The Gods of the Olmec

The mysterious Olmec Civilization flourished between roughly 1200 BCE and 400 BCE on Mexicos Gulf coast. Although there are still more mysteries than answers about this ancient culture, modern researchers have determined that religion was of great importance to the Olmec. Several supernatural beings appear and re-appear in the few examples of Olmec art that survive today. This has led archaeologists and ethnographers to tentatively identify a handful of Olmec gods. The Olmec Culture The Olmec culture was the first major Mesoamerican civilization, thriving in the steamy lowlands of Mexicos Gulf coast, mainly in the modern-day states of Tabasco and Veracruz. Their first major city, San Lorenzo (its original name has been lost to time) peaked around 1000 BCE and was in serious decline by 900 BCE. The Olmec civilization had faded by 400 BCE. No one is certain why. Later cultures, like the Aztec and the Maya, were heavily influenced by the Olmec. Today little survives of this grand civilization, but they left behind a rich artistic legacy including their majestic carved colossal heads. Olmec Religion Researchers have done a remarkable job of learning much about Olmec religion and society. Archaeologist Richard Diehl has identified five elements of Olmec religion: a particular cosmosa set of gods who interacted with mortalsa shaman classspecific ritualssacred sites Many specifics of these elements remain a mystery. For example, it is believed, but not proved, that one religious rite mimicked the transformation of a shaman into a were-jaguar. Complex A at La Venta is an Olmec ceremonial site which was largely preserved; much about Olmec religion was learned there. Olmec Gods The Olmec apparently had gods, or at least powerful supernatural beings, which were worshiped or respected in some way. Their names and functions—other than in the most general sense—have been lost over the ages. Olmec deities are represented in surviving stone carvings, cave paintings, and pottery. In most Mesoamerican art, gods are depicted as human-like  but are often more gruesome or imposing. Archaeologist Peter Joralemon, who has studied the Olmec extensively, has come up with a tentative identification of eight gods. These gods show a complicated mixture of human, bird, reptile and feline attributes. They include the Olmec Dragonthe Bird Monsterthe Fish Monsterthe Banded-Eye Godthe Maize Godthe Water Godthe Were-Jaguarthe Feathered Serpent The Dragon, Bird Monster, and Fish Monster, when taken together, form the Olmec physical universe. The dragon represents the earth, the bird monster the skies and the fish monster the underworld. The Olmec Dragon The Olmec Dragon is depicted as a crocodile-like being, occasionally having human, eagle or jaguar features. His mouth, sometimes open in ancient carved images, is seen as a cave. Perhaps, for this reason, the Olmec were fond of cave painting. The Olmec Dragon represented the Earth or at least the plane upon which humans lived. As such, he represented agriculture, fertility, fire, and otherworldly things. The dragon may have been associated with the Olmec ruling classes or elite. This ancient creature may be the forebear of Aztec gods such as Cipactli, a crocodile god, or Xiuhtecuhtli, a fire god. The Bird Monster The Bird Monster represented the skies, sun, rulership, and agriculture. It is depicted as a fearsome bird, sometimes with reptilian features. The bird monster may have been the preferred god of the ruling class: Carved likenesses of rulers sometimes are shown with bird monster symbols in their dress. The city once located at the La Venta archaeological site venerated the Bird Monster, Its image appears there frequently, including on an important altar. The Fish Monster Also called the Shark Monster, the Fish Monster is thought to represent the underworld and appears as a frightening shark or fish with sharks teeth. Depictions of the Fish Monster have appeared in stone carvings, pottery, and small greenstone celts, but the most famous is on San Lorenzo Monument 58. On this massive stone carving, the Fish Monster appears with a fearsome mouth full of teeth, a large X on its back and a forked tail. Shark teeth excavated at San Lorenzo and La Venta suggest that the Fish Monster was honored in certain rituals. The Banded-Eye God Little is known about the mysterious Banded-eye God. Its name is a reflection of its appearance. It always appears in profile, with an almond-shaped eye. A band or stripe passes behind or through the eye. The Banded-eye God appears more human than many of the other Olmec gods. It is found occasionally on pottery, but a good image appears on a famous Olmec statue, Las Limas Monument 1. The Maize God Because maize was such an important staple of life of the Olmec, its not surprising that they dedicated a god to its production. The Maize God appears as a human-ish figure with a stalk of corn growing out of his head. Like the Bird Monster, Maize God symbolism frequently appears on depictions of rulers. This could reflect the rulers responsibility to ensure bountiful crops for the people. The Water God The Water God often formed a divine team of sorts with the Maize God: The two are often associated with one another. The Olmec Water God appears as a chubby dwarf or infant with a gruesome face reminiscent of the Were-Jaguar. The Water Gods domain was likely not only water in general but also rivers, lakes and other water sources. The Water God appears on different forms of Olmec art, including large sculptures and smaller figurines and celts. It is possible that he is a forebear of later Mesoamerican water gods such as Chac and Tlaloc. The Were-Jaguar The Olmec were-jaguar is a most intriguing god. It appears as a human baby or infant with distinctly feline features, such as fangs, almond-shaped eyes and a cleft in his head. In some depictions, the were-jaguar baby is limp, as if it is dead or sleeping. Matthew W. Stirling proposed that the were-jaguar is the result of relations between a jaguar and a human female, but this theory is not universally accepted. The Feathered Serpent The Feathered Serpent is shown as a rattlesnake, either coiled or slithering, with feathers on its head. One excellent example is Monument 19 from La Venta. The feathered serpent is not very common in surviving Olmec art. Later incarnations such as Quetzalcoatl among the Aztecs or Kukulkan among the Maya seemingly had a much more important place in religion and daily life. Nevertheless, this common ancestor of the significant feathered serpents to come in Mesoamerican religion is considered important by researchers. Importance of the Olmec Gods The Olmec Gods are very important from an anthropological or cultural point of view and understanding them is critical to understanding Olmec civilization. The Olmec civilization, in turn, was the first major Mesoamerican culture and all of the later ones, such as the Aztec and Maya, borrowed heavily from these forebears. This is particularly visible in their pantheon. Most of the Olmec gods would evolve into major deities for later civilizations. The Feathered Serpent, for example, appears to have been a minor god to the Olmec, but it would rise to prominence in Aztec and Maya society. Research continues on the Olmec relics still in existence and at archaeological sites. Sources Coe, Michael D. and Koontz, Rex. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. Thames and Hudson, 2008, New York.Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. Thames and Hudson, 2004, London.Grove, David C. Cerros Sagradas Olmecas. Trans. Elisa Ramirez. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35.Miller, Mary and Taube, Karl. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. Thames Hudson, 1993, New York.

