When we think of murals, especially frescoes (paintings done in wet plaster), our minds go immediately to a place like Italy, where in the Renaissance great masters like Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo painted marvelous stories on the walls of the great cathedrals, monasteries, and public buildings. Yet in 790 AD in the rain forests of Chiapas, King Chan Muan, himself both a vassel of the more powerful king of Yaxchilan and married to a princess from that city-state, inaugurated this temple of murals with great ceremony and celebration. The question remains as to why the extraordinary quality and craftsmanship of these paintings were done in fresco and what exactly they mean to tell us. Regardless, they remain the finest example of painting in the pre-Columbian New World.
The contrast is quite stark between the reconstructed versions of the murals and the way they look in situ on the walls of their temple in the forests of southern Mexico. Somehow the reconstructed ones don’t let the viewer fill in the richness of their ceremonial dress, imagine the sounds coming from the oversized rattles, or feel the slow rhythm of their movement. Yes, the rhythm of the movement, for this was a procession of time. Archeologists have noted that each of the five musicians with those rattles hold them in a position that represents one part of a complete movement of the ratttle. It is almost like a serialized version of a cartoon flip book, which if flipped rapidly, gives the impression of fluid movement. mayagodsoftime.com
The temple, which consists of three rooms, each showing a different phase of a great celebration and the presentation of a royal dynasty, was re-discovered by archeologist Giles Healey in 1946. I say re-discovered because the local Lacondon tribes people used the buildings in the vacinity of the temple as a special place of worship. They showed him the temple, which was shrouded in lots of vegetal overgrowth. Healey had that vegetation removed, which allowed the variations in climate to enter the temple which had been protected from such for centuries. Fortunately, he also hired local artists to paint copies of the scenes on the walls, and it is from those copies that there is a record of how vibrant the original colors were. What we have now are the faded versions that have reacted to the elements of the rotating rainy and dry seasons that make up the climate of the region.
Of the three great Mexican muralists, both Diego Rivera (seen here) and José Clemente Orozco claimed that mural painting was a key part of the ancient Mexican past. However, it was Rivera who insisted that his rather heavy-set figures were actually a truly authentic Mexican style of painting.
In the 1920s and 30s when the muralist movement was most active, there was nothing to prove that his assertion was true. However, once the news came of Bonampak’s Temple of the Murals, with its heavy-set figures, Rivera’s claims were vindicated. It is said that he was flown to the site by the Mexican government, and upon seeing the murals, he wept.
SO WHAT DO THE MURALS SHOW, AND WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THEM?
From what archeologists know of the local history, Bonampak, the original name of which, Usiij Witz means Vulture Hill, was a fourth-level power under the sway of Yaxchilan and allied to it by marriage. This temple celebrates that alliance by presenting in Room 1, the royal succession, with three of King Chan Muan’s sons dancing. There is a baby girl being presented as well, perhaps a princess whose later function would be to secure other alliances through marriage. Healey noticed that the Mayan Blue used as the background in the procession had a sparkle to it. It came to light that the paint was made of azurite, a stone that contains crystalline forms, hence the sparkle. Azurite comes from Arizona, so its use in these murals indicated not only that the Maya trade routes stretched far north, but also that this temple was very special as it used this expensive material from so far away.
One of the long-held myths about the Maya was that they were a peaceful people who spent their time studying the stars and creating extremely accurate calendars. The scenes in Room 2 certainly help disprove that theory, as they show both bloody battles and what happened to prisoners. The man with the long spear is Chan Muan, and he is deciding the fate of an already tortured captive. It has been noted that he holds the spear in his right hand, and that many of the captives are shown with two left hands. The left hand was considered a sign of weakness by the Maya, so obviously anyone captured in battle would be depicted as weak.
Room 3 shows scenes of celebration after the victory over a rival group. Since Bonampak was a vassel state of Yaxchilan, and the ruler of Yaxchilan sent artists to Bonampak to paint this mural, Bonampak’s Chan Muan obviously had a victory over some group that was important to the king of Yaxchilan. The scenes in this room show ritual auto-sacrifice, as well as lots of dancing. The whole set of murals seems to have been designed to show the success of Chan Muan, the solidity of his line of succession (three sons and maybe a daughter who could later be married for diplomatic purposes), and that this was all an extension of Yaxchilan’s power in the region. It was a fine November day in 790 when this great celebratory temple was opened for viewing, its walls filled with what was intended to last for centuries.
Well, the building did last for centuries; however, Bonampak and the mightier Yaxchilan both disappeared within 30 years or so in what is known as The Great Maya Collapse. There are hints of later conflict on the walls of Bonampak in areas where eyes have been gouged out or the images of the three dancing sons of Chan Muan have been effaced. Was the collapse the result of constant warring? Was it an overuse of resources, like deforestation that brough less rain to the area affecting crop growth? To this day, there is speculation but no firmly proven theory about exactly what happened. What we are left with, though, are these wonderful murals that show us an insider’s view of the Maya and the great artistry with which they shared this great event in the local history of that time and that culture.
