The Tarascan Empire

Good question,

I suppose the answer lies in the militaristic leanings early historians and archaeologists analised meso-american history with.

Cool your Zapotec? So does anybody know more about the Tarascans? like their art, music, architecture, food, Purepecha names, games, clothing  dance, customs?

Beneeza, your signature:
Red Nations rise up! recalls me to Ometeist Monk / Itecelotl.
If that's the case, keep in mind that posting by using multiple identities is reasson enough to ban a member since the beginning. Hopefully it's only a coincidence. This forum is to discuss topics related to mesoamerica, and precolonial africa. Please stick to the topic.

Edited by Jalisco Lancer

Anywayz, Can we get back to the Tarascan culture? I am still not sure if I am Tarascan or Mexica but I still dont know much about the Tarascans. Only the military that you guys discussed. Can we discuss their art, clothes, food, dance, music, customs, Purepecha(Tarascan) names?

well it is today mixcoatl  and the numbers of Ometeoist will keep rising in the years to come.

Originally posted by ITZOCELOTL Anywayz, Can we get back to the Tarascan culture? I am still not sure if I am Tarascan or Mexica but I still dont know much about the Tarascans. Only the military that you guys discussed. Can we discuss their art, clothes, food, dance, music, customs, Purepecha(Tarascan) names?

[QUOTE=Jalisco Lancer]
Dear All, time ago I opened a topic on this regards.
Here's the link http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4774&PN= 1

By the way, tarasco is a bad word. It's an insult.
They are called Purepechas.
A correction needs to be made to this post. The language 'is' Purepecha. 'Tarasco' is a name given to the Purepecha by the Spaniards. 'Tarasco' means 'In Law' most common, "brother in law." When the Spaniards were chased out of the Aztec empire, they ran inwards to what is now called Michoacan, Purepecha land. The Purepecha protected their land from Aztec rule and the Aztec did not cross boundries when they attempted to finish off the Spaniards. Michoacan is humid and semi tropical, the Purepecha women often wondered around topless due to the heat. We all now what happens when half-naked women surround civilized men, this explains why the Spaniards named them "Tarascos". This also explains why the Purepecha women of today wear many layers of clothing and what is called "Rebosos". A Reboso is a robe type of cloth that wraps around their upper body and around the head, this they wear even in the summer. Today, to call a Purepecha 'Tarasco' is an insult.


Regards
http://distance.una.edu/ge102/_sp2002/0000010b.htm[/QUOTE]

Actually it is an Insult, if you proceed to call a Purepcha a tarasco , he would be angered and insulted and proceed to correct you. tarascan has become to be a word referring to slavery and insult and was once used a brother in law.

Originally posted by ZaCapUnLA PAUL: quote:The Tarascans are a mysterious people. Linguistically the Tarascan language comes from the same group as Quechua the tongue of the Inca. They also appear to have had trade links with Andean people. The Tarascans hadn't developed writing but were able to give the Spanish an oral migration history identifying Curzo in Peru as their origin. Telling how their ancestors wandered for many moons before reaching the mouth of a great river, the journey continued by sea, reputedly on the backs of turtles. The Spanish concluded that the river must have been the Orinoco. The Tarascans reported after their sea journey they landed at Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. Many Spanish chronicles believed this to be a poetic myth though. yes, The Purepcha (not tarascan) did have writings that were mostly destroyed. The site in tzintzunzan has some samples of these wrtitings

Edited by red clay - 06-Jun-2008 at 02:16

The native name for Tarascan is P'Urhepecha. Tarascan is a spanish, or european name that the Spanish Conquistadors gave to the native P'Urhepecha. Some people say that the Nahuatl word for Tarascan is "Michhuàquê" (those who have fish).

In military from what i read, the P'Urhepecha had fierce warriors, they were able to fend off the famous Azteca, and retain some land the belonged to them as well. The were also stong enough to fend off the people of the north, or the desert people.

The P'Urhepecha Empire was the Second largest, and most influential amongst other native tribes, right next to the Aztec empire. The P'Urhepecha were a stong people and society. Their empire streched from the pacific to the borders of the present day state of mexico, Michoacan.

So far as religion i know of two patron gods: Curicaueri (god of Fire) and Xarantanga (goddess of the moon). I also red somewhere that the P'Urhepecha worshiped  one god, and the gods of fire, moon, etc. were only manifestations of that one god, although i do not remember his name.

As far as you being mexican. "MEXICAN" is a nationality, not an ethnicity. Nationality is referring to the nation you were born in. As for Ethnicity, it refers to the people you descended from. BE VERY careful not to confuse them, a lot of people do. So now when you here people calling themselves mexican and they werent born in mexico, you can correct them, or make fun.

for example: My nationality is United American ( I was born in the USA), my ethnicity is native american, that being P'Urhepecha. My mother's nationality however is Mexican (meaning she was born in mexico), but her ethnicity is also native American, P'Urhepecha. Aswell as my grandparents, and great grandparents, so on and so on.

If you were born in mexico, then you are mexican, but im pretty sure that if your family line comes from the area where the P'Urhepecha thrived, then you are P'Urhepecha.

hope i answered few if not most of your questions.