Chapter 636: The Second Kingdom Exploration, the Mother Goddess of the Moon, and the Temptation of Destiny
The sea and sky are vast, extending to the endless east. Seven kingdom longships, driven by nearly four hundred warriors and sailors, replenished food and water, loaded with ship materials, scriptures, gems and weapons, and left the Nahua tribes.
world, to Maya, which has never been reached.
Starting from Hidden Snake City and sailing fifty miles east, you will find the ruins of the second ancient city, La Venta, which was once ancient and glorious but is now abandoned. The ruins of the ancient city are located on an island in the middle of the lake near the seaside. There are dozens of giant god heads.
Standing like dead gods, tilting or even falling over. In the city-states on the island, you can see masonry buildings that have gone through vicissitudes of life, as well as half-domed observatories.
In the center of the ruins of the ancient city, a tall pyramid temple was built in accordance with the practice of Mesoamerican city-states. The La Venta pyramid temple is more than thirty meters high and is located in the center of the island in the lake, clearly visible from miles away.
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Although the second ancient city is abandoned, the temples in the ancient city are still important ritual sanctuaries. Every time there is a spring plowing or autumn harvest, or the life and death of the gods, sacred sacrificial rituals will be held here. At this moment, there are dozens of temple warriors from the local city-state.
, were leading hundreds of militiamen to guard around the temple. They saw the long boats in the river from a distance, as well as the warriors and sailors on the boats holding spears and carrying big bows, and they became a little wary.
Surrounding the ancient city is a broad river, surrounding the remnants of the ancient city-state and flowing north into the sea. The name of this river is Honglin River (today's La River).
"This big river is called Linhe. It must be because there are many woods around it. But what does the red color refer to?"
Chihuaco stood on the bow of the boat and looked at the Honglin River that merged into the sea, but found no trace of red. Puap was uneasy and did not pay attention to the river and the ancient city in front of him. Tikalo glanced at the two of them, his expression
Youyou said with a smile.
"This red color naturally refers to cinnabar! Captain Qi, there are many ancient descendants of gods and nobles buried in the second ancient city. Their bones must be covered with divine cinnabar. The upper reaches of this river are important
The origin of cinnabar. The descendants of gods in Mayan states also have a common tradition of covering corpses with cinnabar. It is said that the divinity in cinnabar can maintain the corpse for a long time and can also help the soul to go to the gods.
boundary..."
Speaking of this, Ti Carlo suddenly thought of something. He was in a good mood and casually preached again.
"Of course, the upper reaches of the Honglin River also produce some red-red stones, which are quite hard. Among these stones, there are occasionally black-gray flakes with cherry-red streaks, shining like a mirror, flowing up and down.
In fact, our Mayan tribes call it mirror stone! As long as it is polished a little, it is a natural mirror, and it will also appear in the tombs of the gods..."
"Mirror Stone?"
When Puap heard about such a strange stone, he instinctively reacted. He looked at Tikalo and asked.
"Ti Carlo, my friend, do you have such a stone mirror?"
Hearing Puap's affectionate address, Tikalo smiled slightly. After pondering for a moment, he fumbled for a shining black stone mirror from his arms and handed it to Puap.
"Puap, my friend, this precious stone mirror was passed down from our ancestors, I will give it to you!"
"...Thanks."
Puap nodded in greeting, took the stone mirror, and looked at it over and over for a while. This mirror was obviously heavier than the obsidian mirror, stronger, and the light was clearer. To the rough touch, it felt very similar to the metal surface of bronze.
Like. The gray earth warrior opened his eyes wide, looked at himself in the mirror, who was a little haggard, with deep eye circles, and pursed his lips.
In the past two days, he gradually felt the horror of the curse, and he could not help but think of the night when the royal capital was destroyed and he dedicated the city. Every night when he fell asleep, he would dream of the scene when Chief Hummingbird was about to die.
, and the chief’s severed head. The head that remained in silence would be chasing him in the dilapidated palace, shouting angrily.
"Little Puap! What are you going to do?!... I entrusted the prince to you, but you handed him over to the Aztecs?... I actually misjudged you! The Huitu family has been loyal for generations.
My honor will be destroyed in your hands today!...Pu...A...Pu!"
"Puap!"
A shout came suddenly, which scared the gray warrior so much that he almost dropped the mirror in his hand. He turned his head and saw the suspicious eyes of the old militiaman.
"Uh!...Old man Qi, what are you yelling at? You just scared me!"
"Lao Pu, the ship is about to sail. The warriors of the temple are very alert, as vigilant as a lynx, and do not welcome visiting teams without the approval of the priests. This is their territory, we will not stop here... go directly
Go to the river mouth, continue eastward along the coast, and then look for Mayan villages to supply supplies."
Chihuaco patiently explained the situation. Then, he looked at Puap carefully and asked with concern.
"Lao Pu, what's been going on with you lately? You're restless, like an old turkey that doesn't nest...and your eyes are as blue as a turtle. Did you not sleep well?"
