Product Code Database
The Nicarao are an indigenous Nahuas people living in western Nicaragua and northwestern Costa Rica. They are the southernmost Nahua group located in southern Mesoamerica. They spoke the Nahuat language before it went extinct after the Spanish conquest of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The Nicarao are a subgroup of the Pipil people, both of which are descended from the Toltecs, who migrated from Oasisamerica over the course of several centuries starting about 700 CE, the late Mesoamerican Classic period. This branch of the Nahua people originated in Chiapas, which was inhabited by Nawat language-speaking Toltecs for hundreds of years before they migrated further into Central America.
Around 1200 CE, a group of Pipils that would eventually become the Nicarao migrated further south and settled in the Gran Nicoya region of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, seized most of the fertile lands in the region, and eventually separated and formed their own chiefdoms.Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano; por el Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés; Primer Cronista del Nuevo Mundo; publícala la Real Academia de la Historia. Tomo IV. Libro XLII. Capitulo XIII.Fowler 1985, p. 37. The migration of the Nicarao has been linked to the collapse of the important central Mexican cities of Teotihuacan and Tula, as well as the Classic Maya collapse. The Nicarao settled throughout western Nicaragua, inhabiting Rivas department, Jinotega, Chinandega, Nueva Segovia, Masaya, Carazo, Madriz, Matagalpa, Esteli, Leon department, Granada and Managua. In addition the Nicarao controlled Tiger Lagoon, Lake Managua, Lake Cocibolca, and the islands of Ometepe Island and Zapatera Island. Lake Ometepe and Isla Zapatera in Lake Nicaragua were also sacred to the Nicarao.
The Nicarao also settled in Bagaces, Costa Rica after displacing the Huetar people, Chibchan speakers already living in the region, resulting in tribal warfare between Nahuas and Huetares that lasted until Spanish arrival.
The Nicarao referred to western Nicaragua as Nicānāhuac, which means "here lies Anahuac" in Nahuat and is a combination of the words Nican (here), and Ānāhuac, which in turn is a combination of the words atl "water" and nahuac, a locative meaning "surrounded". Therefore the literal translation of Nicanahuac is "here surrounded by water". This was a geographical endonym that referred to the large bodies of water that surrounded the land the Nicarao inhabited: the Pacific Ocean, the lakes Nicaragua and Managua, and the many rivers and . Similarly, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was also surrounded by water, which they referred to as Cemanahuac.Schroeder, Susan; Wood, Stephanie; Haskett, Robert Stephen. Indian Women of Early Mexico This establishes a connection between pre-Columbian Mexico and Nicaragua.
As a Mesoamerican people, the Nicarao shared many blended cultural traits with other indigenous belief systems and maintained the Toltec version of the Mesoamerican calendar, similar pottery and effigies, similar organizational treaties, the use of screenfold books, the worship of a high god and closely-related , nagual mysticism, the practice of animal and tonal spirituality, and expertise in medical practice.
After the Nicarao arrived into what is now western Nicaragua and northwestern Costa Rica, they seized most of the fertile lands in the area through warfare, and displaced many neighboring tribes, most of which were derived from the Muisca, including the Cacaopera people, and Huetares, but also Mesoamerican tribes, including the Chorotegas, who are Otomanguean. The Nahua chiefdoms of Kwawkapolkan and Kakawatan sent their armies as far north as Carazo during their wars against the Chorotegas, and as far south as the Nicoya Peninsula and southern Guanacaste during their military campaigns against the Kingdom of Nicoya and the Huetares.Ibarra Rojas, 1994Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997
Furthermore, the chiefdom of Ticuantepe invaded Matagalpa and Boaco department to pillage, enslave, and displace the Cacaopera people and Mayangna people from their lands. Tekwantepek also performed human sacrifice on Cacaopera and Mayangna prisoners of war in addition to selling their women as slaves and prostitutes for 100 Cocoa bean and five cacao beans, respectively.Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano; por el Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés; Primer Cronista del Nuevo Mundo; publícala la Real Academia de la Historia.- Tomo IV. Libro XLII. Capitulo XIII.Ibarra Rojas, 1994, p. 236
Although the Nicarao displaced rival tribes through warfare, they also developed trade relations with smaller tribes, maintaining hegemony over western Nicaragua through military superiority, cultural dominance, their large population, and commerce. Despite their tribal division, the armies of the Nicarao chiefdoms shared a warrior tradition and shared a pattern of standard military equipment. Nicarao warriors were equipped with long and thick padded cotton armor that extended down to their thighs and knees, protective headgear, medium to large shields, spears, , bow and arrows, clubs edged with stone blades, knives and daggers with obsidian blades, and , a wooden sword edged with obsidian blades similar to the Aztec macuahuitl. Furthermore, Nicarao troops were rationed cacao, which could be added to water, a policy providing extra sustainability. Cacao water kept warriors vigilant, focused, and energetic due to its caffeine content, which gave them an advantage in battle.Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997
