The Nicarao people were a
Nahuat
Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nicarao) is a Nahuan languages, Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan languages, Uto-Aztecan family. It was spoken in several parts of present-d ...
-speaking
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...
n people who migrated from central and southern
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
over the course of several centuries from approximately 700 CE onwards. Around 1200 CE, the Nicarao split from the
Pipil people
The Nahua people, also academically referred to as ''Pipil'', are an indigenous group of Mesoamerican people inhabiting the western and central areas of present-day El Salvador. Although very few speakers are now left, they speak the Nawat langua ...
and moved into what is now
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
. The migration of the Nicarao has been linked to the collapse of the important central-Mexican cities of
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Teotihuacán'') (; ) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Teotihuacan is ...
and
Tula, as well as the
Classic Maya collapse
In archaeology, the classic Maya collapse is the decline of the Classic Maya civilization and the abandonment of Maya cities in the southern Maya lowlands of Mesoamerica between the 7th and 9th centuries. At Ceibal, the Preclassic Maya e ...
. The Nicarao settled in several pockets throughout western Nicaragua, particularly around the western shores of
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada ( es, Lago de Nicaragua, , or ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world (by area) and the t ...
. The Nicarao shared many blended cultural traits with both indigenous North American and Mexican belief systems as well as their
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...
parent tribe, including an identical Toltec
calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
, similar organizational treaties, the use of
screenfold books, the worship of the
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit is the concept of a life force, a Supreme Being or god known more specifically as Wakan Tanka in Lakota,Ostler, Jeffry. ''The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee''. Cambridge University Pres ...
and closely-related
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
,
Nagual
In Mesoamerican folk religion, a nagual (pronounced a'wal is a human being who has the power to shapeshift into their Tonal (mythology), tonal animal counterpart. Nagualism is tied to the belief one can access power and spiritual insight by ...
mysticism and practice of
Tonal spirituality.
The Nicarao were first contacted by the Spanish in 1522 CE, initiating the
Spanish conquest of Nicaragua
The Spanish conquest of Nicaragua was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish '' conquistadores'' against the natives of the territory now incorporated into the modern Central American republic of Nicaragua during the colonisation of the Americas. ...
. At the time of contact, they were ruled by a ''
cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
'' that the Spanish called
Nicarao, who governed from his capital
Quauhcapolca, not far from the modern town of
Rivas. At that time, the Nicarao had a sizeable population concentrated in nucleated villages. Within a century of European contact, the Nicarao were effectively dismantled as a tribal Confederation by the Spanish incursion.
Origin and distribution
The Nicarao people migrated from central and southern
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
over the course of several centuries from approximately 700 CE onwards. Around 1200 CE, the Nicarao split from the
Pipil people
The Nahua people, also academically referred to as ''Pipil'', are an indigenous group of Mesoamerican people inhabiting the western and central areas of present-day El Salvador. Although very few speakers are now left, they speak the Nawat langua ...
and moved into what is now
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
. The beginning of this series of migrations was likely to have been linked to the collapse of the great central-Mexican city of
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Teotihuacán'') (; ) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Teotihuacan is ...
, and later with the collapse of the
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...
city of
Tula. The dating of Nicarao arrival in what is now Nicaragua has also been linked to the
Classic Maya collapse
In archaeology, the classic Maya collapse is the decline of the Classic Maya civilization and the abandonment of Maya cities in the southern Maya lowlands of Mesoamerica between the 7th and 9th centuries. At Ceibal, the Preclassic Maya e ...
, with the cessation of Maya influence in the region, and the rise of cultural traits originating in the
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico ( es, Valle de México) is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with present-day Mexico City and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico wa ...
. The Nicarao settled in several pockets distributed through western Nicaragua, and possibly also extended into what is now northwestern
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
.
They are believed to have displaced the
Chorotega inhabitants that had previously settled the region. The Nicarao appear to have seized control of the most productive land around the western portions of
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada ( es, Lago de Nicaragua, , or ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world (by area) and the t ...
, and the
Gulf of Fonseca
The Gulf of Fonseca ( es, Golfo de Fonseca; ), a part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
History
Fonseca Bay was discovered for Europeans in 1522 by Gil González de Ávil ...
. The area now covered by
Rivas Department
Rivas () is a department of the Republic of Nicaragua. It covers an area of 2,162 km2 and has a population of 183,611 (2021 estimate). The department's capital is the city of Rivas.
Overview
Rivas is known for its fertile soil and beautif ...
appears to have been conquered by the Nicarao shortly before the Spanish conquest.
Major settlements
At the time of contact with the Spanish, the Nicarao were governed from their capital at
Quauhcapolca, near the modern town of
Rivas. Other principal settlements included Mistega,
Ochomogo
Ochomogo is a location in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica.
