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In
the study of ancient civilizations, myths often evoke a sense
of mystery and encourage further exploration into unknown aspects
of a culture. When John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood journeyed
to Uxmal in 1840, the indigenous people told them the legend of
the House of the Dwarf.
As
related by Stephens, an old woman hatched a dwarf son from an
egg. The dwarf and the ruler of Uxmal challenged each other to
feats of strength, one of which was to build a house in one night
that was higher than any other. Although the dwarf despaired at
this challenge, his mother told him not to worry, and the next
day the dwarf awoke in what is now called the House of the Dwarf.
The legends of the House of the Dwarf, and the building itself,
captured European imaginations, and Catherwood drew several scenes
of the building. Stephens and Catherwood referred to the House
of the Dwarf as the Great Teocallis, teocalli being a pre-Hispanic
temple.
This
image depicts the façade of the superstructure of the House
of the Dwarf. The wall is distinctive for its elegant stonework.
The passage of time (since the ancients worshipped at the temple)
is evident in this image, as the once-painted façade is
now bare and the middle section of the wall has caved away, revealing
an entrance to the inner temple. In the fore-ground is an example
of Catherwood’s depiction of the indigenous workers reposing,
a theme that extends to many other prints in this collection.
[Spanish version].
ANNA
NEWMAN |