In addition, non-Nahua minorities lived and thrived within several Nahua chiefdoms alongside the Nahua majority, such as the Chibchan-speaking minorities in Kwawkapolkan and Kakawatan, and the Chibcha and Otomanguean-speaking minorities in Masatepek. The military forces of Kwawkapolkan and Kakawatan were also unifying entities under a somewhat diverse population of Nahuas and Chibchas.Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997 Military service provided social advancement and assimilation, which resulted in Chibchan troops serving alongside their Nahua counterparts in the chiefdoms armed forces to further integrate into Nahua society.Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997 The Nicarao cultivation of also suggests cultural diffusion from the Chibchans, as the latter introduced potatoes from South America.Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, Enrique Furthermore, many Chibchan peoples across the Intermediate Area were heavily influenced by the Nicaraos, such as the Huetares' use of the Nicarao calendar, their adoption of the Nahua pantheon, and their ability to speak Nawat, which was documented by . This shows that despite their tribal division, and being surrounded by peoples of the Isthmo-Colombian Area, the Nicarao shared great cultural, economic, religious, and political influence across southern Mesoamerica and the Isthmo-Colombian regions.
In 1501, after Ahuitzotl, tlahtoāni of Tenochtitlan, sent to explore and establish relations with other peoples of Central America, trade relations developed between the Mexica and the Nicarao. Commercial exchange between Tenochtitlan and the chiefdoms of Nicanahuac continued to flourish after Moctezuma II ascended to the throne of Tenochtitlan as Mexica merchants traded and thrived within Nicarao territory.
Out of all the Central American dialects of Nawat, the dialect spoken by the Nicarao was found to be the most similar to central-Mexican Nahuatl. Furthermore, Nicaraguan Nawat was found to be more closely related to Nawat from Chiapas than to Salvadoran Nawat. It is also evident that the Nicarao were able to understand Nahuatl, as the Spaniards were able to communicate with Nicaraos they encountered in Nahuatl through their Tlaxcaltec translators. Nahuatl was used as a lingua franca at that time because many indigenous groups in Mesoamerica could speak Nahuatl. This culminated an environment where different indigenous groups with unintelligible languages could communicate with each other.
The Nawat language went extinct in Nicaragua in the late 1800s, and was last spoken on Ometepe Island and in the departments of Rivas department and Masaya.
The most powerful Nahua chiefdom was Kwawkapolkan, which means "place of capulín trees" in Nawat language and was ruled by Macuilmiquiztli. It is a combination of the Nawat words Kwawit (tree), kapolin (capulín), and -kan (a locative meaning "place of"). Kwawkapolkan was also the southernmost Nahua chiefdom that extended from Rivas department down to Bagaces in central Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Kwawkapolkan bordered its ally Kakawatan in Rivas, the Kingdom of Nicoya which was a powerful Mesoamerican civilization in the Nicoya Peninsula, and smaller Chibcha tribes in other parts of Rivas as well as the Huetar people and Voto people of northern Costa Rica.
Kakawatan was another Nahua chiefdom located in what is now the Rivas department of southwestern Nicaragua.Vida de González Dávila, Gil. Ávila, c. 1480 – 21.IV.1526. Descubridor y conquistador. et al., 2012 The Nahuas of Kakawatan were known as kakawatecos, meaning "people of Kakawatan", and in Nawat as kakawatekat.Colonización de américa, cuando la historia marcha, de Oviedo y Valdés, Gonzalo c. 1480–1557, 2006 The chief of Kakawatan was Wemak, who according to several sources, was Macuilmiquiztli's cousin.Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997 This could explain the close relations between Kwawkapolkan and Kakawatan. Wemak also had a warrior son named Eskuat, though he wasn't mentioned by Spanish sources again.Vida de González Dávila, Gil. Ávila, c. 1480 – 21.IV.1526. Descubridor y conquistador. et al., 2012 Before and during spanish contact, Kakawatan and Kwawkapolkan had a military alliance and were in a constant state of war with the Chorotegas, the Kingdom of Nicoya, and later fought together against the Spanish.Ibarra Rojas, 1994 The name Kakawatan is a combination of the Nawat words kakaw (Cacao), at (water), and -tan (locative suffix meaning land/place of). Therefore Kakawatan translates to "land of cacao water", referring to chocolate drinks, one the most important aspects of Nicarao culture. This tradition is still practiced in the communities of Rivas among the descendants of the Nahuas both indigenous and mestizos alike.
