for the creation of life.
For them, the world did not hold together all on its own, since the deities had delegated this task to humans.
The earth and the sun created the vital energy that allowed plants and animals to develop. Humans were on the end of the food chain and received all of this energy. They therefore had to release it regularly through sacrifices to feed the cycle of life.
Human sacrifice was very important for the Pre-Hispanic civilisations, because it enabled them to preserve the cycle of life.
We’ve got it, the Pre-Hispanic civilisations have numerous points in common. There is even one that is particularly famous: their pronounced taste for the Pyramids.
These stone or earth-built monuments have served various functions, depending on the region: tombs, temples, gods residences… something for all tastes!
In some of them, archeologists have made sordid discoveries: the remains of human sacrifices, which we will discuss soon.
Another point that Pre-Hispanic civilisations have in common is their taste for the pyramids.
"*" indicates required fields