El Tajín is on the coastal plain of Northern Veracruz, about forty miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The city of Poza Rica, newly created from oil revenues, is nearby, as is Papantla.
This post owes a great deal to the insights of Leonardo Zaleta in his meticulously researched, highly readable introduction to the site, titled 'El Tajín: Misterio y Belleza' (El Tajín: Mystery and Beauty). In quoting Zaleta's superb sources, I have translated from the Spanish and appended the original text to this post.
Now's a good time to mention that I've made a 'Translate' feature available to readers. Go to the side tabs; the first tab shows an "A". Click to translate Jenny's Blog into another language. I checked it by translating English to Spanish. The result was surprisingly good.
El Tajín is a beautiful archaeological site slightly off the beaten tourist path in northern Veracruz. For us it translated into less hassle, more tranquility...reflected, I believe, in this post. Enjoy!To walk onto the grounds of El Tajín is to enter another world. It had rained a couple of weeks before our arrival, so both the jungle surrounding El Tajín and the grassy site itself were cast in the emerald green of early spring. There were few visitors. We practically had the place to ourselves.
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| Looking down into the center of El Tajín from the upper city. The temples built close together reminds me of Palenque (Maya site on the Yucatán Península). Photo: Reed |
And it is beautiful! At Teohihuacán, we climbed up to the massive gran plataforma then descended down onto the Avenue of the Dead, but it is different here at El Tajín, which rose to prominence as Teotihuacán fell and Monte Albán (built by the Zapotecs in Oaxaca) was enduring a long, slow decline.
Arroyo Group
At El Tajín we entered a ground level area that enclosed and embraced us. This area is called the Arroyo (Stream) Group because two small streams surround the space on three sides. The oldest part of El Tajín, its temple buildings were erected between 300 and 600 C.E.
Chronology studies suggest the area has been occupied at least since 5600 B.C., with nomadic hunters and gatherers eventually becoming sedentary farmers, building more complex societies prior to the rise of the city of El Tajin. The first settlement was established in the first century C.E.
Monumental construction started around 300 C.E. and by 600 C.E., El Tajín was an urban ceremonial center. Like Xochicalco, El Tajín rose rapidly because of its strategic position along the old Mesoamerican trade routes, which gave it control over the flow of commodities—both exports such as vanilla, and imports from other locations in what is now Mexico and Central America.
From the early centuries, objects from Teotihuacán are abundant at El Tajín, which suggests at least strong trading relationship between the two ceremonial centers. It is believed that the area's large, central open space might have been the marketplace, which would have been lined with vendors' stalls.
But today, the space enchants...like this....
The walk is a transitional space in which the newcomer leaves behind the ordinary world and prepares physically and emotionally to enter a sacred space...set apart from the tasks of daily life.
Unlike most other Mesoamerican sites, El Tajín has a labyrinthine feeling....
El Tajín: What Does It Mean?
Veracruz is subject to frequent hurricanes and lightning strikes. In the Totonaca dialect, the name El Tajín means thunder, hurricane, lightning. Remember that during the rainy season (June to October), the Gulf Coast region is subject to cyclones and extremely heavy rains, which means that annually the people faced the destructive threat of fierce winds and flooding.
This sculpture was thrown down from the top of the pyramid and broken, possibly by the Chichimecas who drove out the Totonacas and sacked the ceremonial center. Archaeologists reassembled the sculpture at the spot where it was found.
Given the people's dependence on agriculture, it stands to reason that their economic and religious life was focused on influencing the meteorological phenomena that determined whether the crops were to be magnificent harvests leading to abundant life, or catastrophes that could spell death. Above all, like all the peoples of Mesoamerica, they honored the water deity in all his forms.
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| Stairway to a temple now lost to time...has nonetheless not lost its ability to define the space as we enter the ceremonial center Photo: Reed |
But today, the space enchants...like this....
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| We probably walked a good 100 yards (roughly 92 meters) through the Arroyo Group before we reached the next group of buildings, which includes the Pyramid of Niches. Photo: Reed |
The walk is a transitional space in which the newcomer leaves behind the ordinary world and prepares physically and emotionally to enter a sacred space...set apart from the tasks of daily life.
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| Awed and pensive, Blogger Jenny enters El Tajín's sacred space Note the temple in the background. Photo: Reed |
Unlike most other Mesoamerican sites, El Tajín has a labyrinthine feeling....