Impact Of Vietnam War On American Culture - 1812 Words

Impact of Vietnam War on American Culture The Vietnam War began in 1954 when Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party came into power in North Vietnam. The Vietnam Conflict was one of the most costly and long conflict which was basically between the communist regime of North Vietnam its southern supporter and South Vietnam and its main supporter United States. There were more than 3 million people that were killed in this war, 58, 000 were the American Soldiers and Vietnamese civilians were also included in the given number. Even more than half of the Vietnamese civilians were killed in this war. United States involved in this war in 1969 and 500,000 U.S. military personnel were involved in this war by the United States in the same year. The withdrawal of U.S force from this war was ordered by President Richard Nixon in 1973 and President had to face criticism for giving this order. (HISTORY.com, 2014)This war was ended in 1975 after forcing a seized control over the Saigon. The country enjoyed the incorporation as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the same year. This war can also be titles as second Indochina War as Japan occupied Vietnam during World War II. Vietnam was a nation situated on eastern edge of Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia which was under the French Administration. Ho chi Minh was responsible for forming the Viet Minh after getting an inspiration from Chinese and Soviet Communism. He had to fight both Japan and French ColonialShow MoreRelatedImpact of Vietnam War on American Culture1421 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War began in the year 1954, after the ascension to power of Ho Chi Minh, who was a communist leader in North Vietnam. The leader was spreading communism, and because the United States wanted to stop the spread, it sent military troops to aid South Vietnamese to stop this vice. The war saw about 3million people die with the inclusion of 58,000 American soldiers. About 150,000 people were wounded during the war. 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The Main Influences free essay sample

