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THE CRAB AS COSMIC YUX: A SYMBOL OF POWER AND CREATION IN COTZUMALHUAPA

Abstract Crab iconography in Mesoamerica is a novelty, often ignored academically while its meaning remains a mystery. In Cotzumalhuapa, the crab appears as either a base or a headdress in monumental art, but why? Why is the crab singled out in the creation portion of the Popol Vuh, establishing an unexplained precedent? The following work attempts to answer these questions. The decapod itself was not arbitrarily chosen for its role as paxil, or as a feminine symbol of creation, with links to the moon and rain. Rather, its biology and behavior mirrored the existing Mesoamerican worldview. Unfortunately, the linguistic and cultural affinities of Cotzumalhuapa are unknown. Thus, I analyze other objects from other regions/cultures and compares zoological, linguistical, and ethnohistorical data to conclude that the crab was conceptually feminine, a cognate to the moon goddess and the surface of the earth, representing creation. Furthermore, rulers of Cotzumalhuapa wore regalia that include crab imagery, which provided them the power of creation and propagated belief in the legitimacy of their rule.