The Totonac culture Is in many ways similar to other Mesoamerica , However some archaeological studies have highlighted differences that relate them to the cultures of what is now known as the circuncaribe area.
The Totonac population lived on high plateaus where there was a cool and rainy climate, but also came to inhabit coasts of humid and hot weather.
Totonac sculpture
This civilization existed from the pre-Columbian era and they lived in the city called Teotihuacán in the province of Totonacapan, which they constructed, according to demand.
Those who lived in the highlands grew maize and pumpkins, and those who inhabited the coastal and low-lying areas practiced beekeeping, swine farming, livestock and worked highly commercial crops.
The houses were dispersed in the lowlands and in the mountainous lands they lived in villages near the fields of cultivation.
Women practiced weaving and pottery. The dress was made of cotton and wool, usually white, although some pieces of clothing were black.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519, the Totonacas had built several cities, among the most important are Cempoala, Papantla and El Tajin; The city that shows more accurately the culture of this civilization. This population is currently maintained in the states of Veracruz, Puebla and Hidalgo, in Mexico.
After the arrival of the Spanish settlers in the first quarter of the fifteenth century, the Totonacs joined them to defeat the Aztec empire Which oppressed them.
After the victory, the Spaniards dominated totonacas and made them their slaves obliging them to work in the sugarcane crops that were just beginning to emerge at that time.
7 Highlights of Totonac Culture
1 - Etymology
The word Totonac according to some literates is translated like"three hearts"in reference to the three great cities or cultural centers that the totonacas constructed, all three mentioned above.
2- Religion
The traditional religion of the Totonac civilization was quite complex, as described in the 1960s by the French ethnographer, Alain Ichon. Unfortunately, there is no other significant essay on the Totonac religion ever since.
It is known that the Totonacs worshiped a great number of gods and they had a hierarchy, in descending order: the main gods, the secondary gods, the owners, the lesser owners and the gods of the underworld. There were a total of 22 gods of traditional culture.
The ritual ceremony of"Los Voladores,"is a ceremonial ritual that has its roots in the pre-Hispanic period and is currently associated with the city of Papantla in Veracruz.
It is believed to have originated with the Nahuas, Otomi, and Huastecos in central Mexico, and then spread to most of the Mesoamerican region. This and other ceremonies are of great relevance even today.
In modern times, the Totonacs view Catholicism and Christianity as their primary religion, although they maintain the practices of ancient pagan rituals.
3- Diet
Due to the absence of various ingredients it has been determined that the Totonacas did not eat tortillas. Although maize was grown by them, it was not for its population but was marketed.
The totonacas ate an ample amount of fruits, between which they emphasize the zapotes, guayabas, papayas, bananas and avocados.
The men hunted deer, opossums and other land animals, as well as sharks and fish of all kinds. Peasants as well as nobles used to eat maize preparations in the morning.
Lunch was the main meal of the day and consisted of cassava, fabada and a rich meat sauce for the nobles.
The nobles and farmers for their part had a diet based on fish and seafood. The liquor they consumed was made with the leaves of the agave.
4- Music and dance
Huapango, or Huasteco son, is what is called the musical genre of the natives of this culture. According to the area, each population group offered different nuances to music and dance.
In essence, the music consists of a concert of guitars, jaranas, violins and fifths, as well as some handmade instruments made by them. The dance accompanies the music by tapping and the song used is melodic.
5- El Tajín
It was found in what is now the state of Veracruz. It had its peak between the 9th and 13th centuries. It became the most important focus in northeastern Mesoamerica after the fall of the Aztec empire.
Its cultural influence spread throughout the Gulf and penetrated into the Mayan region and the high plateaus of central Mexico.
Its architecture, which is unique in Mesoamerica, is characterized by elaborate reliefs carved in the columns and frieze.
The Pyramid of the Niches, a masterpiece of ancient architecture in Mexico and America, reveals the astronomical and symbolic significance of buildings.
El Tajin has survived as an outstanding example of the greatness and importance of pre-Hispanic cultures in Mexico.
6- Economics
In addition to being the most important producers of chili and vanilla in the world until the middle of the 19th century, the Totonacs had activities related to trade in cassava, corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, beans, cotton and liquid amber.
Apart from trade and agriculture, the craftsmen worked the pottery and the clay, reason why they became great producers of statuettes, sphinxes and sculptures.
American Pioneers
According to studies of some archaeologists, the Totonac people were the only known in America by the use of the wheel before 1492.
The use of the wheel was not for agricultural or agricultural purposes. It is presumed that the Totonacs used the wheel as a measure of entertainment for some toys or in the construction of animal-shaped sphinxes, which had wheels and axes, as part of some ritual or ceremony.
The wheels that they created could have served for the agricultural crops if by then there had been more technological evolution.
References
- The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (Jul 20, 1998). Totonac. June 03, 2017, of Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Website: britannica.com.
- H.R. Harvey and Isabel Kelly,"The Totonacs,"in Handbook of Middle American Indians, 1969.
- James Olson, ed. Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Empire, 1402-1975, 1992.
- Ichon, A.: The religion of the Totonacs of the sierra. Mexico: Instituto Nacional Indigenista, 1973.
- Dean R. Snow. (2015). Archeology of Native North America. Google Books: Routledge.
- Gloria M. Delgado de Cantú. (2002). History of Mexico, Volume 1. Google Books: Pearson Education.