Recommendations: In terms of websites mayagodsoftime.com gives detailed information not only on Bonampak, but on other archeological sites in Mexico. Paul Cooper’s Fall of Civilizations: The Maya Collapse, Ruins Among the Trees is a more detailed view done in filmed documentary format. youtube.com
Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.
What no wine! What ever did they drink?
Of course, it is the premise of Of Art and Wine that all human cultures produce two things: art and alcoholic drinks. Generally we look at two distinct manifestations of that theory, painting and wine. However, there was no wine in ancient Mexico, though when the Spaniards came the very first vineyards planted in North America were in fact in Mexico (more on that later). At this point, we might shake our heads and utter remarks of pity for this deprivation. Oh, ney ney! The Maya loved nothing more than having wonderful things to drink with their foods, and their foods were plentiful and varied.
Corn was the main source of plant starch and a fundamental element in the local diet. It would only be natural to use corn to make something to drink. Here we have saka, which is made from the fluid of corn boiled in lime water mixed with honey. rivieramayablog.com
Then there was balche, which was made from the bark and roots of the Balché tree. Once fermented it supposedly gave one magical powers. The large prickly extensions of the agave plant produce juices that have given us Tequila. Though named for a town in northern Mexico, the Maya knew of its powers. Of course, should one really want to feel “the magic,” it would be necessary to step up to Mezcal. Mezcal foregoes the gentleness of the blue agave and works with the maguey agave. Its authenticity marked by the presence of the maguey worm in the bottom of the bottle.
The Maya were a sophisticated people and thus appreciated subtlety. What could be a more delicate and refreshing way to keep the summer’s heat from overwhelming one than to sip a cool juice mixed with honey and perfumed by hibiscus flowers? It’s current name is Jamaica, but it was a drink of Mayan origins. Coconut milk was also readily available and used as a digestive aid. Another native drink, this from the Yucatan, home of the Post-Classical period in Mayan history, is horchata. It became known as the drink of kings when after the conquest, it was used by King Carlos IV to help his digestion.
Last but not least is that wonder for the taste buds, Xocolatl, Subject of book and film (Like Water for Chocolate and Chocolat) we know it as chocolate! Forget kings, this was known by the Mayans as the “Food of the Gods.” Admittedly don’t we all feel divine when we have a hot chocolate? Chocolate was so venerated that its beans were used as money and is often depicted in Mayan glyphs. Its worth was such that one chocolate bean could buy you a tamale. That’s real value. For more on this, go to Xocolotl on historydaily.org.
However, when the Spaniards arrived, they brought with them that product of the ancient Greeks and Romans, wine. Certainly the dense forests of the Maya lands did not lend themselves well to cultivation of vineyards. However, Mexico has a varied topography, and as it turns out Baja California is just right for the cultivation of grapes. That region has become Mexico’s Napa Valley and produces 90% of the wines made in Mexico. Bearing the iconic name Valle de Guadalupe, it’s proximity to the U.S. makes it an reasonably easy destination. One of the wineries, El Cielo Winery and Resort, even offers shuttle pick-up from San Diego International Airport for the drive some 75 miles into Baja along the Pacific Coast.
The wine producing area in the Baja region benefits from the dry climate and from the altitude of its mountains to provide cooler days and cold nights. A wide variety of grapes are grown there, making what Madeline Puckett of Wine Folly refers to as blends that do not always follow European traditions winefolly.com. While the wine industry in Mexico is in the fledgling stage, I have no doubt that it will progress nicely, giving Mexico yet another taste treat to accompany those drinks that have come from its ancient past.
Wine is a wonderful way to travel the world and its cultures, and since we are all staying more at home for the next little while because of COVID 19, a wine club can come in handy as a way to travel with our tastebuds. Cellars Wine Club offers a variety of wine clubs that work with every level of enthusiasm and budget. There is a “no bad bottle” return policy, free shipping, and the possibility of donating part of the purchase to one of a number of vetted charities, a good thing to do in the spirit of the season. Look at the Cellars Wine Club page for all the clubs or click here, CellarsWineClub.com
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©marjorie vernelle 2020
Coming Soon: Medici Politics, Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, and Christmas Wines.
The Medici family ruled Florence for a lot of the 15th and 16th centuries. It was very important during those times to remain in their good graces, which is what the man who commissioned this painting wished to do. Of course, to really please the Medici, one hired their favorite artist, Sandro Botticelli. Ah, politics. Come see how to “work” things in the times of the Medici.
