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During a pilgrimage to the Sacrificial Cenote of Chichèn Itzà (XII/XIII century) population of Mayapàn throws a group of victims in the Cenote to query the gods about future; during the waiting a citizen of Mayapàn, Hunac Ceel , throws himself in to the well and , surfacing , he tells to have been in contact with the gods.
Hunac Ceel became sovereing of all Yucatan.
Here is an abstract from the Chilam Balam Books :
"... and we started to throw them (victims) in the well so that the dignitaries could ear their voice. But their voice was not like the usual. Cauich , Double-Face , a Hunacceel,.... he distended his throat (was talking) on the south border of the well.
So he was rasied. And finally his voice was eard. And then his mandate begun...."
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Chichèn Itzà - Temple of the jaguars |
A different use was made of Cenote Xtoloc.
It was the main source of fresh water for Chichèn Itzà and it's today scarcely visible due to the dense vegetation that covers it.
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Near Cenote Xtoloc are the ruins of a building that was probably used as a small temple.
Mayans believed that Cenotes were doors to the underground world , it's then easy to find ruins of this kind of buildings near the Cenotes.
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The geological life of a Cenote lasts for thousands of years and it develops accross 4 stages:
1) the first one is called 'Cavern' and it's when the Cenote borns. An underground cavern is created by the erosion of the abundant underground , sligtly acid, waters that dissolve the main component of the soil : calcite.ttraverso 4 stadi:
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Copyright 1999 Luca Ridarelli
email : luca@ridarelli.net