The vast sea and sky extend to the endless east. The seven kingdom longships, driven by nearly 400 warriors and sailors, replenished food and water, loaded with ship materials, scriptures, gems and weapons, and left the world of the Nahua tribes for the Maya, which had 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 a lake just inside the seaside. Dozens of giant god heads stand, tilt or even fall over like dead gods. In the city-states on the island, you can see the vicissitudes of brick and stone buildings everywhere, as well as half-domed observatories.
In the center of the ancient city ruins, a tall pyramid temple was built in accordance with the practice of Mesoamerican city-states. The Pyramid Temple of La Venta is more than thirty meters high and is located in the center of the island in the lake, clearly visible from miles away.
Although the second ancient city is abandoned, the temples in the ancient city are still important ritual sanctuaries. Whenever there is spring plowing or autumn harvest, or the life and death of the gods, sacred sacrificial rituals will be held here. At this moment, dozens of temple warriors from the local city-state, with hundreds of militiamen, were guarding 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 all became wary.
Surrounding the ancient city is a broad river that surrounds the remains of the ancient city-state and flows northward into the sea. The name of this big river is Honglin River (now Rio Tonala 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 flowing into the sea, but found no trace of red. Puap was uneasy and did not pay attention to the river and ancient city in front of him. Ti Carlo glanced at the two of them with a leisurely expression and 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, and 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 good spirits and preached again casually.
"Of course, the upper reaches of the Honglin River also produce some 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?"
Upon hearing such a strange stone, Puap reacted instinctively. He looked at Ti Carlo and asked.
"Tikallo, my friend, do you have such a stone mirror?"
Tikalo smiled slightly when he heard Puap's affectionate address. 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 is obviously heavier and stronger than the obsidian mirror, and the light is clearer. To the rough touch, it feels very similar to the metal surface of bronze. The gray earth warrior opened his eyes wide, looked at himself in the mirror, who was somewhat haggard and had 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. That head that refused to rest in silence would always be chasing him in the dilapidated palace, yelling angrily.
"Little Puap! What are you going to do?!. I entrusted the prince to you, but you handed him over to the Aztecs?. I misjudged you! The honor of loyalty of the Huitu family for generations has been destroyed today. I will be destroyed by your hands! Pu.a.p.!"
"Puap!"
A shout came suddenly, making the Gray Earth Warrior tremble and almost drop the mirror in his hand. He turned his head and saw the suspicious eyes of the old militiaman.
"Ugh! Old man Qi, what are you yelling at? You just scared me!"
"Lao Pu, the boat 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, and we will not stop here. We will go directly to the mouth of the river. , continue along the coast to the east, and then look for Mayan villages for supplies.”
Chihuaco patiently explained the situation. Then, he looked at Puap carefully and asked with concern.
"Lao Pu, what's going on with you lately? You're restless, just like an old turkey that doesn't nest. Your eyes are as blue as a turtle. Did you not sleep well?"
"Well, 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?"
"Huh? Dreaming about him? Why?"
Chihuaco was 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, somehow, he laughed again. He smiled, shook his head, and sighed.
"Hey! Forget it, I killed him and took my revenge. There's nothing to say. I'm settled now. Lao Pu, don't think blindly. Take the warriors and be on guard! We'll be at the place of the Mayans soon. I feel a little uneasy and always feel like... Anyway, please pay more attention!"
"Um."
Puap nodded and lowered his head in silence. Yes, Chihuaco is not the chief hummingbird's family warrior, and he has not betrayed the opponent, the curse of the condor, so it cannot fall on him. After all the calculations, if the condor has a spirit, the one he hates the most will not be himself!
"I am cursed and destined to die. Only the most respected 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 a lot of things to ask, but there were so many people on the boat that he couldn't find the opportunity to speak. After a moment, the two of them turned away and looked away in tacit understanding, each with their own thoughts. Their fate is like a magnet, gradually approaching.
The sea is unpredictable and the tides are 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 the Mayan merchants, they traveled two hundred and fifty miles eastward and arrived at a large Mayan village, Honghu Town.
The fleet docked at Honghu Town, and personnel were sent ashore to replenish water. They collected information around them and sold some gems in small quantities.