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| Many temples were constructed almost on top of one another Photo: Reed |
El Tajín: What Does It Mean?
Veracruz is subject to frequent hurricanes and lightning strikes. In the Totonaca dialect, the name El Tajín means thunder, hurricane, lightning. Remember that during the rainy season (June to October), the Gulf Coast region is subject to cyclones and extremely heavy rains, which means that annually the people faced the destructive threat of fierce winds and flooding.
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| This three-sided, column sculpture is possibly a representation of the deity, Tajín, god of thunder, lightning, or hurricane—or possibly all three! Photo: George DeLange |
This sculpture was thrown down from the top of the pyramid and broken, possibly by the Chichimecas who drove out the Totonacas and sacked the ceremonial center. Archaeologists reassembled the sculpture at the spot where it was found.
Given the people's dependence on agriculture, it stands to reason that their economic and religious life was focused on influencing the meteorological phenomena that determined whether the crops were to be magnificent harvests leading to abundant life, or catastrophes that could spell death. Above all, like all the peoples of Mesoamerica, they honored the water deity in all his forms.
It is noteworthy that in the Totonaca dialect "Taajín" can also be translated as "Place of Smoke" or "Place that Smokes". As a dedicated ceremonial center where torches were lit and incense or copal were burned, El Tajín presented never-ending columns of smoke ascending to a cerulean sky, the Heavens, that arched over and enclosed the verdant countryside.
Surely, the sight impressed itself upon the psyches and imaginations of those living in the surrounding countryside. It certainly impressed the poet who wrote these words that come to us from a fragment found at El Tajín (Lazara Meldiu):
Tajín; I am your race
and for your race I come
with the voice that fell from my lips
with the word that flows blood
on the first day of your history.
With your splendid stone you yourself tell your elegyOver a hundred years ago, renowned archaeologist W.H. Holmes observed:
Strung together in the night of the centuries;
Hard and beautiful expression
in the hidden code of your rituals.
"In the art of [the Mesoamerican] peoples, no motiv or artistic labor lacks allegorical meaning, an 'aesthetic myth'...."Pyramid of the Niches
Today the Pyramid of the Niches presents itself in the sandy color of its aged stones, but it was originally plastered over and painted red. Centers of the niches were painted dark red. Niche frames (easily visible) were painted blue. Undoubtedly, the Totonaca people approached this pyramid with awe.
What does the Pyramid of the Niches represent?
The short answer is the pyramid is a visual-spatial representation of the solar year. In earlier posts [click on live links], I have written about the use of visual-spatial metaphors in the design of Mesoamerican ceremonial centers. From Teotihuacán to Monte Albán, from Xochicalco to Palenque, the intent of the planners and architects was always the same: to construct a ceremonial center in the image of their cosmology—their view of the universe.
Paul Westheim, German-born art historian who fled to Mexico from Nazi Germany, made intensive studies of Mesoamerican art, and his conclusions are held in high esteem by Mexican experts. Of El Tajín, Westheim speculates:
There is some speculation that at one time each niche housed an object, such as a palm, axe, statue of a deity or incense-burner. The object might have been related to the specific day represented by each niche. It is impossible to confirm or refute such speculation because the objects were destroyed by Chichimeca invaders who drove out the Totonacas and sacked the site.
Others take a more personal approach, seeing in these niches a chiaroscuro grounded in the Mesoamerican concept of the essential duality of all life: light/darkness, day/night, wet/dry, and time itself, that is, life/death.
Octavio Paz, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, had these thoughts about El Tajín:
Flying Cornices
One of El Tajín's distinguishing architectural features are its 'flying cornices'—diagonals that jut outward, 'fly', from the vertical face of a building layer. Their shape animates the building with movement, creating in the mind's eye the sense of dance that Paz describes.
Here's a bit of architectural history: The Pyramid of the Niches was constructed in the Talud-tablero style typical throughout Mesoamerica.
At El Tajín the niches were set into the vertical face of the Tablero, and the Tablero's 'roof' took the distinctive form of 'flying' cornices, as shown on the drawing below (Middle Row, Second from Left).
Reed took this corner shot of the Pyramid of the Niches, with its prominent 'flying' cornices.
On the enlarged image, it's possible to see that the diagonal of each cornice is formed by three stone layers—each stone layer stepped out from the preceding, supporting layer.
