Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. we must wrestle with acknowledgement and appreciation, appropriation and allowance. Human skin, darkened by the sun, also darkens in the fire, and then bubbles and boils like water before it blackens and peels away. Copal resin sweats and bubbles and then transforms to a heavy sweet smoke., The surviving evidence of copals role in Mesoamerican society offers priceless insights into the Aztec cosmovision, mythology and ritual practice, but I cant help reflecting on all that we cannot know because of the destruction of so many Aztec writings.
Orders delivered within a week. In pre-Hispanic times it was known as copalcuhuitl, or copal tree, and its resin was called "copalli" (incense) (Hernndez, 1959; Cruz, 1964; Martnez-Corts, 1974; Daz del Castillo, 2000; Sahagn, 2000; Montemayor, 2007). News stories around the world have documented raging and relatively, If you are not from Colombia and hoping to understand the South American nation of 50 million souls, you might tend to focus on Colombia the terriblenarcotics and decades of socio-political violence, The audience at Iglesia Monte de Sion was ecstatic as believers lined up to share their testimonials.
My family is buried in this soil, with these trees and plants and rain. During October the demand for copal skyrockets to burn at home altars or upon family graves at night. The use of analytic tools of different disciplines, such as the invaluable contribution of Computerized Axial Tomography, allowed us to corroborate the macroscopic observations, thus providing more information about the technical process of manufacture, such as the materials used in the manufacture of the objects without destroying the archaeological pieces, because it is a non-invasive and very exact tool. Estudio introductorio y seleccin Miguel Len-Portilla: Mxico, CONACULTA, Cien de Mxico 298p. Transculturation recognizes that although subjugated peoples cannot readily control what emanates from the dominant culture, they do determine to varying extents what they absorb into their own and what they use it for (The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures). , Love Your Liver - Basic & Fortified Powder Blends, Arthrospira platensis, and Arthrospira maxima, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, Ginkgo biloba, Salisburia adiantifolia, Salisburia macrophylla, Tabebuia Avellanedae or Tabebuia Impetiginosa. Eight pre-Hispanic copal objects were chosen as representatives of each formal group: two of 40 spheres, one of seven conglomerates, and five of 80 anthropomorphic figurines. As a modern student of religion, this research project was an opportunity to deconstruct colonial accounts through creative methodology and to center Indigenous wisdom across time and space. [1] More generally, the term copal describes resinous substances in an intermediate stage of polymerization and hardening between "gummier" resins and amber. Modern communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border burn copal in communal temazcales (sweat lodges) and in private sessions with healers. As a graduate student in my first year at Harvard Divinity School, I was also in the process of writing of a 25-page research paper for the course Moctezumas Mexicointellectually postured, taking notes and observing carefully. Organic No: 01224(GB-ORG-04). Reading early Spanish accounts about Mesoamerica, I found repeated references to copalclearly there was something noteworthy about this ritual to the foreigners. It is available in different forms. In modern ceremonies, such as the virtual circle I attended this past fall, copal is part of a broader spirituality which seeks to root our religion in remembering ancient stories while branching into the future, carry the wisdom forward. [citation needed]. Fire or heat is applied in order to consolidate the components. This was the sacred incense of the Maya and Aztec civilizations quantities of it discovered sequestered within the Great Temple at Tenochtitlan preserved as lumps and bars. Since pre-Hispanic times, copal (Bursera bipinnata resin) has been used for different purposes, from medical to ritual or religious, which promoted its transportation from what is now the state of Guerrero to Morelos, Puebla, and Mexico City, as has been verified by ethnographic studies. [Links], Lee, J.K.T., Sagel, S.S., Stanley, R.J., 1983, Computed Body Tomography: New York, Raven Press, 1-5.
