THE SHARK-MONSTER IN OLMEC ICONOGRAPHY - Imaginary Year

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PHILIP J. ARNOLD III, “The Shark-Monster in Olmec Iconography” Mesoamerican Voices, 2 (2005) Figure 17. Shark-monster tails serving as foundations for the world tree: (a) unprovenienced celt with crossed bands and finning found on the Young Lord shark monster. Redrawn from Taube 2000:Figure 6d; (b) detail of incised celt from Rio Pesquero with finning. Redrawn from Benson and de la Fuente 1996: Catalog 117; (c) detail of incised headdress on a celt from Tabasco. Note bifurcated tail and crossed-band motif adopted from Las Bocas shark-monster. Redrawn from Benson and de la Fuente 1996:Catalog 116. 26
PHILIP J. ARNOLD III, “The Shark-Monster in Olmec Iconography” Mesoamerican Voices, 2 (2005) It seems that Olmec iconography anticipates these later depictions of the transition from shark-monster to world-tree headdress. Several of the greenstone celts reported in the literature appear to include elaborate headgear. Such regalia have been particularly difficult to decipher; our understanding of Olmec shark-monster imagery, however, may provide a clue. The cleft head is one of the most widely recognized elements of Olmec iconography. As we have seen, in certain contexts such a cleft may also substitute for the fin or the tail of the shark-monster. This association is reinforced when additional elements are added, such as thin-line finning and/or the crossed-band motif (e.g., Figures 1b, 1c, 2a, 3, 4). Several Olmec figures wear these headdress combinations (Figure 17). For example, the tail of the shark-monster on the Young Lord is very similar to the headdress on an unprovenienced celt (Figure 17a) and a celt from Rio Pesquero (Figure 17b). The former includes both finning and the crossed-band design while the latter is accompanied by finning. The image on the Rio Pesquero celt also serves as a basis for a world tree. A third celt from Tabasco (Figure 17c) incorporates the crossed-band motif seen on a Las Bocas shark-monster and likewise provides a foundation for the axis mundi. As these examples demonstrate, Olmec iconography foreshadowed later depictions of the shark-monster as the basis for the world tree headdress. But these depictions are not constant through time. For example, an interesting divergence marks the Late Formative-Early Classic transition. Along the Gulf lowlands, the 27 more literal shark-monster zoomorph persisted within headdress depictions (e.g., stelae at La Mojarra and Cerro de las Mesas). In the Maya area, however, the image was transformed into a more obvious world tree (e.g., shark tail sprouting vegetation). Conclusion It is said that, were a fish to become self aware, the last thing it might notice would be its own watery milieu. This axiom is also applicable to Olmec research. With the innocent adoption of the very name Olmec, scholars’ attention was irresistibly drawn towards the terrestrial realm. Only recently have Olmec studies begun to appreciate the relevance of a maritime adaptation. This new awareness spills over into all aspects of research, including iconography. Again, visions of terrestrial denizens traditionally rule Olmec readings; in fact, Jiménez Moreno (cited in Bernal 1969:12) once suggested that the name Olmec be replaced with “Tenocelome” or “people of the jaguar mouth.” With a greater appreciation of coastal lifeways, however, we are able to approach this Formative-Period imagery anew. So, it should come as no surprise that, when we take a second look, aquatic motifs and referents become apparent. In this paper I have suggested that shark imagery ranks among the most important of these marine referents. But while sharks may be intimidating, that fact alone is no cause to celebrate them on megalithic sculpture, on greenstone celts, on ceramic vessels, and on headdresses and ritual regalia. The permeation of shark imagery in
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THE SHARK-MONSTER IN OLMEC ICONOGRAPHY - Imaginary Year

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