"Uh... I'm fine. I just don't know what's going on. I keep thinking about the night when the royal capital was destroyed."
The haggard-looking Puap scratched his head, looked at the energetic Chihuaco, lowered his voice and asked softly.
"Lao Qi, have you...ever dreamed about...Chief Hummingbird?"
"Uh? Dreaming about him? Why?"
Chihuaco was a little confused. He looked at Puap strangely and said in a deep voice.
"That old bastard has been buried for several years. Your Majesty didn't treat him badly and gave him a big burial. Now I'm afraid all that's left is his bones... What are you thinking about?"
"...Lao Qi, didn't you dream that Chief Hummingbird's head came to you for revenge? You cut it off with your own hands!"
"Ha?! He's seeking revenge on me? I'm seeking revenge on him! My mother-in-law is dead, my son is dead, my daughter is half stupid, but it's all him!...Ha!"
Chihuaco's heart surged with anger and hatred, and finally he laughed again for some reason. He shook his head with a smile and sighed.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Hey! Forget it, I killed him and took my revenge. There is nothing to say, it's settled... Lao Pu, stop thinking about it,
Bring the warriors and be on guard! We are about to arrive at the place of the Mayans. I feel a little uneasy and I always feel that I have to... Anyway, be more careful!"
"Um."
Puap nodded and lowered his head in silence. Yes, Chihuaco was not the chief family warrior of Hummingbird, and he did not betray him... The curse of the condor could never fall on him. After all,
, if the condor has a spirit, then the one he hates the most is not himself!...
"I am cursed and destined to die...Only the most revered blood of the Serpent God can undo the curse of the Eagle..."
Puap pursed his lips and looked at Tikalo. The Mayan merchant also raised his head and smiled gently at him. Puap had many things to ask, but there were so many people on the boat that he didn't find the opportunity to speak.
..After a moment, the two of them turned away from each other with a tacit understanding, each with their own thoughts. But their fate was gradually approaching like a magnet.
The sea was unpredictable and the tides were turbulent. Under the clear sunshine, the fleet left the second ancient city, the ruins of La Venta, and continued to explore eastward. Under the guidance of Mayan merchants, they traveled eastwards for two hundred and fifty miles.
We arrived at a large Mayan village, Red Lake Town.
The fleet docked at Red Lake Town and sent people ashore to replenish water. They collected information about the surroundings and also sold a small amount of gems.
Honghu Town has a population of about thousands, and there are several villages around it, as well as a large trading market. It has no wooden gates and city walls, so it cannot be called a city. However, it has a temple more than ten meters high.
Pyramids, that's why it's called a town.
The name Red Lake comes from a huge lagoon to the east of the village, Red Lake (today's Me Lake). The Red Lake is vast, with sparkling water, full of fish and birds, and surrounded by large mangroves and swamps.
This large lake is a lake formed by a bay closed by a sandbar. So unfortunately, it is naturally a saltwater lake with low salt content, and it is difficult to cultivate farmland nearby.
The upper reaches of the Red Lake are connected to the river. The sandbar that closes the bay is the sediment carried and washed away by the upper reaches of the river. The name of this river, locally called the Red River (today's river), is also named after the dense mangroves along the river.
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"Oh! You said this red river, it's really amazing, it's very long!"
With a smile on his face, Tikalo stood on the bank, pointing to the southern upper reaches of the long river. There are the depths of the continuous rain forest, the gradually rising hills, and even the mountains of Chiapas.
"This long river goes all the way south for two thousand miles! In fact, it is not one river, but many rivers, many connected together! These rivers branch out into various tributaries, connecting all the Maya tribes in the southwest.
Connected as a whole, a river basin blessed by the Moon Goddess! There is even a tributary that bypasses the edge of the mountains in the south and directly merges into another sea!"
"And this big river is not just a name. It flows through many Mayan tribes, villages, towns and city-states. Each city-state will give it a local name. So, you ask me, what is it?
What kind of river is it? According to me, it is the great river Ixchel, the moon goddess who controls floods, pouring out from the sacred bottle in the tiger's claw, the mother river of our Mayans!"
Listening to Ti Carlo's story, everyone in the fleet looked south. The long river flows down from the depths of the rainforest, bringing goods and canoes from various trades upstream. Mayan merchants from various tribes speak similar but different languages. On the banks of the river,
Trade at the market.
The sharp-eyed mountain eagle looked around for a while and saw the trading items that merchants used many times to serve as "money". The most common ones were cocoa beans, cotton cloth, small jade stones and large bags of salt. Of course, there were also those that gradually flowed to the world.
Gem in the lake.
"The moon goddess who controls floods, the divine bottle with tiger claws?"
Hearing this description, Puap was a little curious. It sounded similar to the traditional moon goddess of the Prepecha people, Haratana. But after asking more carefully, he understood that this was the earth mother goddess.
The same spirit.
