The Old Grandparents:
Our indigenous roots
Guillermo Marin is a cultural promoter
concerned with the complex process
in cultural identity. He is the director of
Cultural Development , a project in
the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Morelos
and Mexico City. He is the author of
Daany Bedxe: the spirit of the warrior;
The True History of the Profound Mxico;
And To Read Carlos Castaeda; The Basic
Manual of the Cultural Promoter; Calmecac:
A Cultural Alternative; and Cultural Administration.
He is also the author of various tourist guides like:
Monte Alban; Mitla, the City of the Death; The
Sacred Valley of Tlacolula ; and, The Treasures
of Monte Alban and Oaxaca: spiritual reserve
of Mexico.
The Old Grandparents: our indigenous roots
By Guillermo Marin
Translated by Marie Eugenie La Ru de Eibich
INDEX
Introduction
The four anterior Suns
Sun of Water
Sun of Fire
Sun of Wind
Sun of Earth
The creation of the Fifth Sun
The creation of human beings
The "invention" of corn Education
The warriors of the flowery battle
The ancient gods
Tloque Nahuaque: For whom we live
Ometotl: Divine duality
Tlloc: The giver of material life
Quetzalcatl: The giver of spiritual life
Huehueteotl: The grandfather of the gods
Tonantzin: Our beloved mother
Mictlantecutli: The lord of death
Tezcatlipoca: Smoking mirror
The millenary civilization of Anhuac
The Olmec great-grandfathers
The old Toltec grandfathers
The Zapotecs
The Mixtecs
The Mayas
The Nahuas
The Totonacs
The Purpechas
The young Aztec grandfathers
The centers of knowledge: Monte Albn
Mitla
Palenque and the Lord of Pacal
Chichn Itz
The people of Mxico
To professor Ventura Lpez
For his invaluable and generous support to the Oaxacan culture.
The fact of having no knowledge of the past nor of the place where they live, is the reason that many people leave to cross the border to seek work.
The day when our people get to know their ancestors, the day when they get to know that the places where they live were inhabited by famous men, the day when they learn that this land has given ample proof of ancient cultures, man will be firmly rooted.
He will take pride in his labor and will be conscious of the land where he lives. He will have the courage to defend his birth right and to work not only with enthusiasm, in his own land, but with love for the place where he was born.
That is the importance of history.
Juan Rulfo