Masatepek was located in what is now Masaya in western Nicaragua, and was in close proximity to the chiefdoms of Shilutepek and Tekwantepek. The Nahuas of Masatepek coexisted with the Otomangueans who also inhabited the area. The name Masatepek is a combination of the Nawat words Masat (deer), and -tepek (hill). The literal translation of Masatepek is "deer hill". The Nahuas of Masatepek inhabited Nindiri, Niquinohomo, Monimbó, and Masatepe which is named after this chiefdom.
Tekwantepek was a militarily strong chiefdom located in present-day Managua, and was one of the last chiefdoms to fall to the conquistadors and their central-Mexican allies.Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano; por el Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés; Primer Cronista del Nuevo Mundo; publícala la Real Academia de la Historia.- Tomo IV. Libro XLII. Capitulo XIII. Tekwantepek had continuous wars against the Cacaopera people, and sent their army to Matagalpa and Boaco department to pillage, enslave, and displace the Cacaoperas and Mayangna people. Tekwantepek also performed human sacrifice on Cacaopera and Mayangna POWs in addition to selling their women as slaves and prostitutes for 100 cacao beans, and 5 cacao beans.Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano; por el Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés; Primer Cronista del Nuevo Mundo; publícala la Real Academia de la Historia.- Tomo IV. Libro XLII. Capitulo XIII. The etymology is a combination of the Nawat words tēkwani (jaguar), and tepek (hill), which translates to "jaguar hill" or "hill of jaguars". The city of Ticuantepe in Managua is likely named after this chiefdom.
Shilutepek was located in what is now Carazo of pacific Nicaragua, and was in close proximity to Masatepek, and Tekwantepek. The Nahuas of Shilutepek fought against the Chorotegas who also inhabited much of the land now part of the Carazo department. The etymology of Shilutepek comes the Nawat words Shilut (tender zea mays), and -tepek (hill), meaning "hill of tender maize". The city of Jinotepe is named after this chiefdom.
Teswatan was located in northwestern Nicaragua, specifically Chinandega. Teswatan means "Place of Tezhuate". Fernandez de Oviedo described Teswatan as a chiefdom filled with maize, in addition to Akatekwtli's son ascending to the throne after his death during Spanish conquest.Fernández de Oviedo 1959: Vol. IV: 427–30, Vol. V: Lám.XIV).Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano; por el Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés; Primer Cronista del Nuevo Mundo; publícala la Real Academia de la Historia; Tercera Parte. Tomo IV. Libro XLII. Capítulo XI.
Chinantan was the northernmost Nicarao chiefdom that bordered the Lencas of southwestern Honduras, the pre-Columbian relations between the Lencas and the Nicaraos are unknown. Chinantan was located in Chinandega and had close relations with Teswatlan. Chinantan means "place surrounded by reeds" in Nahuatl. A Nicarao from Chinantan was called a Chinantekat meaning "person from Chinantán".
Eventually, Dávila met with the most powerful ruler in pre-Columbian Nicaragua named Macuilmiquiztli, meaning "Five Deaths" in the Nahuatl language, and conversed with him through Tlaxcaltec translators."Nicarao" "Encuentro" This contact took place in Carazo, where Macuilmiquiztli lead his army in a military campaign against the Chorotegas led by Diriangén.Vida de González Dávila, Gil. Ávila, c. 1480 – 21.IV.1526. Descubridor y conquistador. et al., 2012 Due to the sudden nature of Spanish contact in addition to the natives curiosity, the war between the Nahuas and Chorotegas came to a halt.Vida de González Dávila, Gil. Ávila, c. 1480 – 21.IV.1526. Descubridor y conquistador. et al., 2012 Despite meeting Dávila in Carazo, Macuilmiquiztli governed the Nahua chiefdom of Kwawkapolkan, not far from the modern town of Rivas.McCafferty and McCafferty 2009, p. 186. Macuilmiquiztli initially welcomed the Spanish and their Tlaxcalteca allies, however, Dávila and his army used the opportunity to gather gold and Baptism some of the Nahuas along the way, much to Macuilmiquiztli's disapproval. When Dávila demanded the now skeptical Macuilmiquiztli, as well as chiefs Wemak and Diriangén who were also present, to be baptized, to renounce their pagan beliefs, to hand over the rest of their gold and jewellery, and to bend the knee to the Spanish crown, they refused.Vida de González Dávila, Gil. Ávila, c. 1480 – 21.IV.1526. Descubridor y conquistador. et al., 2012 Realizing the threat that the Spanish imposed, Macuilmiquiztli, as well as Diriangén, waged war against the Spanish and Tlaxcaltecas which culminated in the Battle of Diriangén, where Nahua and Chorotega warriors together forced Dávila and his men to retreat to Panama.
