Plants, rocks, fire and water: everything is alive. They observe us and see our needs. They see the moment when nothing protects us and at that moment they reveal themselves and talk to us.
Narración Apache
Our language begins with the words that mothers say to their children when they are very young, and they learn them by imitation. Those words define our strengths or weaknesses, they are the ones that explain our origins and the history of where we come from.
The origin of millenary societies is associated with the symbol of a mother goddess related to the earth and fertility, hence the belief in various deities that explain natural phenomena. The mother is associated with agriculture that sustains an entire nation. Maternal wisdom is linked to the laws of society and nature.
This month, on the occasion of Mother’s Day celebrations in the Americas, we share with you #information of interesting information about the powerful maternal symbol in different cultures:
- Did you know that the clans of the North American hunting tribes consider themselves to be descended from half-human and half-animal ancestors? These ancestors are the mothers and fathers of the human members of the clan and from there they take their name. Thus the tribe becomes the protector of that species and at the same time is protected by the animal wisdom of the forest people.
- In ancient Mexico, pregnancy and birth were highly symbolic and ritual processes of life through which the gods of fertilization came during childbirth. If a woman died in the trance of giving birth, she became Cihuateteo, which means goddess woman, childbirth was considered a combat and her destiny was to accompany the Sun in its journey from the zenith to the sunset. To learn more about these women goddesses follow this link.
- In almost all the stories of the origins, there are virgin mothers who conceive by divine designs as Coatlicue, which means, the one with the skirt of snakes. She was impregnated by a deity in the form of a ball of feathers and her son is a powerful being, as explained in this link.
- Pachamama translates as Mother Earth, she is a deity that represents the fertile soil. She is a goddess worshipped by the people of the Andes and represents fertility, presiding over the sowing and harvesting, incarnating the mountains, and causing earthquakes. She has been represented in art as an adult mother carrying crops of potatoes and coca leaves. Pachamama represents the origin of South American history, she is generous and benevolent. During the European conquest, it was syncretized with the Catholic religion and associated with the Virgin Mary. Its cult is preserved in the Andean areas of Bolivia, Ecuador, southern Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.
- The native peoples of South America base their environmental concerns on the belief that people have taken too much from nature and dedicated offerings to Pachamama to reconcile with her and avoid her displeasure. To do so, a ritual is performed during the beginning of the agricultural cycle and is still practiced. To learn more about this important tradition follow this link.
- The association of the maternal symbol with Mother Earth reminds us to be responsible for nature and to respect its delicate balance.
At Del Pueblo Funeral Home, we believe that the legacy and love of mothers remains forever, as well as the powerful symbol of their fertility attributes that prevails in countless traditions. Thus, we remind you that we make the most difficult moments easy.