Reed reminds me that although the Maya lacked knowledge needed to build true arches; they nonetheless were able to construct 'false arches' (corbel arches) by stepping each successive block, from opposite sides, closer to the center, then capping the structure at the peak to close the arch. The flying cornices at El Tajín are a variation on the Maya technique and reflect Maya influence.
Greca Escalonada
Another architectural feature that distinguishes El Tajín is the greca escalonada:
The staircase is sometimes interpreted as 'falling rain'—a concept that had me puzzled until I figured out that stairs may be descended! Archaeologist José García Payón spent forty years guiding restoration of the ruins at El Tajín. Here are his thoughts:
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| Pyramid of the Niches Notice the niches set in the center of the staircase. Niche openings measure 52 x 61 cms. (20.5" x 24") and 55 x 70 cms. (21.5" x 27.5") |
What does the Pyramid of the Niches represent?
The short answer is the pyramid is a visual-spatial representation of the solar year. In earlier posts [click on live links], I have written about the use of visual-spatial metaphors in the design of Mesoamerican ceremonial centers. From Teotihuacán to Monte Albán, from Xochicalco to Palenque, the intent of the planners and architects was always the same: to construct a ceremonial center in the image of their cosmology—their view of the universe.
Paul Westheim, German-born art historian who fled to Mexico from Nazi Germany, made intensive studies of Mesoamerican art, and his conclusions are held in high esteem by Mexican experts. Of El Tajín, Westheim speculates:
The Grand Pyramid at El Tajín is organized geometrically, but it is also organized in harmony with astronomic principles....
- The original number of niches was 364, which is the number of days in the solar year;
- The Grand Pyramid is structured in 7 zones [6 levels topped by a temple now lost to time] as is the pyramid at Yohualichán (State of Puebla); hence, we have to suppose that the number 7 was a magic number for the Totonaca people;
- The Grand Pyramid's 7 zones contain a total of 364 niches, or 7 times 52 niches [7 x 52 = 364]. Setting aside the fact that we have 52 weeks in our year, the El Tajín Pyramid established a relationship with the Mesoamerican calendrical cycle of 52 years: 52 serpent heads have been found at the pyramid at Tenayuca, and 52 tableros have been identified at the pyramid of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá;
The Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajín was, in effect, a three-dimensional, climb-up, walk-in, walk-around solar calendar that represented the Totonaca's cosmology, their view of the universe.
- The 18 niches of the staircase at El Tajín correspond to the 18 months of the solar year.
There is some speculation that at one time each niche housed an object, such as a palm, axe, statue of a deity or incense-burner. The object might have been related to the specific day represented by each niche. It is impossible to confirm or refute such speculation because the objects were destroyed by Chichimeca invaders who drove out the Totonacas and sacked the site.
Others take a more personal approach, seeing in these niches a chiaroscuro grounded in the Mesoamerican concept of the essential duality of all life: light/darkness, day/night, wet/dry, and time itself, that is, life/death.
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| El Tajín's famed Pyramid of the Niches Also notice the niches embedded in the stairway. Photo: Reed (Left click to enlarge image) |
Octavio Paz, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, had these thoughts about El Tajín:
The art of the Totonacas rejects the monumental because it knows that true grandeur is found in balance... These stones are alive...and they dance [Emphasis added].Two buildings at El Tajín epitomize Paz's description. The stately geometry of Building 5 (below) is an elegant statement of architectural, even geometric balance. The stones constituting the Pyramid of the Niches (above) do indeed seem to dance. How were these effects achieved?
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| The classic design of Building 5' is remarkable. Note the three-sided sculpture is at the base of the broad staircase, atop the level with niches. Left click for details, including niches, flying cornices and greca escalonada (described later). Photo: Reed |
One of El Tajín's distinguishing architectural features are its 'flying cornices'—diagonals that jut outward, 'fly', from the vertical face of a building layer. Their shape animates the building with movement, creating in the mind's eye the sense of dance that Paz describes.
Here's a bit of architectural history: The Pyramid of the Niches was constructed in the Talud-tablero style typical throughout Mesoamerica.
 |
| Figure 1: Talud creates the diagonal of the pyramid; Tablero is a vertical level bounded by a horizontal 'floor' and 'roof' that serve to stabilize the Talud levels. (Source: Wikipedia, public domain) |
At El Tajín the niches were set into the vertical face of the Tablero, and the Tablero's 'roof' took the distinctive form of 'flying' cornices, as shown on the drawing below (Middle Row, Second from Left).
