Totonac

From Free net encyclopedia

The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the state of Veracruz. They built the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and until the mid-19th century were the world's main producers of vanilla.

1 Geography and Lifestyle
2 History
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit]

Geography and Lifestyle

The region of the Totonac was called Totonacapan and extended roughly from Papantla in the north to Cempoala in the south. Totonacapan was largely hot and humid. Along with the normal agricultural crops of maize, squash, beans, and chilis, the region was noted for its production of liquid amber and cotton. Even during the disastrous central Mexican famine of 1450-1454, the region remained a reliable agricultural center. At this time many Aztecs were forced to sell themselves or their family members as slaves to the Totonac in exchange for subsistence maize. Totonac women were expert weavers and embroiderers; they dressed grandly and braided their hair with feathers. The Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún stated that, in all aspects of their appearance, the women were "quite elegant." Likewise, the men dressed well, adorning themselves with multicolored clothing, necklaces, arm bands, and devices made of the prized quetzal feathers.

[edit]

History

The region of Totonacapan was subject to Aztec military incursions from the mid-15th century until the Spanish arrival. Despite the establishment of Aztec fortifications throughout the region, rebellion was endemic. Major Totonac centers were Papantla, with an estimated population of 60,000 in 1519, Xalapa (around 120,000), and Cempoala (around 80,000). Cempoala was the first major Indian center encountered by Hernán Cortés in his march to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. The Totonacs of Cempoala joined forces with Cortés and, along with the Tlaxcallan Indians, contributed significantly to the Spanish conquest. Totonacapan became incorporated into the Spanish regime with comparatively little violence, but the region was ravaged by epidemic diseases during the 16th century. Today, approximately 90,000 Totonac speakers reside in the region.

[edit]

References

James Olson, ed. Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Empire, 1402-1975, 1992.
I. Bernal and E. Dávalos, Huastecos y Totonacos, 1953.
H.R. Harvey and Isabel Kelly, "The Totonac," in Handbook of Middle American Indians, 1969.
Isabel Kelly and Ángel Palerm, The Tajín Totonac, 1952.

[edit]