Cuicuizcatl and The Chinchontepec Underworlds

Cuicuizcatl was a legendary Indian (figure 1), who was born in Tehuacán City and her name in Nawat means swallow bird.

Figure 1. Cuicuizcatl. ¹

She lost her husband during the Spanish colonization as many other women and became widowed. After this, she fled with her daughter, who hid in her chest, so no one noticed she wasn’t alone. She only spoke the Indians’ language.

During the following weeks, she hid in uncountable forests, jumped ravines, thorns, and wildflowers until she reached the Chinchontepec. As a newly widowed mother, she wanted to retain a low profile. Especially that the Spanish Conquistadors had kidnapped them before, and now they were fleeing from them.

Cuicuizcatl walked for hundreds of km until she reached the demonized god’s abode, where water boils and dances happily when it burns in hell. She was tired, thirsty, injured by the soles of her feet that she fell with her little daughter on a bed of colored pebbles. The stars gave them glares until they fell asleep. Through the night, the stars kissed them with their golden reflections.

In this place, they were away from all wicked men. Only the beauty of nature accompanied them. They observed landscapes that you could see only from heights. The song of the birds and the murmur of the boiling waters lulled them. Cuicuitzcatl built her house here.

She cultivated her lands to obtain her food and took advantage of the wild-growing maguey. She modeled the clay and wove the maguey; with the juices of the flowers, she colored the fabrics and gave the indigo plant her indigo. She made beautiful mosaics on the walls of the house with the colored pebbles that throw erosions. She emptied her artistic soul in her remote abode.

The flowers rocked their perfume, the birds and the wind gave their songs in this lonely and poetic environment grew Xihuitl, the little daughter of Cuicuizcatl, with whom she had fled from Tehuacán. Xihuitl means in Nawat blue-celestial stone.

The mother and daughter identified with the birds and how they created such delicate songs. The whole of nature-inspired their artistic souls. From a turtle shell to an armadillo carapace, they made their instruments where fine maguey strings vibrated.

The years passed, and Xihuitl picked them up and making her body and soul a poem of beauty. Mother and daughter were the souls of that stretch of nature. They climbed to the top of the Chinchontepec to play with the clouds and wet their faces with shredded skirts drinking blue and hearing the songs of the infinite fortified.

One day they both went very early to the summit of Chinchontepec to enjoy the sun and the height usually, these trips were returning late, as they expected the sinking of Tonal (the sun god of the Pipiles), that is to say, the sunset Sun.

When she was at the top of the volcano, two young Indians arrived at her house. They were hunters and had adorned each of their arrows with feathers of birds that were difficult to hunt. In his quiver, feathers of condor eagles, quetzal, pheasant of pajuil were seen.

They didn’t know why they were in their house, their kingdom, but they humbly accepted their visit. The Indians explained to them they were escaping from the Spaniards. They were thirsty, tired, and hungry. Also, they had lost track and didn’t know where they were after so many weeks of hiding in the forests. Plus, when they reached this area, they saw their tiny cabin and hoped someone lived there.

Cuicuizcatl accepted their visit and allowed them to stay for a couple of days. The men were hard-workers and humble people. One of them had escaped from Tehuacán as Cuicuizcatl. Cuicuizcatl was surprised because she thought she and her daughter were the only survivors.

One of the Indians shared with Cuicuizcatl that many survived, but they escaped to Honduras. They didn’t know anyone else who had followed their path. Cuicuizcatl was sad because she hoped she might see some of her friends again.

Days passed and the Indians left Cuicuizcatl’s house to continue their journey to La Union. They thanked Cuicuizcatl for all her hospitality and promised to keep the secret of her whereabouts.

Many years passed, and Cuicuizcatl and her daughter passed away. One day, a priest who was traveling in those lands, found her cabin, her amazing paintings, and a small diary in Nawat that described her journey. This diary allowed the Salvadorans to know about her, her past, her story and shared it with all generations until today.

Until these days, Cuicuizcatl represents a figure of indomitable will and a true sign of inspiration to many Salvadoran women.

Inspired by Leyendas de El Salvador’s version.

Credits:
¹ © 2010 - 2014 Fundación Instituto Indígena.
Location: San Vicente, El Salvador

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