by Mildred Boyd
When
Cortez, just before their escape from Tenochtitlan, threw open Moctezuma’s
treasure room to all comers, the foolish so burdened themselves with golden
trinkets that most were captured or drowned before they ever reached the
safety of the mainland. The wise, having learned that the natives placed
little value on gold and were, in fact, more than a little puzzled by
the Spanish craving for it, were content to fill their pockets with small,
intricately carved stones.
Chalchiuhitl (jadeite or any similar
green stone) was so much the most valuable substance in Meso America that
the word meant both "jade" and "precious". The color,
that of growing things, symbolized life and regeneration. Chalchiuhtlicue
(Jade Skirt) was goddess of running water and fertility. The heart’s-blood
of sacrifice was called Jade Water and victims ascended the blood-stained
Jade Steps to meet their deaths. The stone itself represented the heart
and the dead were buried with small pieces of jade in their mouths; indestructible
hearts to help them face the terrors of the underworld.
Jadeite is an extremely hard stone
and very difficult to work, especially with the primitive tools then available
Craftsmen who mastered the art were so revered that princes were included
in their number.
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