|
| Stories of shells and snails | | November
4, 2002. |  For
thousands of years, man has collected the shells of mollusks (a name that includes
snails, mussels, clams and oysters among others, and of which there are approximately
100,000 different species) and he has always been mesmerized by their colors,
texture and shapes that, combined, give them a beauty that is unique.
The
admiration human beings have demonstrated for them is revealed in the discovery
- among the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy, of a huge collection
of shells of species both local and from places as distant as the Red Sea and
the Indian Ocean. It is believed that this fabulous collection belonged to Roman
historian Plinius "The Elder", the very same who edited his famous 37-volume
work entitled "Natural History", the first 10 of which were published
in the year 77. On the other hand, mollusks have played an
important role in the diet of primitive man. This was proven by the fact that
abundant remnants of shells were found in many caves and shelters located near
oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. The most famous discoveries were made in the caves
of Altamira, in northern Spain.  In
many stories, shells and snails have been faithful companions throughout our cultural
evolution and the evidence they left all along this journey of ours is found in
an endless number of writings, monuments and archeological sites of certain civilizations
of the ancient world. They have been used as money, musical instruments, food,
decorative items, tools, magical objects and even religious objects worthy of
worship.
Before the Romans minted their first metal coins
in the year 670 B.C., the Polynesians of the Pacific had used cowry "monetary"
shells as money. The mollusk received its scientific name specifically because
of the fact that it was used as a monetary unit. This same species was also used
by the African people as a symbol of magic and personal power. According
to researcher Gabriel Espinosa Pineda, "snails and shells integrated a complex
world for the Meso-American people, something that in most cases, we tend to simplify.
We just have to visit the museums dedicated to pre-Hispanic cultures to realize
that we are often satisfied just knowing that such and such a ritual, decorative
or useful object was simply made with a shell - without caring about its species,
origin, aspect or symbolic importance. If we were to do a systematic study of
the associations of shells to their uses and implicit symbolic systems, we would
probably find that man held a complicated dialogue with the rest of the cosmos
with the help of shells".  For
ancient Mexicans, large snails were more closely linked with wind and sound than
with water. Ehécatl was a deity with a voice audible by man, which is why
they made clay whistles in the shape of snails or used conch shells of the Strombus
genus to make powerful trumpets called Quetzaltecciztli, "precise or divine
conch", that were used in their religious rituals to personify the deity.
In
pre-Columbian America, mollusk half-shells with symbolic value were found in archeological
sites dating back 5,000 years, along with tokens or offerings found in the tombs
of priests. American native Indians of the "Tierra del Fuego" in South
America used mollusks as basic food, and to make utensils and decorative items,
including necklaces made of snail shells of the Margarites genus. There
is no question that the decorative item most often associated with shells is the
pearl, and ever since antiquity, pearls have been considered as valuable, precious
jewels. Oyster fishing for the extraction of natural pearls was an important activity
for a long time among various artisan people of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Today, this has been eclipsed by the "cultured" pearls industry that
produces quasi-perfectly round pearls that are worth less.  This
industrial process was popularized by the Japanese, although back in the 13th
century, the Chinese were already inserting little miniature statues of Buddha
made of clay into sweet water pearl clams, so that after one year, they would
get a beautiful, perfect object covered with mother-of-pearl.
One
of the most notable pearls ever found in America is the "Peregrina"
of 134 carats, the size of the egg of a dove. It was found on the coast of Panama
and sent to King Philip II of Spain who reigned during the second half of the
16th century. Finally, the beauty of mollusk shells has
served as inspiration for various famous artists such as Rubens and Verocchio.
One of the most beautiful paintings of all times is the "Birth of Venus"
by Botticelli where he represented her with long, flowing hair, a lovely body
supported by a shell of the Pecten genus. cupul@pvmirror.com Archives
by date | 
Current
Weather Report