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| Figure 2: Talud-tablero styles used at major Mesoamerican ceremonial centers El Tajín is middle row, second from left (Source: Wikipedia, public domain) |
Reed took this corner shot of the Pyramid of the Niches, with its prominent 'flying' cornices.
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| Flying Cornices are clearly evident in Reed's corner shot of the Pyramid of the Niches (Left click to enlarge image—you'll be glad you did!) |
On the enlarged image, it's possible to see that the diagonal of each cornice is formed by three stone layers—each stone layer stepped out from the preceding, supporting layer.
Reed reminds me that although the Maya lacked knowledge needed to build true arches; they nonetheless were able to construct 'false arches' (corbel arches) by stepping each successive block, from opposite sides, closer to the center, then capping the structure at the peak to close the arch. The flying cornices at El Tajín are a variation on the Maya technique and reflect Maya influence.
Greca Escalonada
Another architectural feature that distinguishes El Tajín is the greca escalonada:
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| The black, geometric, spiral figure at the right is the greca; the staircase at the left is the escalonada. The complete figure is known as a greca escalonada. |
Okay, I admit it, I've spent way too much time figuring out what exactly this term means. Arte Historia has the shortest, best definition:
- Greca: Meandering or undulating line with corners or right angles; this line is so typical of the Greeks during their Geometric Period that art historians refer to this shape as greca.
- Escalonada: Architectural ornament that combines a greca with a figure in the form of a staircase.
...with difficulty we are able to think that one of the principal ornaments of the precortesian world might have been merely decorative. In the first place, the frequency with which the greca escalonada appears and its preservation across centuries and millenia contradicts this thesis. A solely ornamental form would have worn itself out in time, as has happened with the 'dying' styles of Europe. It would have lost its attraction and been replaced by new forms to provide revitalized fascination and suggestive force.
If the greca escalonada were not replaced with new ornaments, it is because, for the peoples who first employed it, it had a psychological or magical value beyond the aesthetic. Just as the cross isn't a purely decorative form, neither is the greca escalonada.Experts differ on the meaning of the greca escalonada. For Octavio Paz, it symbolizes the serpent who comes from the earth. But most experts, persuasively, agree that the spiral greca signifies the whirling winds of the hurricane or cyclone.
The staircase is sometimes interpreted as 'falling rain'—a concept that had me puzzled until I figured out that stairs may be descended! Archaeologist José García Payón spent forty years guiding restoration of the ruins at El Tajín. Here are his thoughts:
The greca escalonada is the product of a profound rootedness in meteorological phenomena, in religious sentiment, in the twin concepts of the economic necessities [balanced with] the most urgent, collective longings and anxieties. That is to say, it seems that the greca escalonada, which probably was originally in the form of a spiral before it became the familiar geometric form, represents to us the wind and the rain. Or even better, it symbolizes the deity of the hurricane with the name Tajín.But other experts suggest that the staircase represents the earth itself, which may be the more plausible explanation. A terrestrial staircase allows for priestly, ritual ascent to the top of the pyramid—where the gods descended to meet the priestly intermediary who petitioned the gods. Petition completed, the priest descended down the same staircase to the earthly plane.
Mexican historical investigator Leonardo Zaleta writes:
Tajín Chico
The last part of El Tajín was built behind a retaining wall that was back-filled to create a level area, which is sometimes dubbed an acropolis. The buildings at Tajín Chico were not temples, but palaces that housed Tajin's priestly and ruling elite, and civil structures that were used for administration.
But there's more...Great Xicalcaliuhqui
Just below Tajín Chico to the east is a labyrinthine temple complex built to imitate the hurricane's swirling winds—either Xicalcaliuhqui, god of thunder who lives in the sea; or Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent deity (also god of wind) revered throughout Mesoamerica.
Reed photographed the sign to show the layout of the complex, which is one of the last set of buildings constructed at El Tajín.
The labyrinthine, temple complex in the form of a spiral recreates on the earthly plane the whirling winds of the hurricanes. Given the prominent appearance of the greca escalonada on El Tajín's earliest buildings, we can assume that construction of this complex was simply the most mature expression of a cosmology, view of the universe, that was an essential component of Totonaca culture from its earliest days.
The wall has 158 niches, which equal the number of days of hurricane season (June to October). Tellingly, pilgrims arrived at El Tajín and fiestas were held during the hurricane season. As Reed observed elsewhere, "Myth arises when man confronts the forces of nature," and so it must have been at El Tajín.
