Huipil is the term used to refer to a typical dress in Mexico and in various areas of the central part of the American continent. It is an outfit with many and very different decorations, characteristic of the indigenous peoples and closely associated with the Mayan culture.
Usually the designs of these gowns are usually made with many colors. In Mexico, the huipil is common in areas of Yucatán, Puebla, the Huasteca region or Querétaro. It is characterized by being a white outfit full of embroidery of different motifs.
Design of a huipil, via Wikimedia Commons.
The word huipil was born in the Nahuatl language, which is a language that is at least 15 centuries old. The meaning speaks of a suit with ornaments or a kind of shirt. It is a variation of the word huipili. Hipil or güipil are other terms that can be used to refer to this outfit.
Origin
The classic period of the American continent is the time where it is believed that the huipil can originate according to some historians. It is a stage that goes from 292 to 900 AD. They affirm that it was used by the women of different civilizations of the time, such as the Teotihuacana or the Aztec, but among the Mayan peoples it is where it was more common.
During the 6th century, it was common for the huipil to be used by women to fulfill religious rites, but with the passage of time it was an appropriate outfit for any type of meeting or event.
The evidence of the antiquity of the huipil in these cultures is supported by the presence of archaeological remains. Several images made of ceramic were found, very common in the Mayan culture, where female figures were dressed with the huipil.
The typical dress in these images used to vary in length, as it could reach the knees or reach the ankles.
Arrival of the Spaniards
The conquest of the Spanish in the 16th century brought many changes to the indigenous cultures present in Mexico and in different areas of Central America. Historians have several versions about the role of the Spanish in the use of the huipil.
On the one hand, it is believed that the conquerors forced the women of the Mayan cultures to cover their bodies with the huipil. The reason was that it was customary among indigenous groups to go bare-chested and for church representatives this was immoral.
Another story talks about the importance of the Spanish in the evolution of the huipil. It is believed that in the middle of the 16th century the settlers succeeded in introducing the use of the pedal loom into local communities. This device allowed perfecting some techniques in making the huipil.
Description
characteristics
The huipil is a dress or a robe that normally has white as its main color. It consists of three pieces of cotton cloth, which when joined together made it possible to create a kind of sack with holes through which the arms could be passed and another for the head.
The length is not defined. It can reach the height of the ankles, cover the knees and nowadays you can see models that are blouse type.
They are handmade pieces that generally require a couple of months to complete. Two different types of looms are used to make the huipil: the backstrap loom or the pedal loom.
The backstrap loom receives this name because one end is tied to the waist of the person making the huipil and the other end of the loom is tied to a tree or something rigid. For its part, the pedal loom, also known as the foot loom, allowed making larger fabrics, faster and with different materials.
The designs, colors and types of huipil depend a lot on the area where they are made and the culture of the community in question. Among the designs you can find various figures of animals, from eagles, roosters or deer, to geometric figures, roses or stars.
They can be divided into two types: the huipil for everyday use and the huipil for important moments. In some cultures, it is the costume that is used at the wedding and then it is the same outfit that the woman will wear when she dies and has to be buried.
materials
The materials for making the huipil evolved over time. At first it was common to use cotton and fiber that could be obtained thanks to the maguey or henequen, which is a type of agave.
Later, the manufacture of the huipil with woolen or silk fabrics was developed. Nowadays, the use of synthetic materials is more common.
Different methods have also been used for decorations. At first many of them were thanks to natural processes. The color could be achieved with the use of insects such as cochineal, or the ink of marine animals, fruit peels or trees. Coffee was even used to dye the huipil pieces. The elaboration is explained in this video:
Colors
The normal thing is that the base of the huipil is white, but the fabric can be of another color. Moreover, according to indigenous traditions, each tone represents something special. White symbolizes hope or a promise. That is why it is a color widely used in weddings, marriage requests or baptisms.
Importance
The huipil had a great relevance among indigenous communities. On the one hand, not every woman used this garment in the past, but neither did everyone learn the art of making it.
This attire allowed to identify the community to which the women who wore it belonged since the designs told the stories of their civilizations. More than a dress, the huipil is a way of strengthening the culture of the indigenous populations that wear it.
Although they are more traditional in Mexico, the huipil is also present in Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua where it is part of local traditions. In the case of El Salvador, the huipil refers to a skirt only.
Then, in Mexico they can be differentiated taking into account the place. In Chiapas the ornaments are made with floral shapes. In Nayarit there is a custom of leaving a design unfinished because that symbolizes long life. While in Oaxaca birds with two heads are designed.
References
- Spain and New Spain. (1991). Mexico: Iberoamerican University.
- Hernández Díaz, J. and Zafra, G. (2005). Artisans and artisans. México, DF: Plaza and Valdés.
- Klein, K. (1997). The continuous thread: The preservation of the textile traditions of Oaxaca. Singapore: The Getty Conservation Institute.
- Morris, W. and Meza, M. (1987). Symbolism of a ceremonial huipil of the Highland Tzotzil Maya community of Magdalenas, Chiapas. Provo, Utah: New World Archaeological Foundation.
- Stresser-Pean, C. (2012). Of clothing and men. México, DF: FCE - Fondo de Cultura Económica.