The Olmec/Lenca were one of the four jaguar founders of the Mayan culture on Isla Tigre, Honduras. The Olmec and Lenca, along with the Ulua, are one people and separated when the Olmec moved from eastern El Salvador to the Veracruz, Mexico, Gulf Coast likely in about 1800 BCE (with a possible stop on the northern Honduras coast).
They came on the same rafts as the Maya to El Salvador, perhaps from Taltal, Chile, and had the same experience as the Maya being captured and taken to the Corinto cave by the Xibalbhans, escaping and finding a joyful home at Alegria/Tecapa, then relocating to Isla Tigre, where several events and accomplishments marked the founding of the Mayan culture: the domestication of animals, including parrots, jaguars, and pumas, the first cultivation of a wild plant - tobacco - used for shamanic purposes, and the triple star, seven rising object event of 8207 BCE which marked the new calendar and the new sun.
Due to the rising ocean level from the glacial melt they were forced to move off Isla Tigre and the triple star gave them the astrological symbol that called for the move. Some peoples - the Tams (Chibchans) and the Ilocs (Misumalpan languages) - rejected the Mayan culture, including the vision of creating agriculture, and moved east and south. Later one Misumalpan group, the Cacaopera, would decide to return to El Salvador and re-embrace Mayanism.
But the Olmec and Lenca people embraced the new Mayan culture and each of the four founding lineages found a sacred island to live on. These islands spread the width of El Salvador. The Olmec and Lenca chose Olomeguita and Estrechura, twin islands in Lago Olomega, about 20 kilometers southeast of the present-day city of San Miguel and 15 kilometers north of the present-day Pacific Ocean coast. In the photo the islands are on the left foreground while Chaparristique Volcano is on the right.
The Olmec and Lenca come from the founding heritage of Maix (Majukutaj in the Popol Vuh), which means Not Ready Yet in English. Maix was called this because he was the youngest of the four rafters who made the journey and was not yet ready to lead the group of four rafts. Maix, not yet with a partner, likely found a partner in the weeks or months that they were held at Corinto cave. The Xibalbhans, likely known to themselves as the Manik, were a tall people, sometimes called giants. Maix's partner was probably the woman called Xb'akiyalo, Egret Woman in the Popol Vuh, probably for her long legs. Her name also hints that she was from Xibalbha. It is possible that the Manik were lighter skinned. So the Olmec and Lenca tend to be taller and possibly lighter skinned than some other Mesoamericans.
Egret Woman must have seen the approval of the spirits to have a partner with a name, Maix, so close to the name of her own people, Manik. The oral tradition of the Manik resides with the woman and the Olmec and Lenca people may be filled with Manik stories. Where the other Mayan groups had hostile relations with the Manik, the Olmec and Lenca likely had much better relations. They were probably encouraged to select the island closest to the Manik and the Xibalbha cave, Lago Olomeka is about 60 kilometers south of the cave.
What links the Olmec to Lago Olomega and the Lenca? The first is the reference in the Popol Vuh to the "Oloman" (Tedlock, pg 149), the first half a clear reference to the Olmec. The last syllable "man" is a link to the Manik and to the Lenca who are known as the managuara. Man appears to have the meaning of hand. In Ch'orti' man means exchange or trade, an action which could be linked to the hands. Ma'nah means "work for hire" which also could come from a root of man = 'hand'. Later the Popol Vuh makes a second reference:
"When we divided, there at Tulan, at Zuyua ... And again, some of the people stayed there in the east; Sovereign Oloman is their name. 'We left them behind,' they said. It was a great weight on their hearts." (Tedlock, pg. 162)
This clearly places Oloman in the east, within the region of Tulan Zuyua, Isla Tigre, which has been the region of the Lenca for more than 10,000 years. Thus, the link of the Oloman with the Lenca and with the Olmecs.
The second thing linking the Olmecs to this region and specifically Lago Olomega is the two names appear to have the same origin. In Lenca the 'g' sound transformed from the 'k' sound and it likely happened rather recently. Previously the lake and island (above) would have been known as Olomeca or Olomeka. This is so close to Olmec. And previously we saw that the Popol Vuh referred to them as Oloman, rather than Olman, offering a clue that "Olo" is the original prefix, not "Ol". The Ulua name likely comes directly from Olo - the "o's" transformed into "u's" - "Olo" to "Ulua". This transformation happened probably soon after the Ulua moved (and perhaps the Olmecs) from the Olomega area to the north coast of Honduras in about 2000 BCE, including the site of Travesia.
Here is my attempt to construct the meaning of Olomeka (and Olmec). I believe that "Olo" is a transmutation from the proto Chorti "Teo", which meant "island." This most comes from "Olo" being associated with the island on Lake Olomega, called "Olomeguita". This could indicate that the lake was named after the island rather than the other way around. In addition, when the four lineages left Isla Tigre they went to four islands where they would be safe from the Xibalbhans who were afraid of water. These four islands were all named with the prefix 'teo': Teotipa, Teopan, Teoakan, and Teomeka. Mek'e means to "embrace, wrestle, carry in one's arms or on the hip." This could have been a reference of carrying children to the island on one's hip or in one's arms. One might be able to wade over to Estrechura Island like this but it would only work to Olomeguita Island when the lake level is really low. Teomeke is a beautiful name - island of the embrace or carry in one's arms to the island. Perhaps the Olmec were honoring Teomeka - Olomega - when they built La Venta on an island.
