More
Precious Than Gold
A
travel article with a textile theme
by Jamie Marshall
It always comes as a shock to meet a traveller who, in the midst
of a brief foray around Guatemala, fails to wish they were staying
longer. From the dizzy heights of some of the grandest volcanic
peaks on the continent, to the humidity of the archaeologically
rich jungles of the Petén, there is enough to keep even the
most world-weary traveller on cloud nine for weeks. Vibrant highland
markets and fiestas, colonial architecture, ancient Maya pyramids,
and dazzling textile traditions are all packed into a nation thats
surprisingly small.
Even experienced photographers are left gasping between frames.
In ones viewfinder are Maya women in brilliant costumes with babies
slung around their backs en route to church; grandmothers dragging
reluctant pigs to market; solitary figures in canoes slicing their
way through mists at dawn; weather-beaten faces peering through
the shutters of adobe walled homes; and children as carefree as
they are shoeless.
It makes sense to skip the congested sprawl of the capital and head
straight to Antigua, less than an hour from Guatemala City, to acclimatise
to the altitude before heading on into the highlands. The volcanoes
of Acatenango, Agua and Fuego loom over Antigua like sentinels,
imposing reminders of both past events and future fate. Antigua
was for over two hundred years the Spanish seat of government for
a vast swathe of Middle America until, in 1773, a devastating earthquake
left her in tatters. The ruins bear testament to the determination
of the colonisers and the futility of their grand efforts. The sheer
concentration of cobblestone plazas, stone fountains, colour-washed
arches, churches, convents and palaces make it one of the most beautiful
cities in the Americas and a place spared over-commercialisation
thanks to its World Heritage status.
Winding steeply down from the altiplano through the colourful market
town of Sololá offers a glimpse of the clear, deep-blue waters
of Lake Atitlán, unquestionably one of the most beautiful
lakes in the world. This gigantic water-filled caldera is surrounded
by volcanic peaks and more than a dozen traditional Maya settlements.
The Kaqchikel Maya town of Panajachel, its bustling main street
lined with stall upon stall of multicoloured souvenirs and locally
woven fabrics, is the perfect place from which to launch trips.
Guatemalan Maya costume tends to be community specific, with weavers
drawing upon an established repertoire of local designs and colour
combinations. Like many of the hundred or so highland communities
in Guatemala that maintain a distinct style of tribal dress, each
of these lakeside communities exhibits an idiosyncratic costume
that ties a person to their respective home. A womans hometown can
be determined so accurately from the individual nature of her blouse,
stripe sequence of her skirt, or simply the way her hair ribbon
is tied, that the Guatemalan army were instructed in costume styles
during the civil war, in an attempt to combat insurgency. In recent
decades these distinctions have become less pronounced as fashion
conscious young women have adopted the designs and colours of other
communities, or have innovated to such an extent that their dress
no longer conforms to previously established village styles. Some
communities on Lake Atitlán have shifted entirely from the
multicoloured schemes popular in the 1970s and 80s, to a completely
different palette, currently based on blues, purples and greens.
An hour across the Lake by ferry from Panajachel, the Tzutujil Maya
community of Santiago Atitlán is hemmed in by the peaks of
San Pedro, Atitlán and Tolimán volcanoes, and is one
of the few communities in Guatemala where both women and men continue
to wear town-specific dress. The native style is striking and somewhat
unusual. Most garments are hand-woven by women on a hip-strap loom
of a type that has been in use in Mesoamerica for millennia. Hip-strap
loom woven items include the womans blouse generally called a huipil
- rectangular shawls and multipurpose utility cloths called zutes.
In addition to garments woven on the hip-strap loom, the wrap-around
skirt & womans headdress are woven on floor-standing treadle
looms. The four harness European foot loom was introduced to Guatemala
by the Spaniards in the 17th century to increase textile production
in the colony, and a number of weaving communities have specialised
in its use for generations. These skirt weavers export various styles
of fabric to Maya communities nationwide via a network of village
markets and itinerant traders. In Santiago Atitlán, however,
this type of treadle loom wasnt adopted locally until the middle
of the last century: by its close there were merely fifteen or so
looms in the village.
