Purepecha ( Spanish P'urhépecha , transliteration of the Indian name) is sometimes referred to as Taraschi or Tarasco ( Spanish tarasco ), the Mexican Indian people who inhabit the northwestern region of the state of Michoacan , mainly near the cities of Uruapan and Patzcuaro . About one hundred thousand people speak the isolated language of the Purêpecha . Recently, attempts have been made to organize language teaching in local schools.
| Purepecha | |
|---|---|
| Abundance and area | |
| Total: 202 884 [1] | |
 Mexico Michoacan | |
| Tongue | purêpecha , spanish |
| Religion | Catholicism , traditional religion |
There is a discussion about how to properly name a given people. “Purepecha” is their self-name, whereas “Tarasco” is a word from their language, meaning “father-in-law” or “brother-in-law” (borrowed by the Spaniards as the name of a given people from their legends). Neighbors and longtime rivals, the Aztecs , call them "Michitchak" ( Michhuàquê "fishermen"), hence the name of the state Michoacan .
Purepecha keep many old traditions, including their New Year, which they celebrate in early February, the day when the constellation Orion appears in the sky. Local and Catholic elements intertwined in the holiday. The community lights the so-called “new fire” ( chijpiri jimbani ), in honor of the commencement of the ceremony of worshiping 4 elements . On the feast of St. Jerome Purpechansky Mass is held in the language of Purpeche.
The Purpeche calendar is similar to the Aztec one, in that the year also includes 18 months of 20 days ( veintenas ) plus an additional 5 holidays. New Year is usually celebrated on the day when the constellation Orion appears. [2]
History
Archaeologists beginning of XX century. identified purpeche with the tradition of mine graves . Later studies showed that this culture existed long before the arrival of the Purpeche and was destroyed by the latter, which formed the state of Tarasko on the lands of western Mexico.
The state of Tarasco, created by the people of Purpeche, was one of the major pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica . The capital of the state was the city of Zincuntsan . The architecture of Tarasco is characterized by the construction of step pyramids in the shape of the letter “T”. The pre-Columbian Purepecha artisans made a mosaic of feathers, for which they used hummingbird feathers, which were considered a luxury item in the region. The Aztec empire was unable to conquer the Purepecha, despite repeated attempts, including a brutal war in 1479. Perhaps this is because Purepecha owned metalworking , especially copper , and has not yet lost this art. Despite the rivalry, neighboring ancient Mexican states traded with pupepecha: copper axes were in great demand.
Upon learning that the Aztec Empire was conquered by the Spaniards, and the local population decreased due to smallpox epidemics, King voluntarily took the oath as a vassal of the Spanish crown in 1525 against the Spaniards, while the Purêpecha learned to drive around horses captured from enemies, and used them in the war.
In 1530 , Mexico’s governor Nuño Beltran de Guzman plundered the region and ordered the execution of Tanghahuana II, which caused chaos and an outbreak of violence.
In 1533 the Spanish king appointed a judge and bishop to Michoacan, Don Vasco de Quiroga , who established order and organized the colonial administration.
Notes
- Isi Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indios (2000): "Lenguas indígenas de México". En: http://cdi.gob.mx/index.php?id_seccion=660 . Consultada el 3 de noviembre de 2006
- ↑ Quintanar Hinojosa, Beatriz. [www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx Breves] (Neopr.) // México Desconocido. - 2008. - February ( vol. 372 ). - p . 9 .
Links
- Empire and Culture Purepecha
- Purepecha Artifacts
- Purepecha Literature
- Beautiful Purépecha women
- Purépecha mother with her son
- Learn about archaeological research with a Purépecha Community
- Chap. 9: The Twilight of the Sun (Cycles of the Sun, Mysteries of the Moon; includes area map)