The Olmec likely called themselves Lenca before they left for Mexico. But it may have been a slight variation. I believe that Lenca comes from Lumkah, which means "land from the beginning." I have heard modern-day Lenca say something similar, "We have been on that land from the start." The permutation is simple: Lumkah to Lemkah to Lenkah. This is supported by the Lempa River which would have been Lumpa before it became Lempa, with credit given to the Lenca.
A little tour of the islands. A view from Olomeguita to the rest of the lake:
Drying fish, an old practice on Olomeguita (right). There are 17 families on Olomeguita and they say people have always lived there. Half of the island consists of the houses, packed tight, and a school. The other half of the island is a large hill planted with corn. Every family owns at least one boat.
The school on Olomeguita. It is likely that children have learned and played on Olomeguita for over 10,000 years.
(Below) The view of Estrechura Island from Olomeguita Island - twin islands.
The southern part of Estrechura Island to the right and hills beyond the southern lakeshore in the background. Estrechura may be close enough to the lakeshore to wade across.
On Estrechura island there is a curious rock with three sides carved with various figures. It is carved in the same style as Igualtepec at Lago Guija, linking the two sites. The locals call this rock the "devil's rock" for the carving at the left. Unfortunately it has been chalked and painted which can make it hard to tell what is the original carving. The two sets of arms could be what makes the carving devil-like. This does recall the story of the Xibalbhan who arrived on Isla Tigre with a surf-raft tied to this waist that made him look like a bat. Is this rock carving placed here because of a similar visit by the Xibalbhans to this island? Or is it to simply retell that story to future generations?
Here is one of the sides of the same stone. The most interesting aspect of this carving is that the figure on the top appears to be sitting on a circle or a wheel. This may be another retelling of history, although I am not aware of any Popol Vuh stories that speak of a wheel, cart, or chariot. One would need more specialized tools to discern the original carving and then begin to interpret it.
Finally, here is the third side of the Estrechura carved stone. This side resembles the Igualtepec carvings the most.
There is one nearby geographic feature that appears to indicate a high level of technology among the Olmecs before they moved to Mexico - the many apparently human-made lakes and lagoons. There are two scattered lagoons to the west of Olomega - Laguna Jocotal to the west, south of Chaparristique volcano, and Laguna Aramuaca toward San Miguel. To the east about 12 kilometers are a series of four named lagoons: Managuara, Maguique, Pilon, and Negritos, and two smaller ones.
Laguna Jocotal is the largest of the lagoons, perhaps 1-2 kilometers wide and 3-4 kilometers in length. The formation of the lake is clear from the name: (in Ch'orti' Maya)
Hok'ot - excavated, hollowed out
Tal - arrival, place
So Jocotal means "hollowed out place", implying hollowed out by people.
The meaning of Aramuaca is not so clear but appears to include spiders.
Ahr - time, occasion
Am - spider
Muak - serious ailment
or Waka' - bark string, cord
So it either means "time of serious ailment spider" or "spider web occasion." Neither meaning speaks about the origin of the lagoon.
Managuara is an important name in the Lenca tradition, originally in Ch'orti':
Mah - weak
Ahn - current
Na'k' - ball, pellet
Wa'ar - standing, erect
ha' - water
Managuara means "pellets in erect (land) (form) weak current pond." Laguna Managuara is another place that the Maya (Lenca/Olmek) practiced with gunpowder (pellets). The high bank on the southeast side of Laguna Negritos was blasted out and an opening was created to extend the lagoon to form the new Laguna Managuara. Because of the importance of the name Managuara, this was probably the first lagoon created by the Lenca/Olmek.
Laguna Maquigüe also has a revealing name: Maquigüe - mak ik' wehr - "rip the above-surface plugging up." Like Managuara they were testing gunpowder. Perhaps in this case they attempted to open up the lagoon. Maybe the smaller lagoon to the south of Maquigüe is the result.
The Olmek/Lenca practiced on the lagoons, using gunpowder blasts to break open the lagoons, in some cases creating smaller neighboring lagoons. The lagoons were likely practiced on at the same time as gunpowder testing in central and northern La Union, which was about 7650 BCE.
Literary support for the lagoon building works of the Olmec/Lenca comes from the wife's name of the Olmec founder Maix. This is actually the second wife name for Maix and should be thought of as the feminine side of the lineage or even attributes of the lineage in general. The name is Tz'ununija, translated at Water Hummingbird by Tedlock, meaning Green Kingfisher. I most agree with Tedlock but would say Water Hummingbird Beak:
tu'u' - sip
tz'unun - hummingbird
ni' - beak
ha' - water
The motion of the beak of the kingfisher diving into the water provides a visual for the tools and movement of the Olmec and Lenca as they dug out the lagoons.
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