This set the stage for the Spanish conquest of Nicaragua in 1524 CE, when Nicaragua was invaded on all sides by several Spanish forces, each led by a conquistador. González Dávila was authorized by royal decree to invade from the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Francisco Hernández de Córdoba at the command of the governor of Panama invaded from Costa Rica. Pedro de Alvarado at the command of Hernán Cortés, came from Guatemala through San Salvador and Honduras.Duncan, David Ewing, Hernando de Soto – A Savage Quest in the Americas – Book II: Consolidation, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1995 By 1525 all of the Nahua chiefdoms in western Nicaragua had fallen to the Spanish.
Ultimately the conquest of Nicanahuac was swift due to the tribal divisions within Nicarao society, in stark contrast to their Pipil people kin who were unified under the Cuzcatlan confederation, and as a result, lasted much longer against the conquistadors which fell in 1528. After Spanish conquest, Nahua society in western Nicaragua came to a tragic end. The Nicarao suffered a devastating demographic and societal collapse from a combination of disease, war against the Spanish and their Tlaxcalteca allies, and being sold into slavery. The remaining Nahuas were subjected to Spanish rule, forcibly baptized to Catholicism, and were hispanicized both culturally and through intermarriage with Spaniards.
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba fought directly against the alliance, and by 1525 the alliance had completely collapsed. Diriangén escaped the Spanish onslaught and eventually died between 1527-1529, Wemak was captured and executed in 1525 after the last of his Kakawateca forces were annihilated by the conquistadors and Tlaxcaltecas, and the fall of Kwawkapolkan in 1525 finalized their defeat.Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, EnriqueHistoria de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997
Macuilmiquiztli and Diriangén remain popular figures in Nicaraguan nationalism and anti-imperialism, and are symbols of Indigenous resistance. In addition, the National Assembly of Nicaragua declared the two Indigenous leaders as national heroes. Furthermore, their alliance highlights a powerful lesson in teamwork between enemies who united their forces to oppose a much greater threat.
A remnant Nahuat language-speaking population existed as late as the mid-19th century, but the Nicarao as a tribal Confederation are now extinct.Fowler 1985, p. 38. Today Nicaragua is estimated to have around 20,000 Nicarao people, though displaced by Spanish conquest. In Costa Rica the Nicarao population ranges from several hundred to 1000 and are primarily located in the Bagaces Canton, with smaller pockets inhabiting other parts of Guanacaste. Some of their practices and beliefs continue to survive among their descendants within the Nahua communities of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Many of the Nicarao were artisans with expertise in crafts such as pottery and goldsmithing. Tattoo artistry across the face and body was prized among a few Nicaraos, as observed by the Spanish and reflected in effigies and clay artwork they created; this trait was shared by neighboring Nicoyan tribes to the south as well as the Maya people people to the north. Among the Nicarao, highly specialized tattoo artists were experts and lived by their skills. However, the Spanish witnessed only a few tattooed natives in the Nicarao populace, therefore tattooing was not originally part of Nicarao culture and was likely a trait adopted by a few Nicoyan influenced Nahuas. The Nicarao also practiced stonecraft, as evidenced by elaborate of spirals, murals and spiritual figures carved and painted onto stones in Ometepe; this was shared by the Chorotega and other pre-Columbian civilizations in the region.
Spanish chronicler Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, writing soon after the conquest, recorded that the Nicarao practised cranial modification, by binding the heads of young children between two pieces of wood. Archaeologists have unearthed pre-Columbian burials in the former Nicarao region with evidence of both cranial and dental modification.McCafferty and McCafferty 2009, p. 188. The Nicarao possessed a number of cultural traits in common with North American tribes as well as the of central Mexico, including an identical Aztec calendar, the use of screenfold books, worship of the Great Spirit and a Toltec pantheon of deities such as Sky deity, animal spirits and Tonal mythology, Nagual mysticism, and treaties.McCafferty 2015, p. 111. They also, in common with their Mexican cousins from Aztecs culture, practiced ritual confession, and the volador (flying men) ritual.Healy 1980, 2006b, p. 31.
|
|
