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Sandstrom, Traditional Paper Making and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico (at reserve desk)

Type your comments here . . .

(1)

[Dave Roberts, dlr4@geneseo.edu, 10-2]

1.) It is interesting that Sanstrom did not use the real names of the Nahua he studied so as to protect them from the dangers of the outside world.When did he study these people? Do these dangers still exist today? Or have these people already been modernized, industrialized, and Westernized?

2.) Be it Europe, Asia, neolithic South America, or present day United States, it seems that the peasant-elite hierarchy has maintained the same basic relationship, with peasants laboring while the elite control them by buying their resources and cheap labor.

3.) I would like to look more into the conflict between the Tlakacans and the Aztec. Why didn't the Aztec share their cotton resources? Was hording the cotton worth a blood feud? Were Tlaxacans unable to harvest cotton within their region? I would like to feel maquay sometime... I'm sure it can't be too comfortable.

End

[Adam Saunders, ars11@geneseo.edu, 10-9]

1) The idea of the spirit weighs heavily in their ideology. Spirits during such events as the Nahua-Otomi Crop Fertility Ritual are represented by paper cut outs which directed by the Otomi master are cut out for each of the spirits that will be represented. Spirits represented are cut out in both female and male forms on a variety of different papers.

2) Cleanliness is also a highly depicted process of the ritual. The cleansing of various adornments especially alters is believed to be washing away any harmful spirits that may be present is necessary for harmful spirits will be attracted to the festivities due to the music and offerings that are present.

3) Harmful spirits come in many varieties one being the ejecatl. On the Nahua pantheon the ejecatl are responsible for disease, misfortune, drought, barrenness and death. These harmful form of spirit lurk about in anyplace that people my frequently visit. The ejecatl tend to prey on the weak, children, the aged or anyone else that is weakened is attacked most often.

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[Steph Aquilina, sma8@geneseo.edu, 10/9]

Alan R. Sandstrom & Pamela Effrein Sandstrom – Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico

1. IDEOLOGY/SYMBOLISM: Paper figures are used to portray spirits during rituals; the power they gain is why during the ceremonies, only shamans can handle them. Altars are constructed to appeal to the spirits and contain several offerings such as food or the blood of sacrificed animals that are “fed” to the spirits by pouring them onto the paper figures or putting them into the figures’ mouths. Chants are addressed to the paper figures as the medium of communication with the selected spirits.

2. IDEOLOGY/SYMBOLISM: Paper was closely tied with the religious system, allowing for the printing of ritual instructions and theology, adorning statues and priests dressed as gods, being burned as a sacrifice and used in medical practices to fight disease and protect travelers.

3. SOCIAL CHANGE: When Cortes and his soldiers battled the Mexicans, the conquerors connected paper with other aspects of the native religion, believing it (along with temples, statues, altars and priests) must be destroyed. They felt that these sacred books were linked with the devil and must be eliminated; consequently, papers for sacrifice or adornment purposes no longer exist, and very few sheets (comparatively) have survived. END

(Cameron Mack, cfm6@geneseo.edu, 10/10)

Sandstrom and Sandstrom - Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico

1. Politics: The same general principal holds true all around the world, and that is the peasant-hierarchy relationship. Whether it be Europe, Africa, or the United States, the relationship remains the same generally. The elite rulers, very similar to the ones described by Socrates, control the laboring class by purchasing their products and supplying them with minimal or average compensation. The case remains the same for a countries such as China as well. 

2.Ideology: The papers are used in rituals as representations of spirits. During these rituals the altars are constructed to appeal to the spirits by offering food, blood, animals etc. in hopes of appeasing them. The figures gain power throughout the ceremony, which is the reason they can only be handled by shamans. The figures are chanted at during the ceremony and a form of communication occurs.

3. Environment: Mesoamericans proved their dominance and superiority with their use of the glyphs and papers (as John said below). I thought it was a really good point and really emphasized their progression as somewhat sophisticated societies.

[Jonathon Baker, jlb22@geneseo.edu, 10/10]

Sandstrom and Sandstrom—Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico

1-      Social Change-  How neat that the paper figures are still used in rituals throughout parts of Mexico.  It reminds me of when I have visited the Big Island of Hawaii and seen people leaving offerings of food and other items next to calderas and thermal vents to appease Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. 

2-     Ideology-  The papers are destroyed in rituals, but they are obviously cheap.  This to me is interesting because in many other ancient cultures, even others in Latin America, it is very valuble things that are destroyed in the rituals.  Why arent the gods gold statues being melted rather than thin paper figurines.

3-     Environment- The use of paper, for figurines, as well as for codeces full of ornate glyphs, is to me truly a sign that the ancient Mesoamericans were clearly advanced.  I wonder how the Spanish could be so prejudiced that they felt the need to just destroy the cultures rather then learn and make an attempt to understand them.

END