Early 20th century art music was some of the first music which explored the Idea of dissonance; the Idea that music does not require any specific harmony among notes. Throughout the history of classical music, up until then, dissonance was avoided. The strong influence of African tribal music caused much of early 20th century art music to make the listener dance and move. Igor Stravinsky (17th July 1882 6th April 1971) was a ground breaking Russian composer.Most famous for his Rite of Spring, Stravinsky music can be strongly linked to cubism and can relate to neo classical style. When the Rite of Spring was first played in 1913 in Paris it was met with a very hostile view. Known as the famous classical music riot, the audience was outraged by what had been played to them and reported fist fights had broken out in the crowd. The situation got so Intense that police had to be called to the theatre during the second half of the act. We will write a custom essay sample on The Main Influences or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Despite the undoubtedly negative response In 1913, the Rite ofSpring was hailed as a masterpiece only a few years later, after WWW after the views of the European people were changed by the harrowing effect of the war. People could now relate to the punchy and strong elements of the piece. Another key part of early 20th century arts music was the idea of surrealism and the twelve-tone technique. Surrealism was born from the twelve-tone technique used by Arnold Schoenberg. The twelve tone technique means that every single note in an octave is played, and the pitch cannot change until all the notes have been played. By reversing and inversion the notes of the octave, the desired sound is acquired. The idea of musical anarchy followed the idea of surrealism, with Schoenberg being the father of that revolution, and two closely linked composers, Anton Webber and Alan Berg. Webber followed Schoenberg atonal style along with his surrealism. The evolution of blues music was also a key part of 20th century art music from the west. Blue originated from the black slaves who were brought over from the Caribbean and from Africa to work In the united States.The message behind blues was the suffering and pain that the slaves endured in the fields In which they worked. The call-and- respond technique was heavily used in blues music. Prominent artists such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainy and Muddy Water were key figures in the blues movement, although many artists were not recognized until later on in the 20th century when covers of their music were made. Nationalist music created from the ideas of original Russian folk music was reinvented and used by the composer Catastrophic (25th September 1906 9th August 1975). Catastrophic gained his popularity and fame under the rule of the USSR.Catholicisms work was first described as coarse, primitive and vulgar. As time went by Catholicisms work was later hailed for his emotional restraint and riveting rhythmic drive. Jazz was brought up by the African Americans In the beginning of the 20th century. Improvisation Is undoubtedly one of the key elements of jazz. The rural traditions of African music are very noticeable and play a large part in the sound of jazz, retaining the call-and-response repetition of alcohol in the USA brought many people to go to establishments which could provide alcohol illegally.The lively nature of these venues proved to be the perfect venue for a night of Jazz. In the sasss, more big bands were coming together and performing swing (a loosened version of ragtime music) the up-tempo music with blues chord progressions proved to be very popular in the sasss. The sasss brought the genius of Longtime. Duke Longtime was said to have changed Jazz into a fusion of art music and Jazz combined to make American Music.

Macbeth Poster Explanation free essay sample

As our final project about Macbeth, we decided to create a poster with the most important symbols and how we would display them. The three witches in general represent the dark side of human nature and fate. The ravens represent them and their dark magic. We chose this symbol as our first one, because the witches prophecies are the reason why Macbeth and Lady Macbeth got interested in doing everything what it takes to become king/queen. The raven also announces the arrival of death for Macbeth with a voice hoarser than usual. The witches line in the first act: Fair is foul, and foul is fair is often said to set the tone for the remainder of the play by creating a sense of moral confusion. The next important symbol is an owl. It is a bellman because, according to superstition, the scream of the owl portends death and horror. We will write a custom essay sample on Macbeth Poster Explanation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Macbeth the scream of an owl symbolizes evil and ominous doings. In the play, Lady Macbeth often hears this sound before and after killing somebody :â€Å"It was the owl that shriekd, the fatal bellman. † After some time she gets crazy about them and starts to hallucinate. In act II scene I in the play the floating dagger represents Macbeths desire of killing Duncan. His mind has been working to plan the murder over a long time that even when Macbeth is awake, he sees the dagger pointing to Duncan. Macbeth was daydreaming about something he wants to do, but still cannot achieve. The bloody hand is the most important symbol. It appears everywhere in the tragedy of Macbeth, beginning with the opening battle between the Scots and the Norwegian invaders. Once Macbeth and Lady Macbeth start killing to reach their aim to get the royal title, blood symbolizes their guilt, and they begin to feel that their crimes have stained them in a way that cannot be washed clean, â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? Macbeth cries after he has killed Duncan, even as his wife scolds him and says that â€Å"a little water will do the job [clean the bloody hands]. † (Act II, Scene II). Later, though, she comes to share his horrified sense of being stained: â€Å"Out, damned spot; out, I say [. . . ] who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? † she asks as she wanders through the halls of their castle near the close of the play (Act V, Scene I). Blood symbolizes the guilt that sits like a permanent s tain on the conscience of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.