Mojarra Stela 1: Lines 1-3

Granted Mojarra 1 was published before the side Mojarra inscription, but I never got around to deciphering the text.

The first column of the Mojarra inscription reads as follows:Row 1 (reading right to left).

(1) i ta ki yo.(1a) i po Ki se. (1b) i ta ki yo.1/1b.

Thou sacre raising (as) a vital spirit exist (now).1a. Thou the pure Protector / or You (art) Pure Kise.

2)Ba da Yo

The Great Da Yo.

3. Se po Da Yo

The victorious and Pure Da Yo

4. Po tu

Pure birth (was on)

5. 8 5 3 3 5

May 21 ,143 AD

6. Se Gyo(Thou art)

Se gyo Snake

(Se gyo is a surname given to an enfant whose people ascribe the intervention of a divinity.)

Translation :"Thou sacre raising exist (now). Thou (art) the Pure Protector. The Great Da Yo. The victorious and pure Da Yo's pure birth ( was on ) May 21 143 AD. Thou (art) the Se Gyo. Thou Snake"

Row 2

Ni Po

Kyu gyo

Po tu

Yo po bo po ta

Monkey Tu

Yo

pa po

Ta

Se lu la

Tu ku tu

Yo Pe"

(1)The pure house, (2)the big hemisphere sepulcre (burial Pyramid?) is a talisman. (3)Pure King Yo, is pure moral gradeur (and) a pure Propriety. (4) The Monkey King. (5) Yo (6) has much purity (7) the devotee is pure. (8) To realize and hold upright a good situation. (9) The king and Governor is obedient to the law. (10) (Oh) Yo Pe."

Row 3

Po tu

Pe pe Ngbe

Yo Pe

Papa Po gbe Papa

Yo Pe

Pe po pe

Da Yo da

"The pure King (he has) Prodigious purity and virtue. The pure Yo, very much purity and virtue (is due) Yo Pe. Very much admiration for Da Yo at this moment the king."lu ma tu gyoYo Pe[/b]"Hold upright spiritual tranquility for the ruler and cult leader: Yo Pe."


The first date in Mojarra 1, relates to the birth of Yo Pe who was recognized as Se Gyo. The inscription makes it clear that Yo Pe was recognized as a god and the leader of his people's religion.To understand the designation of Yo Pe as Se Gyo (Se Jo) is explained by Mande traditional culture.

Reading the signs as Pe gyo tells us that Yo Pe was considered a powerful religious specialist in addition to be the King.

The "loopy" sign is not an Initial Series character. It was just a description of the potent supernatural power Yo Pe possessed.As Se gyo, Yo Pe appears to have had great knowledge of sorcery or nyama.

Se (foot, foundation) represents the beginning of knowledge. The se symbolizes beginning, an advance of success and power. The se represents man's progression in pursuit of knowledge.

Since Se, means foundation and gyo, is spiritual knowledge. Se gyo would = "foundation of spiritual knowledge".P.R. McNaughton's The Mande Blacksmiths: Knowledge, Power and Art in West Africa. This book gives us keen insight into Mande traditional beliefs and helps explain much of Olmec social concepts and religion.

Nyama is occult power or special energy of supernatural origin. Nyama is considered source of power behind every task. Among the Mande the pinnacle of potency is the knowledge of sorcery. Sorcery is important among the Mande says McNaughton because "for the vast majority [of Mande] sorcery provide a means for analyzing situations and a tool for responding to them, and these people can be quite open about their use of it" (p.13).

In the above transliteration of the signs in the “loopy” figure I gave the following interpretation:

(1) i ta ki yo.(1a) i po Ki se. (1b) i ta ki yo.1/1b. Thou sacre raising (as) a vital spirit exist (now).1a. Thou the pure Protector / or You (art) Pure Kise.

Instead of translating this middle sign as i po ki se, I believe it should read i po kilisi. In the Friday decipherment of the loopy sign I failed to include transliteration of the dot sign: li. The lexical item li, is represented by the black dot inside the middle symbol. Since "li" is in the middle of the figure I am reading the se sign as si, instead of se, thus we have Kilisi. Reading the signs as follows i po kilisi, we have "Thou pure secret speech".Kilisi means secret speech. Kilisi is a potent formula of human sounds rich with supernatural energy. It is kilisi that provides an object with nyama.In relation to the serpent/snake in the inscription it does not relate to a date.

Before the sa or snake we have se gyo "Foundation of spiritual knowledge". I believe that Ye Po was a Satigi[/]: Master of Snakes.Among the Mande the snake is used in divination. The snake diviner studies the reptiles movements which he mystically interprets to answer clients questions. The Satigi, communicated with snakes for numerous purposes, e.g., to forsee future events and obtain secret knowledge, because he shares a supernatural bond with the serpent. The Satigi is recognized as one of the most powerful diviners of the Mande people who has the ability to perform supernatural acts (McNaughty, p.52).

This suggest that Se gyo Sa (Snake) may be interpreted as The Se Gyo and Sa(tigi).In Row 2 we read the following:

Row 2Ni PoKyu gyoPo tuYo po bo po taMonkey TuYopa poTaSe lu laTu ku tuYo Pe

" (1)The pure house, (2)the big hemisphere sepulcre (burial Pyramid?) is a talisman. (3)Pure King Yo, is pure moral gradeur (and) a pure Propriety. (4) The Monkey King. (5) Yo (6) has much purity (7) the devotee is pure. (8) To realize and hold upright a good situation. (9) The king and Governor is obedient to the law. (10) (Oh) Yo Pe."

The monkey figure probably has an important meaning in this inscription and may represent an emblem. Among the Mande [b]sulaw monkeys indicates the initiates awareness of his own animality. This suggest that Sula tu in row 2, should read "A king aware of his animality".In conclusion it is safe to say that Yo Pe had immense supernatural power, thus his nickname "Se Gyo". He was also a Satigi, and thus could see into the future and obtain supernatural knowledge via his snake totem.

As a result of this I do not believe that Se gyo Snake, is a day sign. These signs probably related to the immense supernatural powers of Yo Pe.