The Jolja’ Cave Project

Sacred Caves

There are a large number of sacred caves used by the Ch’ol Maya of the region that have never been systematically documented. In addition to Jolja’, four caves in particular are associated with Don Juan. The most important one is near Cerro Norte on the Don Juan Mountain range to the northeast. It is referred to as the Cueva de Don Juan but the project calls it the Cerro Norte Cave to distinguish it from the Cueva de Don Juan at Jolja’. The Ch’ol Maya of the adjacent village of Actiepa Yochib believe the Cerro Norte Cave is inhabited by Don Juan, and pilgrimages to petition for rain are still made to the cave (see below for further discussion of this cave). It is said to contain pre-Columbian remains. The other three caves associated with Don Juan are located near Los Angeles in the Ixtelja Valley, near Mariscal Subikuski on Cerro San José on the northwest end of Misopa’ Mountain range and on the Pan Witz range (Domingo Pérez Moreno, Felipe Pérez Montejo, personal communication 2001).

The notion that Don Juan can manifest himself in many locations is reflected in a prayer addressed to Don Juan that was made by the Tumbalá tatuche Miguel Arcos Méndez (2001). In this prayer he notes that Don Juan also lives at Cerro Norte and at Cerro San José. Alejos García (1984:34-35) recorded the Ch’ol tradition of making a ritual circuit to three Don Juan caves beginning with one on Cerro San José, then going to the cave on Cerro Norte, and finally concluding at Jolja’. Such a journey would likely take at least a week to complete given the distances between these sites. These caves are also visited on an individual basis. The cave on Cerro San Antonio near Tila, which is associated with the famous Black Christ of Tila, is also an important ritual location for the Ch’ol Maya.

The importance of caves in Ch’ol world view was evident after the eruption of the volcano El Chichón in 1982. In early April of that year, El Chichón, which is located 90 km directly east of Jolja’, exploded and covered a large part of Chiapas in ash. In the Jolja’ region, housing, livestock and the corn fields were destroyed. The elders of the Ch’ol communities went to their ritual caves and petitioned for rain. Their prayers were answered, and the strong rains of May washed away the ash (Alejos García 1994:69; Domingo Pérez Moreno, personal communication 2001).

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page