Final Reflections
In March of each year, the Cumbre de El Tajín is held in Papantla, Veracruz, and at the archaeological site itself. One of cumbre's meanings in Spanish is high point, or outstanding (another is summit). The purpose of the week-long cumbre, or fiesta, is to reinforce ancient Totonaca traditions, including the Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers).
Site Map of El Tajín
I didn't want to interrupt the flow by putting this site map earlier. Sorry.
Still Curious?
Here's the link to Reed's Photo-Essay of our visit to El Tajín.
Here's the link to the latest archaeological findings—including the legend of the "cerro de los mantenimientos" ("Hill of Plenty"): El Tajín II: Of Ants,Gods and the Hill of Plenty.
Beautiful photographs on a sunny day: Slide Show of El Tajín.
Good description/good pics of El Tajín by George DeLange, who has "thirty years experience in astronomy"; his comments on the subject are intriguing.
George DeLange's account of the legend surrounding the origin of the Dance of the Voladores (Flyers) of Papantla is well-told and accompanied by a good video. My palms start sweating just thinking of their 'dance'—which occurs atop a 100' pole!
MexConnect has an excellent article on Dance of the Voladores, including the numeric symbolism, which is remarkably similar to the numeric symbols found on the Pyramid of the Niches.
These links are both to Spanish-language sites, but the content is mostly visual and hence nearly 'language-free'; the photos are worth giving the sites a shot:
Web site provides images of greca escalonada on contemporary pottery, woven rugs, textiles, etc. The greca escalonada figure is alive and well, which would undoubtedly also please Eduardo Seler!
Terrific web site about the Maya developed by Jeeni Criscenzo del Rio, author of Place of Mirrors, a novel about the ancient Maya. I haven't read the novel, but the web site is surprisingly useful.
Biography of Paul Westheim.
In Spanish:
Cumbre de El Tajín 2012, as reported by the Mexican newspaper Milenio.
Appendix: Original Texts in Spanish
Octavio Paz, Risa y Penitencia: "El arte totonaca rehúsa el monumental porque sabe que la verdadera grandeza es equilibrio... Estas piedras están vivas y danzan".
Fragment found at El Tajín:
Understanding the symbolism behind El Tajín requires us to keep in mind a fundamental principle: the prehispanic peoples were eminently theocratic. For the original people, man was impossible in a world without deities.
Now is a good time to return to the photographs of the Pyramid of the Niches and Building 5. Left-click to enlarge the image and note the prominence of the greca escalonada figures. This symbol was part of El Tajín's symbolic and architectural vocabulary from the culture's earliest days.
The last part of El Tajín was built behind a retaining wall that was back-filled to create a level area, which is sometimes dubbed an acropolis. The buildings at Tajín Chico were not temples, but palaces that housed Tajin's priestly and ruling elite, and civil structures that were used for administration.
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| Building in Tajín Chico. Note the flying cornices and greca escalonada figures. Interestingly, the staircase is 'upside down' (wide above; narrow below), which gives the impression that it is falling (rain?) from the flying cornice above, thus supporting Payón's interpretation. |
But there's more...Great Xicalcaliuhqui
Just below Tajín Chico to the east is a labyrinthine temple complex built to imitate the hurricane's swirling winds—either Xicalcaliuhqui, god of thunder who lives in the sea; or Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent deity (also god of wind) revered throughout Mesoamerica.
Reed photographed the sign to show the layout of the complex, which is one of the last set of buildings constructed at El Tajín.
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| Built as a 360 m (1,181 ft) structure covering 1 hectar (2.5 acres) shaped as a squared spiral, or greca; the escalonada, staircase, is the entrance at the left. |
The labyrinthine, temple complex in the form of a spiral recreates on the earthly plane the whirling winds of the hurricanes. Given the prominent appearance of the greca escalonada on El Tajín's earliest buildings, we can assume that construction of this complex was simply the most mature expression of a cosmology, view of the universe, that was an essential component of Totonaca culture from its earliest days.
The wall has 158 niches, which equal the number of days of hurricane season (June to October). Tellingly, pilgrims arrived at El Tajín and fiestas were held during the hurricane season. As Reed observed elsewhere, "Myth arises when man confronts the forces of nature," and so it must have been at El Tajín.