If we carefully follow the fragrance and begin to respect and remember Indigenous ways of existing, copal may nourish human spirits and feed our deities for yet another century. Rebecca Mendoza Nunziato, a first-year masters student at Harvard Divinity School, was born and raised in Colorado and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Only thing would really love and Instagram account to follow, as I'm always scrolling for ideas to make healthy recipes from healthy productsif you had an Instagramjob done! The product is what I expected. The ethnographic study of copal helped significantly to understand the manufacture of the bars and "tears" because, as previously mentioned, the fresh resin takes the shape of the agave leaf which is used like a mold and the consequent marks are visible on the surface. In one YouTube video titled 13 Beneficios del Copal, various benefits of copal are listed over footage of a smoking brazier. [Links], Coggins, C.C., Ladd, J.M., 1992, Copal and rubber offerings: Memoirs of the Peabody Museum of Archaeological & Ethnology, 10, 345357. This radiological technique, created for the study of living human organisms, is very effective in archaeological applications, since it is not invasive but still allows observation of the surface of an object as well as its interior by means of virtual slices. Everything is perfect. [Links], Flores, J.S, Ricalde, R.V., 1996, The secretions and exudates of plants used in Mayan traditional medicine: Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, 4, 153159. harvest copal for an expanding clientelespecifically what religious studies scholar Brett Hendrickson calls the American spiritual marketplace. This market operates from colonial consciousness as it objectifies Indigenous peoples and rituals as a simple, spiritual, and ancient platform onto which Anglo settlers project their own future. The romanticization of Indigenous people ignores the history of violence and colonization while repeating the harm in new packaging. *[emailprotected]. This online ceremony is the sort of space that I hunger for most: one in which learning is embodied and intergenerational, where wisdom of the margins is at the center, and where I feel connected to my Mexican roots. Its magical qualities aid with the process of opening to the soul and to intuition and inspiration. Later in his writing he elaborates, With every sign of respect [they] made three obeisances to Corts and to all of us, and they burnt copal and touched the ground with their hands and kissed it. The pattern of fumigating, kissing the earth, and carrying copal to meetings with the Spanish intrigued me. A large mature specimen of B. microphylla can be appreciated at the entry to Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs. It wasnt just theoretical. Copal was acceptable tribute from the rural people conquered by the Aztecs, so every eighty days tribute copal was delivered to the city of Tenochtitlan, today Mexico City. The use of the maguey spike is particularly fascinating considering that this part of the agave plant was used in Aztec rituals of human sacrifice, spilling blood as offering to the gods in order to keep the cosmos from chaos. The process of manufacture starts by joining fragments of the resin in order to make a spherical nucleus. Teresa Seplveda: Mxico, Edicin facsimilar de la Secretara de Hacienda y Crdito Pblico, 154 p. [Links], Montemayor, C., 2007, Diccionario del nhuatl en el espaol de Mxico: Mxico, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico-Gobierno del Distrito Federal, 57 p. [Links], Ryan, J., Tucker, A.O., Maciarello, M.J., Wheeler, K.A., 2003, Chemistry and Ethnobotany of Commercial Incense Copals, Copal Blanco, Copal Oro, and Copal Negro of North America: Economic Botany, 57(2), 89-202. Turning to face each cardinal direction, the elders call out prayers while drumming. Human skin, darkened by the sun, also darkens in the fire, and then bubbles and boils like water before it blackens and peels away. Copal resin sweats and bubbles and then transforms to a heavy sweet smoke.. It has long been carried in sacred bundles through many migrations. (Apologies if you do, I couldn't find you). In addition, physical analysis was made, such as: humidity measurement to record how it affects materials, application of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to detect the presence or absence of stucco (CaCO3), application of alcohol (copal recovers its properties by rehydrating with a mixture of alcohol water, 2:1), and exposure to fire to corroborate that it is authentic resin. It is considered to be the "bread of the Gods", so it is used as a special offering to God. Personal website: rebeccamendozanunziato.com, Podcast: https://decolonizeeverything.buzzsprout.com/, Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/becca_nunzi/ / https://twitter.com/BeccaNunzia, Recently, the Amazon and its indigenous residents have become hot issues, metaphorically as well as climatically. The range of ailments copal was used to remedy was surprising. [Links], Martnez-Corts, F., 1974, Pegamentos, gomas y resinas en el Mxico prehispnico: Mxico, SEP Setentas, 158p. , a first-year masters student at Harvard Divinity School, was born and raised in Colorado and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sociologist Immanuel Wallersteins world-systems theory offers a social analysis of a global market that extracts labor and raw materials from the global periphery in order to create wealth for the core countries. Copal was thought to both ward off illness and evil spirits as well as treat various ailments. Collections: All, Ancestor Collection, More Tools for Meditation, Purification + Transformation, Resins, Herbs + Incense Burners. [2] Copal that is partly mineralized is known as copaline. Main header group shot and product line photos by Julius Schlosburg. These densities can be classified according to a table of comparison, which was first established from the macroscopical observations and the analysis of physical types, and second, from all the chemical types of the representative samples of the copal study collection. The analysis of the density of human organs generates basic information with values that identify water, muscles and organs, calcium and bone, fat, and air (Harwood-Nash, 1979; Lee et al., 1983). For example, archaeological evidence shows that deer jaw bones were burned with copal so their spirits could return home and permit another successful hunt, and farmers burned copal offerings to protect their fields. Copal is an immature recent resin, unlike the fossilized, hardened resin that is known as amber (Anderson and Crelling, 1995). [Links], Rzedowski, J., Caldern de Rzedowski, G., 1996, Burseraceae, in Flora de Veracruz: Xalapa, Veracruz, Instituto de Ecologa, 94, 37 p. [Links], Rzedowski, J., Guevara-Ffer, F., 1992, Familia Burseraceae, in Flora del Bajo y de regiones adyacentes: Centro Regional del Bajo, Ptzcuaro, Michoacn, CONACYT / SEP, Instituto de Ecologa, Xalapa, Veracruz, 3, 46 p. [Links], Sahagn, B. de, 2000, Historia General de las cosas de Nueva Espaa, 3 vols. In line with most other incenses, Copal has a long history of traditional use as a space clearer, eradicating negative energy from places and objects. In 1859 Americans consumed 68 percent of the East African trade, which was controlled through the Sultan of Zanzibar, with Germany receiving 24 percent. Farmers and copal collectors come in from the countryside to set up in the markets with red cockscomb flowers and cempasuchil, the native Aztec marigold. It is believed that Copal unites the energising force of the sun with the grounding properties of the earth, drawing out and transmuting negative energy on every level. Harvard University |
That was true in ancient times and it is also true in contemporary spiritual practiceswhy understanding the spiritual use of copal now and then can also help us understand transculturation in the Mexican-American community. It is linked with the crown chakra, deepening connection to the mystical and encouraging pure thoughts during meditation.
As part of the macroscopic analysis, the manufacturing process was established based on a detailed description, chemical analysis and analysis of the deterioration process of every object in the archaeological collection under consideration. THERAPEUTIC-GRADE SINGLE ORIGIN 100% PURE ESSENTIAL OILS, THE BASTET PERFUME SOCIETY DELIVERS EXOTIC NATURAL PERFUMES TO MEMBERS EACH MONTH. The density of known incense was included. At that time I didnt know the significance of the copal, but the dancers kissed the earth and purified all participants with its smoke. These objects are asymmetric but with a clear general shape, showing small visible depressions possibly caused by finger pressure, and in other cases resulting from smoothing or polishing. Much like copal smoke, this type of transculturation is hard to capture. [Links], Strucker, J. D., 1963, Some ritual aspects of the use of copal among ancient and present-day Maya speakers: Harvard University Freshman Seminar Program 1, 116. After watching videos of copal extraction from trees, I could see how the Aztecs would conceive of copal as the blood of trees. One resource that has helped me explore reclamation is, Voices from the Ancestors: Xicanx and Latinx Spiritual Expressions and Healing Practices, , an anthology edited by Lara Medina and Martha R. Gonzalez.
