Ritual landscape and sacred mountains in past and present Mesoamerica

Abstract

The three books under review are collective monographs that consist of interdisciplinary approaches (archaeology, ethnohistory, cultural anthropology, anthropology of religion) and divided into sections according to discipline or more specific common topic. A leitmotif of all of them is ritual landscape, sacred mountains, the agricultural cycle and rainmaking rituals in Mesoamerica (mostly in its Mexican part) which have been present in this cultural area since pre-Hispanic times until the present day. The authors of particular contributions point out archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence of these religious beliefs and ritual practices across the centuries and emphasize not only their antiquity but also their uninterrupted continuity. This tradition was incorporated into Christianity, thanks to which it survived missionary activities of the Spaniards as well as pitfalls of modern era and represents the core of popular religion in native Mexican communities.

Keywords:

• Agricultural cycle
• Mesoamerica
• mountains
• rainmakers
• ritual landscape
• ritualism
• volcanoes

Notes

1 Meaning North American. Deloria´s book is about the religion on the Natives of North America.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Radoslav Hlúšek

RADOSLAV HLÚŠEK is an associate professor working at the Department of Ethnology and World Studies at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia and visiting scholar (Fulbright scholarship) at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, USA. He specializes in Mesoamerican cultures, especially in Nahua culture of Central Mexico where he realized several field researches aimed at the native form of the cult of Our Lady of Guadalupe and at the ritual landscape and sacred mountains. He is principal organizer of international conference Search for Indian America and editor in chief of the journal Ethnologia Actualis.