Ciudad Blanca Hypothesis

A SEPH Hypothesis

Since before the days of Hernan Cortez there was reported to be a large
rich city in the dense jungle of Honduras. There were many legends
about this place, and many people are aware of the significant large
civilization that existed in the mountains.

SEPH currently believes there is strong indication that the builders
and master artisans of this region were the Pipiles. Below is a document
written by our historical consultant and authority on the Indians of Northeast
Honduras, Ms. Wendy Griffin with the help of a small research team.

Pipiles

Language: Nahuat, this is an older dialect of Nahuatl, the language of
the Aztecs. There were many similarities between the culture of the
Aztecs and the culture of the Pipiles.

Religion: The Pipiles participated in the religion that extended
through all of Mesoamerica, including the worship of the feathered
serpent Quetzalcoatl, the rain god Tlaloc or Quia, and a god related to
corn Xipe Totec. They worshiped an idol of a female god who was called
Itzqueye. The head priest of their religion was called Papa.
The supreme god of the Pipiles was called Teot, then Tal (the earth),
Tonal (the sun) and Metzil (the moon).

The Pipiles practiced human sacrifice. There were 4 priests, plus
the head priest. They would kneel in the direction of the sunrise, and
burn incense. After that the priests would go to the four cardinal
points: East, West, North and South. When there was the sacrifice of a
child, they cut his heart out, and scatter the blood in the four
directions. The head of the ceremony shook strings of copper bells.

When the Pipiles were victorious at war, they also did human
sacrifices. Sometimes this sacrifice was to Queztalcoatl, and other
times to Itzqueye. Everyone who had been in the war came singing and
dancing. They brought out the sacrificial victim. The head priest Papa
and the other priests participated in the dancing and singing. In the patio
they put a rock, and they threw the Indian they would sacrifice on top of it,
onto his back. The priests would hold his hands and feet.

The person in charge of the ceremony would come out with copper
bells, many feathers, and a large stone knife. He would open the heart
of the victim and hold it high for people to see showing it to the 4
directions. The fifth time, he would throw it in the center of the
patio, and say "Gods, take this prize of victory." These sacrifices were public.

Sculpture: The sculpture of the Pipiles included carved stones called
stelaes, people, and animal figures.

Ceramics: Life size statues of Xipe Totec and cups with the face of
Tlaloc are both considered indicators of Pipiles, according to the
author of the book "The Pipiles of El Salvador."

Architecture: They built their temples on pyramids with steps. The
common people had houses of sticks, sometimes covered with mud. The
roofs could be of grass or palm leaves. The palaces and temples had
great plazas that the houses of the nobles closed on the sides. There
were ball courts, like at Copan. The Spanish reported avenues in these towns.

Musical Instruments: A drum, a flute, conch shells, turtle shells,
marracas, copper bells, and trumpets.

Metallurgy: They were very good at metallurgy. The metals in use at
this time were copper, gold, and possibly silver.

Relationship to Possible Ciudad Blanca Inhabitants

Language: There are place names in the Nahuat language on the way to
the CB sites, such as aguacate, petaste, and malacate.

Religion: There are many carved corn grinding stones with the
Quetzalcoatl head. At one possible CB site, there is a plumed serpent
carved into a rock. Ted has found and photographed one Tlaloc cup at a
possible CB site. In another site (Valley of Agalta) which has ceramics
similar to the CB sites, there was found a life size clay Xipe Totec statue.

The city of Trujillo also had ceramics similar to CB. There the
head priest was also called Papa. There was at the time of the Spanish
invasion a large green statue of a female god.

At a possible CB site there are many broken stone tables, about 4
feet high. In other places, these have been identified as sacrificial
tables. The Pech Indians who lived near the possible CB sites reported
in their myths that their enemies did ceremonies for the gods who were
responsible for the great storms. These enemies of the Pech would
capture the Pech men, sacrifice them, kill them, and eat them. There is
one story of a Pech hero who has his heart torn out by the Celestial
Black Panther. In Nahuat, this God is called Esquipul, the panther that
devours human hearts.

Sculpture: There is a lot of very fine stone sculpture such as metate
and table legs with the Greek key design, with a design like twisted
rope, and a design like cataracts on a river. There are known to be
sculptures of people. A piece that was reported taken out of the CB had
the man’s head in profile, feathered plumes on his head, his torso faced
front and he wore a necklace, and he is sitting with his legs crossed
under him. This style has been reported at other sites in the
Mosquitia, and near Trujillo. There are reports of alligator statues.
The alligator is also seen on metates or corn grinding stones.

Ceramics: The principal ceramics in the area are called North Coast
Applique. They extend from the Bay Islands, through the Trujillo area,
in the Valley of Agalta, in the Paulaya valley and near CB. At one site
there is a Tlaloc cup, a pot with an ugly face, some handles and feet
from North Coast Applique, and a foot of a pot that sort of looks like a
breast. There is also a fine orange ceramic in the area.

Architecture: At many sites there are pyramids. The main one at one
site clearly has steps going up it. It is flat topped to permit putting
a structure on top made of wood and palm leaves or similar materials.
There are roads paved with stones going into the site and connecting it
with other sites. There are central plazas with the bases of buildings
all around. There are reports of ball courts at other sites in the area.

Metallurgy: There are colonial era reports of gold here. Other sites
in the area have had copper bells. The area where Ciudad Blanca is was
called "Taguzgalpa," the house where gold was melted.

For those who would like to read the Pech legend and other legends of
the Ciudad Blanca see www.marrder.com/htw in the cultural sections of
Honduras This Week Online.