[Aztlan] Mississippian Origins in Mexico?

[David Hobson]

Gary,

The San Andres/Catemaco region seems a likely candidate. It's a fair way 
down in the heart of Olmec country. I'm not positive but I think the word 
Catemaco means "fire from the sky" or something similar änd this was 
certainly an active volcanic region at some stage. Perhaps someone could 
elaborate further? The two volcanoes are the Santa Martha and San Martin
There is also a large estuarine system on the Sontecomapan River that 
empties into the Gulf of Mexico between the two mountains.
Might be worth more of a look.

David Hobson
Archaeological Computing Laboratory
University of Sydney
http://acl.arts.usyd.edu.au/~hobson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Daniels" <Gary at lostworlds.org>
To: "Aztlan2" <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 3:24 AM
Subject: [Aztlan] Mississippian Origins in Mexico?


> Is anyone here familiar with Mexican geography? I'm trying to locate the
> origins of the Creek Indians, the first mississippians in the southeast 
> U.S.
> Their migration legend has some tantalizing clues that makes me think they
> have an origin in Mexico. Primarily, the myth mentions a mountain with red
> smoke that's actually fire. This sure sounds a lot like a volcano to
> me....and since there are no volcanos in the eastern U.S., I think it 
> would
> be difficult for a tribe to perfectly describe something they've never
> experienced.
>
> Below is an excerpt from the Creek Migration Legend. If the geographic 
> clues
> sound like a real place in Mexico, I'd love to hear about it:
>
> "They came to a thick, muddy, slimy river-- came there, camped there, 
> rested
> there, and stayed over night there. The next day they continued their
> journey and came, in one day, to a red, bloody river. They lived by this
> river, and ate of its fishes for two years; but there were low springs
> there; and it did not please them to remain. They went toward the end of
> this bloody river, and heard a noise as of thunder. They approached to see
> whence the noise came. At first they perceived a red smoke, and then a
> mountain which thundered; and on the mountain was a sound as of singing.
> They sent to see what this was; and it was a great fire which blazed 
> upward,
> and made this singing noise....They here met a people of three different
> Nations. They had taken and saved some of the fire from the mountain; and,
> at this place, they also obtained a knowledge of herbs and of many other
> things."
>
> The full text of the myth can be found here:
>
> http://www.wm.edu/linguistics/creek/gatschet/01Gatschet8-18.pdf
>
> So basically I'm looking for a volcano that's near two rivers...a
> muddy/slimy river and  a red "bloody" river. The "low springs" could be
> sulfur springs...which wouldn't be out of the ordinary near a volcano.
>
> Does this location sound familiar to anyone? Does this fit the description
> of the geography around El Popo?
>
> *************************
> Gary C. Daniels
> Publisher, LostWorlds.org
> http://www.lostworlds.org?gad=CM6al6sDEgg2VfoIq4PgCxjIgoT_AyD2h4AT
>
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