Honghu Town has about a few thousand people. There are several villages around it and there is a large trading market. It has no wooden gates and walls, so it cannot be called a city. However, it has a temple pyramid more than ten meters high, which is why it is called a town.
The name Red Lake comes from a huge lagoon east of the village and town, Red Lake (today's Me Lake). The Red Lake is vast, with sparkling water, full of fish and birds, and is surrounded by large mangroves and swamps. This large lake is formed by a bay closed by a sandbar. So it is a pity that 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 formed by the erosion and accumulation of sediment carried by the river upstream. The name of this large river is locally called the Red River (today's Rio Seco River), also named after the dense mangroves along the river.
"Oh! You said this red river, it's really amazing, it's so long!"
With a smile on his face, Tikalo stood on the bank and pointed to the southern reaches of the long river. There are deep stretches of rainforest, 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 rivers! 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 for trade from the upper reaches. Mayan merchants from various tribes spoke similar but different languages and traded in the markets along the river.
The sharp-eyed mountain eagle looked around for a while and saw the trading items that the merchants used many times, serving as "money". The most common ones are cocoa beans, cotton cloth, small jade stones and large bags of salt. Of course, there are also the gems in the lake that are gradually flowing to the world.
"The moon goddess who controls floods, the divine bottle with tiger claws?"
Hearing this description, Puap was a little curious. It sounds similar to Haratana, the traditional moon goddess of the Prepecha people. But when he asked more carefully, he understood that it turned out to be a deity like the Mother Earth.
"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 paw, which contains endless floods. As long as she is angry and pours out the water, even the most powerful city-state, a great city like the god Tikal, will perish!"
Tikalo recalled for a moment, his expression a little complicated. The natural disaster that the Maya tribes feared the most was floods. The rainfall in this rainforest is both abundant and erratic. It 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 greatest god among the Mayan gods, after Hunab Ku, the creator god, and Itzamana, the sun snake god! And! The Creator 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 this mother river flows, 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 circular observatories, thousands of houses, a large stadium for human sacrifices, and miles of pottery kilns and workshops. Square!”
Ti Carlo's tone became louder, and his expression was full of yearning. The sky city of Hoi in his mouth is the famous ruins of Comalcalco (today's Alcalco) in later generations.
This ancient city was once the most important trading 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-scale pottery making and production, with kilns of staggering scale. The small human-shaped sculptures produced in 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 Kax, the corn god, and Yintsumna, the sky snake god. But the one 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 before, what about 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."
"Huh? 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 five hundred years ago when the Toltec King Yu The snake, with tens of thousands of warriors, attacked along the coast! With the support of some northern Mayan city-states, she launched the second expedition from Mexico to Tikal after Teotihuacan conquered Tikal 1,100 years ago. The kingdom comes from the plateau to march eastward!”
The Kingdom of Teotihuacan began its eastern expedition, around the fourth century AD. The Eastern Expedition of the Toltec Kingdom is clearly recorded in the late tenth century AD. These two eastern expeditions established new kingdoms in the Mayan lands and completely changed the political structure of the Mayan tribes. The martial Mexican tribes spread the cultural customs of the plateau to the Maya on a large scale, and also passed back a lot of Mayan astronomy and calendar knowledge.
"The Toltecs eventually conquered the northern Maya, established the second royal capital of Tula, Chichen Incha, in the northern lowlands, and built the immortal Quetzalcoatl Temple. Since then, Quetzalcoatl The belief spread from the Mexican plateau and seaside in the west to the Maya in the east! However, the long-chronological stone tablets in the ancient sky city are still six or seven hundred years ago, so it is naturally impossible to worship Quetzalcoatl."
Tikalo told the story with a smile, showing off the magnificent Mayan epic. Then, he quickly sped up his speech, without giving others a chance to ask questions, and started talking about Sky City again.
"In the ancient city in the sky that believes in the Mother Goddess of the Moon, the descendants of the gods inherited are the second most noble descendants of the Moon Water descendants among the Mayan tribes! And the most respected bloodline among the various tribes is the descendants of the Serpent God inherited from the Father God! "
"The descendant of the Serpent God!"
Upon 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 slightly, and asked cautiously under Ti Carlo's temptation.
"Ahem! Where is that descendant of the Serpent God?"
