This 1915 stamp from Mexico has the image of the Faro
Venustiano Carranza,
Veracruz Lighthouse. The detail that was drawn into
the image is an incredible likeness of the actual building. In translating the
inscription at the bottom of the stamp, using Google, - Edificio detaros Of del
Gobierna Mex, it states, Detail Building of The Mexican Government. This light
house is in the central gulf coast area in Veracruz City and is officially
known as Heroica Veracruz.
As mentioned on wikipedia.org “When the Spanish
explorer Hernán Cortés arrived
in Mexico on April 22, 1519, he founded a city here, which he named Villa
Rica de la Vera Cruz, referring to the area's gold and dedicated to the
"True Cross", because he landed on the Christian
holy day of Good Friday, the day of the Crucifixion.”
It’s likely that the original inhabitants of the
Veracruz area, as mentioned on history.com known as “The indigenous Huastec
people from the Pánuco River basin in east Mexico (who) spoke a Mayan
dialect but were physically separated from the rest of the Mayans” were the first
people that Hernán Cortés would have met when his
ship landed on their shores. When Cortés arrived in 1519 it “was
the starting point of the conquest of the Aztec Empire.”
(todayinhistory.tumblr.com)
This was actually a second voyage that arrived after “The
Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo, first arrived in
1518 at the island later known as San Juan de Ulúa.”
The work to build the lighthouse began in 1902 and it
was completed in 1910. (structurae.net) According to ibiblio.org, “This
building played a crucial role in Mexico's 1913-1917 revolution, and for a time
in 1914-15 it served as the national capitol. It is named for Venustiano
Carranza, the hero of the revolution and president of Mexico from 1917 to 1920.
Owned by the Navy, since 1935 the building has housed the headquarters of the
Third Naval District” and now it’s been “Inactive since 1952, but a decorative
light is displayed.”
The symbols around the perimeter of the lighthouse stamp
seem to indicate an Aztec influence and some have a resemblance to the images
on the Aztec Sun Stone. As noted on the Ancient History Encyclopedia website, “The
Aztec Sun Stone
(or Calendar Stone)
depicts the five consecutive worlds of the sun from Aztec mythology.
The stone is not, therefore, in any sense a functioning calendar, but rather it
is an elaborately carved solar disk, which for the Aztecs and other
Mesoamerican cultures represented rulership.”
The article further mentions that “At the centre of
the stone is a representation of either the sun god Tonatiuh
(the Day Sun) or Yohualtonatiuh (the Night Sun) or the primordial earth monster
Tlaltecuhtli,
in the latter case representing the final destruction of the world when the 5th
sun fell to earth.” It further mentions, “On either side of the central face
are two jaguar heads or paws, each clutching a heart, representing the
terrestrial realm.”
On the lower center section of the Veracruz lighthouse
stamp you can see an image with the Aztec influence that is similar to the
center image on the Aztec Sun Stone and it is flanked by what looks like two
different male figure heads.
One the Aztec Sun Stone there are several carved
symbols or designs that are grouped in sections of five of the same design.
There are similar designs drawn into the intricate patterns on the lighthouse stamp
in sections of five. This prompts a question about there being more symbolism
to the stamp then just merely an interesting design.
There were five years of the Mexican Revolution between
1910 and 1915. There were five successive acting presidents or leaders during
that period Porfirio Diaz, Francisco Leon de la Barro, Francisco L. Madero, General
Victoriano Huerta, then Venustiano Carranza (wikipedia.org). It makes an interesting
thought.
The lighthouse building was completed in 1910 yet this
stamp is dated 1915. The year that Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico was
1519. Is it coincidence that the first two and last two numbers in the date of
his arrival could be transposed to coincide with the date of the stamp? (1519
to 1915).
Could it also symbolize the year 1915 that Venustiano
Carranza, (Jose’ Venustiano Carranza de la Garza) defeated the revolutionaries and
became the recognized president of Mexico by the United States? Could this signify
the similarities between the two dates and a similar resistance or victory that
began with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and Carranza’s victory over
General Huerta? Does the end of the revolution with Carranza’s leadership imply
the meaning of the center image on the Aztec Sun Stone, “the primordial earth
monster Tlaltecuhtli…
the final destruction of the world when the 5th sun fell to earth” giving a
symbolic meaning to the destruction of their world or government at that time?
Lastly, the two Jaguar images facing outwards on
either side of the center image on the Aztec Sun Stone have a symbolic meaning.
A jaguar is “a fierce, brave hunter in ancient Mexico (that) was
the symbol of the Aztec elite warriors, the "Jaguars" as a jaguar was
the largest beast of prey.” (ancientpages.com).
Is it possible that the male warrior images on the lighthouse
stamp, each with a different look for their faces and not a mirrored image, could
symbolize the two main leaders of the government and revolution during the 1913-1917
revolution time frame?
It all could be something to consider, or this could
just be a fancy design on the stamp and most suitable for sending postage paid
letters throughout Mexico and around the world at that time.
If you have any thoughts on this topic please feel
free to comment.
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