The general form and construction of Maya womens costume has remained
fairly consistent over centuries but stylistic change has accelerated
in recent decades. Fashion is a driving force amongst the young
who are keen to state their individuality in an era where conservative
traditionalism no longer holds sway.
Around 1900, Santiago Atitlán costume was relatively simple
and had little in the way of decoration, but over the past century
costume has become more elaborate. The explosion in the use of synthetic
fibres and chemical colorants fuelled this revolution. In the 19th
century Guatemala was the world's primary source of cochineal, and
historical Maya textiles particularly silk and wool show its widespread
use. Another fabled dye, murex or shellfish purple, was highly prized,
especially for ceremonial garments, but has been out of use for
at least half a century as cheaper equivalents took precedence.
With the gathering momentum of the chemical dye industry synthetic
alternatives became the norm and dyestuff plantations gave way to
the richer pickings of coffee.
Although little seen today, the womans headdress consists of a ten
to twenty metre tapestry ribbon of predominantly red or orange fabric
wound around the head like an oversized halo. It is the most distinctive
element of Santiago dress featured on the 25 cent coin and recognised
throughout Guatemala. Today it is seldom worn for everyday use and
is instead reserved for special occasions. Sometimes children purposefully
don the headdress in the hope that a tourist will photograph them
in exchange for a small reward. An interesting historical parallel
is found in headwear depicted on seventh century AD ceramic figurines
from the ancient Maya site of Copan. The small foot-loom used to
weave the hair ribbon has weathered the decline in headdress popularity
as the same tapestry techniques are today used to create colourful
purses, wallets and stoles for the tourist trade and export. Santiago
is one of the few communities in Guatemala where men continue to
wear a traditional costume on a daily basis, although in many cases
it is increasingly confined to older men. Elsewhere traditional
costume has either been abandoned or is reserved for ceremonial
use. The sash is often the last item of traditional costume to slip
out of use.
Whereas the ancient Maya nobility had a repertoire of clothing that
included short skirts, capes and tunics, archaeological research
indicates that the most common male garment was a loincloth consisting
of a long narrow sash arranged around the body so that its ends
hung loose in front. Maya men readily adopted styles of clothing
from their colonial rulers, and today the westernisation of clothing
is continuing, especially amongst the youth, who prefer western
shirts over those worn by their fathers and grandfathers. T-shirts
and baseball caps, readily available at market and from stores plying
recycled North American clothing, are popular and invariably display
the logo of an American sports team.
Even though neighbouring San Pedro La Laguna is more popular as
a base, Santiago is far less touristy once the last boat has returned
to Panajachel, and offers a good alternative place to get a flavour
for traditional lakeside life. The main draw for most of the day-trippers
to Santiago is to visit the esoteric cult idol of Maximón.
Mysterious and highly revered, Maximn is housed by the cofradía
of Santa Cruz, one of the local religious fraternities, and survives
on a steady flow of monetary donations, candles, alcohol and cigars
from visiting supplicants who require blessings and favours in return.
Local kids willingly act as guides for the usual incentives. In
the 1950s the Bishop of Sololá took exception to the role
that Maximón has in Santiago's vibrant Easter celebrations
and attempted to rid the town of such blatant pagan idolatry. The
people successfully prevented this by marching on the capital and
securing the support of the President.
Before the Conquest Santiago was the capital of the Tzutujil nation.
Across the bay on the lower slopes of San Pedro lie an ancient ceremonial
centre and fortress. Although few traces of pre-Columbian structures
remain, the cornfields around Cerro Chuitinamit are littered with
ceramic shards and fragments of Maya pottery. Legend has it that
in anticipation of the Spanish canoe-borne assault, the town treasures
were hidden here. On a moonlit night a gap can be seen between boulders
on the site. From the narrow opening there rushes forth a sweet,
cool fresh flow of air from deep inside the volcano: Nostrils twitch
in heady anticipation. Is this the entrance to the Maya underworld,
or the hiding place of Maya Gold? Only a small child could possibly
squeeze through the gap but the prospect remains that treasures
may lie beneath. The riches of Lake Atitlán lie not solely
in its waters and spectacular setting. The true magic lies in the
people and their communities, their rich textiles and wondrous legends.
Text
& Photographs ©
Jamie Marshall
(First Published in Selvedge Magazine
July/August 2005)
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