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| The exterior wall of the Xicalcaliuhqui complex; the center is totally overgrown. |
Here is the staircase entrance:
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| Stairway entrance to Xicalcaliuhqui complex; the modest size of staircase and doorway invites speculation that access to this 'inner sanctum' was tightly controlled. |
Final Reflections
During a ride in the countryside near Papantla, Veracruz, I was startled to see the windows of an upscale house under construction styled in the same proportion as the niches at nearby El Tajín. It's remarkable to see that the ancient style lingers as a contemporary architectural motiv. Edward Seler would say, "Of course!"
In March of each year, the Cumbre de El Tajín is held in Papantla, Veracruz, and at the archaeological site itself. One of cumbre's meanings in Spanish is high point, or outstanding (another is summit). The purpose of the week-long cumbre, or fiesta, is to reinforce ancient Totonaca traditions, including the Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers).
Site Map of El Tajín
I didn't want to interrupt the flow by putting this site map earlier. Sorry.
 |
| Taken from Andrew Coe's Archaeological Mexico. Left-click to enlarge. |
Still Curious?
Here's the link to Reed's Photo-Essay of our visit to El Tajín.
Here's the link to the latest archaeological findings—including the legend of the "cerro de los mantenimientos" ("Hill of Plenty"): El Tajín II: Of Ants,Gods and the Hill of Plenty.
Beautiful photographs on a sunny day: Slide Show of El Tajín.
Good description/good pics of El Tajín by George DeLange, who has "thirty years experience in astronomy"; his comments on the subject are intriguing.
George DeLange's account of the legend surrounding the origin of the Dance of the Voladores (Flyers) of Papantla is well-told and accompanied by a good video. My palms start sweating just thinking of their 'dance'—which occurs atop a 100' pole!
MexConnect has an excellent article on Dance of the Voladores, including the numeric symbolism, which is remarkably similar to the numeric symbols found on the Pyramid of the Niches.
These links are both to Spanish-language sites, but the content is mostly visual and hence nearly 'language-free'; the photos are worth giving the sites a shot:
- Tourist-taken, good pics of the Voladores (flyers) of Papantla.
- Here's another link to the Voladores (flyers) of Papantla.
Web site provides images of greca escalonada on contemporary pottery, woven rugs, textiles, etc. The greca escalonada figure is alive and well, which would undoubtedly also please Eduardo Seler!
Terrific web site about the Maya developed by Jeeni Criscenzo del Rio, author of Place of Mirrors, a novel about the ancient Maya. I haven't read the novel, but the web site is surprisingly useful.
Biography of Paul Westheim.
In Spanish:
Cumbre de El Tajín 2012, as reported by the Mexican newspaper Milenio.
Appendix: Original Texts in Spanish
Octavio Paz, Risa y Penitencia: "El arte totonaca rehúsa el monumental porque sabe que la verdadera grandeza es equilibrio... Estas piedras están vivas y danzan".
Fragment found at El Tajín:
Tajín; yo soy tu raza
y por tu raza vengo
con la voz que cayó sobre mis labios,
con la palabra que brotó la sangre
en el primer día de tus anales.
Con tu roca soberbia dices tú mismo tu elegíaEduardo Seler:
enhebrada en la noche de los siglos;
ruda y bella expresión
en el códice oculto de tus ritos.
"...con dificultad podremos pensar que uno de los ornamentos principales del mundo precortesiano hay sido mero elemento decorativo. En primer lugar, la frecuencia con que aparece la greca escalonada y su conservación a través de centurias y milenios se oponen a esta tesis. Una forma sólo ornamental se habría gastado a través del tiempo, como ocurrió con los estilos 'agonizantes' de Europa. Habría perdido su atracción y habría sido substituida por nuevas creaciones formales, de renovada fascinación y fuerza sugestiva. Si la greca escalonada no fue reemplazada por nuevos ornamentos, es porque, para los pueblos que primero la emplearon, tenía un valor psíquico o mágico más allá de lo estético. Así como la cruz no es una forma puramente decorativa, no lo es tampoco la greca escalonada".José García Payón:
"La greca escalonada es el producto de un profundo enraizamiento en la fenómena meteorológica, en la emoción religiosa, en los conceptos mutuos, en las necesidades económicas y en los anhelos colectivos más angustiosos y apremiantes. Es decir, parece que la greca escalonada, que probablamente fue de forma espiral y se transformó en su forma geométrico conocida, nos representa al viento y la lluvia. O más bien simboliza al huracán deidificado con el nombre Tajín."
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