It is in a mountain pass between the cities of San José and Cartago.
It was the site of the Battle of Ochomogo (5 April 1823) between those who wanted Costa Rica to join the newly fo ...
, Oxmorio, Papagayo, Tecoatega, Teoca, Totoaca, and Xoxoyota.
Spanish contact
When the Spanish first encountered the Nicarao in 1522 CE, they inhabited the
Isthmus of Rivas
The Nicaraguan Canal ( es, Canal de Nicaragua), formally the Nicaraguan Canal and Development Project (also referred to as the Nicaragua Grand Canal, or the Grand Interoceanic Canal) was a proposed shipping route through Nicaragua to connect th ...
. Their ruler was referred to in later sources as
Nicarao, and the capital city was
Quauhcapolca. The Nicarao had a sizeable population concentrated in nucleated villages. The Nicarao experienced complete demographic collapse within the first century after the
Spanish conquest of Nicaragua
The Spanish conquest of Nicaragua was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish '' conquistadores'' against the natives of the territory now incorporated into the modern Central American republic of Nicaragua during the colonisation of the Americas. ...
, from a combination of disease and being sold into
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. A remnant
Nahua
The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...
-speaking population may have existed as late as the mid-19th century, but the Nicarao as a tribal Confederation are now extinct.
[Fowler 1985, p. 38.] However, some of their practices and beliefs continue to survive among their displaced ancestors within the indigenous people of Central America and Nicaragua.
Culture
Spanish chronicler
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 14781557), commonly known as Oviedo, was a Spanish soldier, historian, writer, botanist and colonist. Oviedo participated in the Spanish colonization of the West Indies, arriving in the first few year ...
, writing soon after the conquest, recorded that the Nicarao practised
cranial modification, by binding the heads of young children between two pieces of wood. Archaeologists have unearthed
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
burials in the former Nicarao region with evidence of both cranial and dental modification. The Nicarao possessed a number of cultural traits in common with the
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...
s of central Mexico, including an identical
calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
, the use of
screenfold books, worship of the
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit is the concept of a life force, a Supreme Being or god known more specifically as Wakan Tanka in Lakota,Ostler, Jeffry. ''The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee''. Cambridge University Pres ...
and a Toltec pantheon of
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
,
Tonal mythology,
Nagual
In Mesoamerican folk religion, a nagual (pronounced a'wal is a human being who has the power to shapeshift into their Tonal (mythology), tonal animal counterpart. Nagualism is tied to the belief one can access power and spiritual insight by ...
mysticism, and treaties.
They also, in common with their Mexican cousins from
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
culture, practiced ritual confession, and the ''
volador
The ''Danza de los Voladores'' (; "Dance of the Flyers"), or ''Palo Volador'' (; "flying pole"), is an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony/ritual still performed today, albeit in modified form, in isolated pockets in Mexico. It is believed to have ...
'' (flying men) ritual.
Notes
References
*Fowler, William R. Jr. (Winter 1985).
Ethnohistoric Sources on the Pipil-Nicarao of Central America: A Critical Analysis. ''Ethnohistory''. Duke University Press. 32 (1): 37–62. ISSN 0014-1801. . . Retrieved 2017-06-27.
*Healy, Paul (2006a)
980br>
A Proposed Culture History of the Rivas Regionin
Archaeology of the Rivas Region, Nicaragua'. pp. 329–341. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. .
*Healy, Paul (2006b)
980br>
A Brief History of the Culture Subareain
Archaeology of the Rivas Region, Nicaragua'. pp. 19–34. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. .
*McCafferty, Geoffrey G.; and McCafferty, Sharisse D. (2009).
Crafting the Body Beautiful: Performing Social Identity at Santa Isabel, Nicaragua in Halperin, Christina T., Katherine A. Faust, Rhonda Taube, Aurore Giguet, Elizabeth M. Brumfiel, and Lisa Overholtzer (eds.). ''Mesoamerican Figurines''. pp. 297–323. Gainesville, Florida, US: University Press of Florida. Archived fro
the originalon 2017-07-17. .
*McCafferty, Geoffrey (2015).
The Mexican Legacy in Nicaragua, or Problems when Data Behave Badly. ''Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association'' 25 (1): 110–118.
*Salamanca, Danilo (2012)
Los dos rostros indígenas de Nicaragua y Centroamérica. ''Wani'', Revista del Caribe Nicaragüense. 65: 6–23. Bluefields, Nicaragua: Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University/Centro de Investigaciones y Documentacion de la Costa Atlántica (BICU/CIDCA). ISSN 2308-7862.
{{authority control
Mesoamerican people
History of Nicaragua
Extinct ethnic groups
Indigenous peoples in Nicaragua
Mesoamerican cultures
Native American genocide