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Published: July 13th 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Malinalco is extraordinary. In this one place you can see ancient ruins, a colonial-era (early 1500’s) church/convent, and a quaint town. The ancient ruins are a 15-minute climb up a mountain. The view is spectacular, and we were lucky because it was a beautiful day (70’s and sunny). It poured in the afternoon, but I don’t think the folks from Maryland want to hear about that.
Our guide gave us a tour of the ancient ruins and the church, describing in VERY great detail the history and theories behind the places we visited. The ancient Meshika were a warfaring people that went around telling towns you’re either with us or against us, so either pay us a tribute or we go to war. According to what experts know they didn’t fight during planting season or harvest. And the one who killed the most people won of course.
These Meshikas, like many other people in Mexico during that time, sacrificed people too. Some say it was thousands, while others say it was only a couple dozen. The sacrificed might have been captured warriors, or maybe they were actually born into it, being treated better than the
rulers during their short lives.
There was also another crazy ritual they had. One of their warriors would be tied to a captured warrior, and they would fight to the death. The only hitch was the Meshika warrior had a obsidian knife (obsidian is a hard stone) while the captured opponent had paper weapons. I know paper cuts hurt, but I don’t think you can kill anybody that way.
It was a lot for me to absorb, so if you want more information than that, click on the link below. Otherwise, just enjoy the pictures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinalco,_Mexico_State
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wim huijsmans
non-member comment
Hi Paul, Thank you for your interesting blogs. Reading your story about the market in El Mercado I have to think of the markets in Spain. At the first time I did not know what I saw : chickens that were killed there and a lot of meat without refrigeration... with flies. And people bought it. Malinalco seems me very beautiful. The rituals the had there, are crazy indeed. But that is also the fall with more ancient nations, think of the Batavians in our country. With kindest regards and a pretty trip further on. Wim