"Oh! The moon goddess Yin Xichel is a great, respectable and terrifying mother goddess! She is in charge of the floods in the rainy season, and in charge of women's weaving and fertility. She has a poisonous snake on her head, and her hands and feet are all tiger claws.
There is also a small bottle in the tiger's claws, which contains endless floods. As long as she is angry and pours out the water, even the most powerful city-state, such as the great city of Tikal, will perish!"
Tikalo recalled for a moment, his expression a little complicated. The most feared natural disaster among Mayan tribes is floods. The rainfall in this rainforest is too abundant and too unpredictable, and can even reach more than 2000mm a year, even for the second half of the month or even two months.
Floods that flood from time to time can submerge rivers and lakes, repeatedly destroying farmland in various states and tribes, and are the biggest threat to the Mayan civilization.
"So, this powerful mother goddess is the third most powerful god among the Mayan gods, after the creation god Hunapo Ku () and the sun serpent god Itzamana! And the creation of the world
God is at the top of the divine world and does not communicate with the human world. In people's hearts, the Serpent God and the Moon Goddess are the Father God and the Mother God!"
Tikalo raised the corner of his mouth and looked at the people who were listening carefully. His eyes paused for a moment on Puap's face and then quickly moved away.
"In the southwest Mayan tribes where the mother river flows through, the mother goddess of the moon is the most important belief! Forty miles upstream of the long river, there are the ruins of the Mayan city in the golden age hundreds of years ago, the sea (Hoi), and the dark cloud sky
City! In the Sky City, there were once dozens of towering temples, hundreds of round observatories, thousands of houses, a large stadium for human sacrifices, and miles of pottery kilns and workshops.
Square!”
Tikalo's tone became louder, and his expression was full of yearning. The Hoi sky city he mentioned was the famous ruins of Comalcalco (today's Alcalco) in later generations.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! This ancient city was once the most important commercial city in Tabasco during the Mayan classical golden age between 600 and 1000 AD. The Sky City in the classical period was famous for its large
It is famous for its large-scale pottery production and production, and has an astonishingly large kiln pit. The small human-shaped sculptures produced by Sky City can be found in temple ruins and noble tombs in the central Mayan lowlands throughout the classical era.
"The great sky city worships Chac, the rain god, Yum Kashi, the corn god, and Yintsumna, the sky snake god... But what they worship most is Yinxi, the mother goddess of the moon who controls floods.
Chel!"
Having said this, Ti Carlo paused. He took a deep breath and was about to tell the key introduction. However, at this moment, Chihuaco frowned and interrupted.
"Ti Carlo, I remember that you mentioned that Mayan Quetzalcoatl, Kukulkan... why is it not among the names enshrined in Sky City?"
"Well..."
Tikalo touched his divine and knowledgeable bald head, pursed his lips, and then said with a smile.
"Because in the classical era, the Quetzalcoatl god Kukulkan did not exist yet."
"Ah? It doesn't exist?!"
"Yes! The belief in the snake god has lasted for thousands of years among the Mayan tribes. But Quetzalcoatl actually appeared and was named after Kukulkan more than 500 years ago... Toltec
The king of Quetzalcoatl, with tens of thousands of warriors, attacked along the coast! With the support of some northern Maya city-states, she launched the second wave of war after Teotihuacan conquered Tikal 1,100 years ago.
The first kingdom’s eastern expedition from the Mexican plateau!”
The Eastern Expedition of the Kingdom of Teotihuacan took place around the fourth century AD. The Eastern Expedition of the Toltec Kingdom was clearly recorded in the late tenth century AD. Both of these two eastern expeditions established new kingdoms in the land of the Maya, completely
It changed the political structure of the Mayan tribes. The martial Mexican tribes spread the cultural customs of the plateau to the Mayans on a large scale, and also passed back a lot of Mayan astronomy and calendar knowledge.
"...The Toltecs finally conquered the northern Maya, established the second royal capital of Tula, Chichen Yincha, in the northern lowlands, and built the immortal Quetzalcoatl Temple. Since then, Feathered Serpent Temple has
The belief in the snake god spread from the Mexican plateau and seaside in the west to the Maya in the east! ...The long-chronological stone tablets in the ancient city of the sky are still six or seven hundred years ago, so it is naturally impossible to worship Quetzalcoatl."
Tikalo smiled and told the story, showing off the magnificent Mayan epic. Then, he quickly speeded up his speech, without giving others a chance to ask questions, and talked about Sky City again.
"In the ancient city in the sky that believes in the Mother Goddess of the Moon, the bloodline passed down is the second most noble Moonwater Goddess among the Mayan tribes! And the most respected bloodline among all tribes is the Heavenly Serpent inherited from the Father God...
Goddess!"
"Descendant of the Serpent God!"
Hearing this word that he had been thinking about for a long time, Puap was startled and let out a low voice. He suppressed the excitement in his heart, coughed lightly, and asked carefully under Ti Carlo's temptation.
"Ahem! Where is that descendant of the Serpent God...?"