This exclusive incense is never missing in the spiritual ceremonies of the Mayans. [Links], Stross, B., 1997, Mesoamerican copal resins: Austin, University of Texas at Austin, U Mut Maya, VI, 177186. The Aztecs called it the blood of trees, the exuding resin of a species taxonomists classified as Protium copal. We find copal in abundance on, Day of the Deadaltars and in the opening ceremonies by Aztec Danzantes. The surviving evidence of copals role in Mesoamerican society offers priceless insights into the Aztec cosmovision, mythology and ritual practice, but I cant help reflecting on all that we cannot know because of the destruction of so many Aztec writings. This term acknowledges the agency and adaptive skills of Indigenous peoples in maintaining a connection to their heritage more than the term syncretism, which imagines a more passive role of the colonized. We find copal in abundance on Da de los MuertosDay of the Deadaltars and in the opening ceremonies by Aztec Danzantes. These gatherings give a context to my formal Harvard education. Bases of sacrificial knives of gum and white copal. Ancient and modern, (those who extract copal) use a wooden mallet and large metal knife to cut the tree. Certainly, the role of blood has faded in the contemporary application and appreciation of copal. uses rope and maguey spikes to catch the resin as it oozes from the branches. Amazing company. Very satisfied with service. Nevertheless, archaeologists continue to fill in our gaps with artifacts dating back to 1430-1520 CE (known to some as AD). Copyright 2020 President and Fellows of Harvard College. According to historical sources and ethnographic study, the names date from pre-Hispanic times and are due to its exterior look. Finally the figurines are decorated by pigments and garments made of paper, and occasionally complementary elements such as flags (Figure 6). Yet I notice how human sacrifice continues to exist through the brutalities of neocolonial extraction of labor and raw materials. Some authors provide more straight forward instructions for building an altar, with guidance such as: burn sage or copal and include the four elementswater, earth, fire, and airon the altar. One prayer struck me as a drawing on Indigenous cosmology: We are blessed with this copal. Study of the material in different stages of deterioration was helpful in reconstruction of the manufacturing process, including surface as well as interior features, in order for the hypothesis to be tested. Perhaps copal can become our teacher. In its natural condition copal can be easily distinguished from old amber by its lighter citrine colour and its surface getting tacky with a drop of acetone or chloroform. It has long been carried in sacred bundles through many migrations. Alongside modern viruses and other issues of human mortality is the real threat of climate change and our gross exploitation of natural resourcesincluding the trees which give us this resin. Most are muted per proper Zoom etiquette; many have their eyes closed and hands outstretched.
Copal is an ingrained part of Mexican-American identity, a smell that permeates both sides of the border. Burning this resin is thought to activate ion channels in the brain, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety. Bernal Daz del Castillo, a Spanish conquistador under Hernn Corts, describes incense filling the air between the Spanish and Indigenous peoples in their first encounters: The priests of the Idols brought us incense of a sort of resin which they call copal, and with pottery braziers full of live coals, they began to fumigate us (The History of the Conquest of New Spain). A curved knife is used to scratch the surface of the trunk and branches, separating the fragments of fresh copal with a gumlike consistency that look like small stones. To be able to work the resin in all its presentations, heat is necessary to smooth and shape it like clay. Most are muted per proper Zoom etiquette; many have their eyes closed and hands outstretched. While my more recent experiences were virtual, I could still imagine the scent as I observed copal incense wafting across the gallery view on Zoom. [Links], Matrcula de Tributos, Nuevos Estudios, 1991, Interpretacin de Vctor M. Castillo y Ma. In a world where we have ritualized commodification and capitalism, modern Mexican copaleros harvest copal for an expanding clientelespecifically what religious studies scholar Brett Hendrickson calls the American spiritual marketplace. This market operates from colonial consciousness as it objectifies Indigenous peoples and rituals as a simple, spiritual, and ancient platform onto which Anglo settlers project their own future. The romanticization of Indigenous people ignores the history of violence and colonization while repeating the harm in new packaging. Copal is still used by the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America as an incense and during sweat lodge ceremonies. Derived from the sap of native trees of the Buresa family in South America, Copal is a smoky, sweet incense used by the indigenous tribes of the Americas for ceremonies and rituals.