Taking gold and giving words

"The language of the Conquistadors, thus became the only official language, the language of administration and justice, of education and writing."

Think that is a part of one of our administrative reports on the situation as it existed in Lanka in the 19th and 20th centuries? And as for the grant of words, did we give gold as the land of South America did? That is the land implied in the title. I am not sure about the abundance of gold in ancient and medieval Lanka. The Sandheshas all refer to our gorgeous cities gleaming with burnished gold. Alankara or mere rhetoric? Why be so sceptical? The Kotte royal palace made of blue crystal that went under the cruel Ferenghi hammer had radiated a sheen for miles around according to contemporary accounts.

We also had plenty of objects wrought in gold ranging from thrones and crowns to many a household object and ornamental ware and varied forms of exquisite gold jewellery that men and women wore. Sometimes long edicts were inscribed on gold sheets known as Ran path and reliquaries of many a temple just brimmed with the treasures prior to vandalism., external and internal.

When our last king was captured and the country turned into a mad house many a gold wrought treasure was bundled and hidden here and there making those who found them, fabulously rich overnight. Once the lucre was found some were transported to the "Mother country" and even auctioned, the auctioneer making a vulgar game of it all. Coming back to the article, it included the above mentioned quote and soon I felt that I was building up connections that dramatically churned in the mess or drama of Colonialism enacted in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries in both East and West..

Mayans

Actually and surprisingly this piece of writing is on the situation that prevailed in the post-Mayan kingdom, also called Mesoamerica in the said phase. The Mayans now the centre of world focus were certainly very clever and intellectual people.

They were obsessed with abstract topics while most of their contemporaries were obsessed with the issue of sustaining themselves. And they were very prosperous, their earth yielding all sorts of precious metal, mostly gold.

By the time the greedy Whites invaded them subsequent to Columbus' discovery, the whole vast terrain of South America was a gorgeous tapestry of cornucopia, gold canopied turrets and domes, resplendent palaces, gilt statues of their gods and massive fabulous shrines.

Soon everything was subject to devastation and plunder and the gold with other luxury items floated across the oceans but something was given in return. Those were WORDS, this time Spanish and the Portuguese words that replaced the native languages of South America.

The above article brackets a statement about gold being exchanged for words that had been made by a Chilean, name Pablo Neruda, Anyway I was coming closer to unravelling the riddle for it goes on to say, that this prize winning Chilean poet was fuming on the rapacity of the Iberian Conquistadors whose conquering drama finally led to the formation of Latin America. My knowledge of the races who constitute the entity known as Latin America, I must admit is not high.

A US politician returning from a trip to Latin America answering the query as to how that country is had said.

"I could not much get an idea for I do not know Latin" My case is worse for I neither know Latin nor the country for I had never been there.

Why should Pablo Neruda, a Chilean write so emotively about the Mayans and weep about their loss of words? Of course, I was aware that Chile is in South America, running like a long chilli along the coast but no further I knew. So I decided to consult the modern Mahadenamutta who unlike the other one activates on the press of knobs. I wished to find out the connections between Chile and Mayan racial entity. And this is what I got along with the background. Neruda himself is a Mayan as having a Mapuche ancestry, distinctly Mayan.

Egotism

They almost vanished under Spanish and Portuguese boots in the 16th century. Now what were the words given? The words of the Conquistadors. Something familiar? Yes, for we too were given words. The English words of the Conquistadors. Even I, a village Veda Mahattaya's granddaughter use them lavishly carried away by the illusion that I am some writer. That is egotism. Let us get back to Pablo Neruda and Jorge Enrique Adoum who gushes on him in probably the White Man's language for their own lingua franca had been obliterated.

Writer Jorge Enrique Adoum, who quotes Neruda now and then "Since with the exception of Paraguay, we have never been bilingual, and since our indigenous languages have not been transcribed, we in Latin America, have learnt to read in the languages of the Whites, even the sacred texts of the Quiche maya, the Popol Vuh, The book of Chilam Balam and the annals of the Cakchiueles.."

Ring a bell? Yes. While in the university, a friend who had passed out earlier after having done History Honours was amused that I am reading the Mahavamsa and the Buddha's 550 Jathaka tales in Sinhala.

"We read them in English" she almost crowed.

Already the Sinhala letters had begun to be degraded. However, the tide turned unlike in the case of the Mesoamericans, thanks to the endeavours of the national-minded who refused to die.

That glorious renaissance where the Buddhist clergy played a major role, is not the topic of this piece. The envisaged topic is the complete slaughter of Mayan languages and learning.. In that context. Let us follow Adoum further.

Official language

"The language of the Conquistadors, thus became the only official language, the language of administration and justice, of education and writing. Today our indigenous populations live in a situation which modern Latin American sociologists have called "Internal colonialism". In order to exercise their rights as citizens they must learn to read and write in the language of the Whites."

If the Mayans could develop subjects as astronomy to astronomical heights, they would have developed a very advanced literature too. But things changed in some terrain... If the Pope decreed the cross as the only object of veneration, the White languages were destined for that same veneration and monopoly .. But not all languages faced extermination.

Speaking or understanding Spanish or Portuguese by the indigenous population became almost a MUST.

Quechya, Aymara and other indigenous languages, to use a White idiom, have been brushed completely under the carpet. Let us thank our own patriots who managed to survive the colonial onslaught, language - wise and culture - wise and propel strong national movements aimed at resurgence of the native language, literature and culture.

In short we refused to bow down to current trends. And today we have become not mono-lingual but trilingual, a clever ruse to get over all the complications. It is time for the Mayans to use the recent avalanche of fame or ill-fame gained due to the prophesy that seem to have turned awry, to revive their long lost literature ie.

The texts of the Quiche Maya comprising the Popol Vuh, Chilam Balam, and the Cakechiqueles that could unfold many a strange tale of yore...