Chʼortiʼ people
Total population | |
---|---|
c. 157,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Maya people |
The Chʼortiʼ people (alternatively, Chʼortiʼ Maya or Chorti) are one of the
History
The Chʼortiʼ area, which had
The Chʼortiʼ belong to the Meridional Mayans, and are closely related to the Mayans in Yucatán, Belize and Northern Guatemala. They are also somewhat related to the Choles, Mayans who currently live in Chiapas.
Geographical location
Historically, the Chʼortiʼ Maya were located in the
The current Guatemalan Chʼortiʼ population estimate is 46,833.
The Chʼortiʼ population in Honduras live in areas of difficult access in the Copan and Ocotepeque departments, like Chonco, Colon Jubuco, San Rafael, Tapescos, Carrizalon, La Laguna, Santa Rita, Antigua Ocotepeque, Nueva Ocotepeque, and Sensenti.
The remaining Ch’orti descendants of El Salvador are mostly in the department of Chalatenango in the municipality of Tejutla is where most Ch’orti descendants are still found. This town was founded in the 5th century, becoming an important place for the Chortis tribes. It was originally founded in the place known as Las Mataras, which was destroyed with the arrival of the Spanish.
The current Honduran Chʼortiʼ population estimate is 4,200. They are mostly farmers, and they lived in areas mixed with
Organization and culture
The Chʼortiʼ in Copan speak
However, the traditional customs of dress have been kept, as well as musical traditions, expressed using instruments like teponangas, drums, whistles, chinchins, sonajas and horns. The most traditional dance is called the "dance of the giants".
Their food is based mainly on corn and beans. Corn is prepared in different ways: as a drink, like chilate, pozol, sweet atole, and sour atole (chuco), tortillas, tamales, totoposte and also alcoholic drinks like chicha.
Chʼortiʼ religion is based on admiring and adoring nature, through rituals dedicated to the gods of the Earth and the Wind.
Notes
- ^ "Resultados Censo 2018" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Guatemala. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Maya Ch'ortí in Honduras". 16 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-15.