Karl Taube
University of California at Riverside
On the Road of Flowers: Supernatural Pathways in Mesoamerica and the American Southwest
Following the pioneering Flower World study by Jane Hill, this paper examines the relation of flowers to the soul and the afterlife in Mesoamerican and Puebloan thought. I will note that this religious complex is of great antiquity in Mesoamerica, and can be traced back to the Early Formative (ca. 900 b.c.). In ancient Mesoamerica, flowers were closely related to the breath spirit, which departs the body at death. One of the recurring themes appearing in ancient Mesoamerican art is the Rain of Flowers, in which falling or floating flowers and jewels appear in scenes of paradise and contact with the spirit word. Another basic concept is that of Flower Mountain, the paradise realm of gods and ancestors. Among the ancient Maya, Flower Mountain was the means by which the sun and maize gods were resurrected. Still another important theme is the Road of Flowers, the supernatural path taken by the sun and other supernatural beings. Quite frequently, this floral path takes the form of the plumed serpent, the embodiment of the breath and wind. In ancient Mesoamerican art, gods are commonly portrayed standing atop the plumed serpent, much as if it were their path or vehicle. Plumed serpent balustrades are simply architectonic versions of this concept. It will be noted that many of the themes and concepts of the Mesoamerican Flower World appear among the Hopi and other Puebloan peoples of the American Southwest. I will suggest that these shared traditions partly derived from the introduction of maize farming into the American Southwest. Along with the crops and technology of food production, the arrival of maize also included an elaborate system of ritual and belief concerning corn and agricultural abundance, with Flower World being part of this complex.
