The Totonac dress refers to the dress of a Mesoamerican indigenous people located mainly in the State of Puebla (Mexico). The clothing of this community is one of the few items that has not undergone extensive modifications over time. Its most notable transformations occurred in the 17th and 20th centuries.
The first alteration of the attire was influenced by the conquest of the Spanish, which began in 1519. The Hispanics caused the aborigines to design decent and upright garments to present themselves to society.
The Totonacs used the plumes for rituals. Source: pixabay.com
The second change was generated by the arrival of capitalism in Mexico. This event displaced the manufacturing work carried out by the natives, since several production and clothing industries were established.
However, it is convenient to highlight that –beyond the restructuring of the wardrobe– each garment worn by the inhabitants of this caste represents the essence of being Mexican. The Totonacs caused the identity of the Mesoamerican people to be symbolized through clothing.
Totonacas
The Totonac ethnic group lived in the states of Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo. At the beginning of the 16th century they were located in the municipalities of Pahuatlán, Zacatlán, Jalacingo, Xalapa and Atzalan. That is, they occupied most of the territory.
However, in the middle of the seventeenth century a process of acculturation took place. Due to the restrictions established by the Spanish during the war, the Totonacs had to share their lands with other tribes, especially the Nahua.
To prevent the inhabitants from continuing to bond emotionally and biologically with other social groups, many Totonacs decided to move to other areas. This is how they were located in the border areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental and near the Cazones and Tecolutla rivers.
These places were characterized by having varied climates, since in a week it could be both hot and cold. The weather was tropical, for that reason the ethnic population chose to restore their clothing. The goal was to adapt it to unexpected atmospheric changes.
Clothing
characteristics
The Totonac attire not only adjusted to the climatic variations, but to the sacred ceremonies. According to their worldview, it was essential to wear a costume for ritual practices, which was made up of plumes that men and women should wear.
The male sex had to wear a kind of black bodysuit with colored flowers and a yellow ribbon that surrounded the upper part of the panties. On the other hand, the clothing of the ladies consisted of white dresses and red cloaks that were worn at the waist or shoulders.
This costume used to be used in dances performed to request conjugal well-being, increased fertility, and the dissipation of diseases. The idea was to captivate –through dance and clothing– the Sun god and his wife, the goddess of Corn.
In this way, it is observed that the clothing was appreciated as an offering for the deities. It symbolized purity and stability, which is why they avoided dark fabrics and without details.
The Totonacs were the ones who designed and sewed the clothes. Before beginning their weaving work, they prayed in the hope that the divinities would accompany them throughout their tasks.
Testimonials
According to historians, years before the arrival of the Spanish, the inhabitants of this tribe covered themselves only with a fragment of cloth woven with palms, which today is known as guayuco. That cloth only hid the private parts. Furthermore, these indigenous people were always barefoot.
It was during the colonization that the Totonacs began to shape their customs. They unified Hispanic traditions with their daily habits. For this reason they did not adapt to the dress of civilization, but recreated it.
The result of that union was exposed by Fray Juan de Torquemada (1557-1624) in the first decade of 1600. This Franciscan expressed that the native clothes resembled hummingbirds due to the agility and color they displayed.
On the other hand, the clothing of the knights could be related to the herons for their elegance and neatness. Currently, classic garments are only used by older people of the ethnic group or for cultural events.
In men
The men's wardrobe was adjusted to daily tasks, so they tried to make it comfortable. It consisted of long, baggy pants, long-sleeved shirts, and a handkerchief that was placed around the neck and down the back.
In the mid-fifties, the model of the pants was modified, since they were no longer so wide but narrow and shorter. This was because the ladies stopped making the garments, which were manufactured in the textile centers.
The male outfit also featured a hat made of palms and rubber shoes with leather straps. The colors they used were white, blue and red.
Depending on the ceremony, they were adorned with multi-colored mantles, quetzal feather tops and bracelets. Among the terms they used for clothing were:
-Tataanú: pants.
-Makán: shirt.
-Tatanu: footwear.
In women
The women's clothing consisted of a long embroidered skirt and a triangular shirt, similar to a shawl. These garments stood out for their light colors, although to carry out the embroidery it was allowed to handle threads of primary or bright tones.
It is worth noting that the indigenous women only wore black skirts on cold or rainy days. They believed that dark hues fought Tlaloc's pride. Another of his usual garments was the wide coat or poncho, which could be made of wool or cotton.
In addition, the coat was used to carry newborns. The Totonacs wore rubber sandals, they used to tattoo their faces with red ink and generally braided their hair if they were married or engaged.
The women's clothing consisted of a long embroidered skirt and a triangular shirt, similar to a shawl. Source: pixabay.com
They were adorned with feathers, ribbons, jade necklaces, shell earrings, and sashes on the waist or head. It is fair to mention that it was in the 20th century when aboriginal women began to wear industrial blanket dresses. Some words that were used to designate the suits are:
-Quexquémitl: shirt.
-Lhakgat: dress.
-Kgan: skirt.
-Huarachi: sandal.
-Aklhwik: cloak.
References
- Bravo, R. (2009). The religion of the Totonacs. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from the Mexican Academy of History: acadmexhistoria.org.mx
- Havet, E. (2001). Totonacas: ethnography of Mexican indigenous peoples. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from the University of Ottawa Press: uottawa.ca
- Krasinski, J. (2014). Historical conditions of ethnicity among Totonacas. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from the Inter-American Indian Institute: dipublico.org
- Serrano, E. (2015). Totonacos: indigenous peoples of Mexico. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from the Centro de Estudios Superiores de México y Centroamérica: cesmeca.mx
- Trejo, B. (2012). Customs and traditions of the Mexican ethnic groups. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from Historia Magazine: historia.es
- Thompson, L. (2003). Symbolism and rituals of indigenous peoples in Mexico. Retrieved on November 7, 2019 from the National School of Anthropology and History: enah.edu.mx