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The Nazca Monkey Figure
Revisited
Clifford C. Richey
August 2011
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It is unlikely that all the principles used in this ancient composition have been determined but
perhaps enough to be able to obtain the general idea. For the present it appears that the following
rules were used in organizing and composing the composition.
Layered Organization. Gesture signs were depicted by motions made in the air and relied on the
reader's memory to retain the message from one sign to the other. The same system could not have
been used in written sign language because writing signs on top of one another would have resultedin a hopeless tangle of signs. Thus signs were separated by spatial organization, such as the
grouping of Forms into patterns, or discrete Images. Form, Imagery, and Gesture elements are all
considered signs. Generally they appear to have been read from the largest sign to the smaller.
The Initial or Total Form (shape). This could be considered the title or subject of the composition.
It has not yet been determined how one should determine Total Form. At times it seems that one
should just visually trace the outline to gain the Form. At other times this seems to result in an
incoherent shape so perhaps it was intended that one only look at the overall Form and not include
every detail such as minor indentations.
Sub Forms . Found within other Forms or Forms with a comparative reduction in size.
Imagery. Usually imagery was composed of elementary gesture signs that held an
associational (the essence of the depicted subject) value. Such imagery was often the
equivalent of a phrase in English.
Basic Gesture Signs. Literally hundreds of such signs have been historically documented, in texts
on sign language, and can used to assist in learning the meaning of the associational imagery
through context. These signs were drawn leaving out the depiction of the hands. The resultant lines
and the form they took was what was considered important. For example, a large X shaped signwas based on the gesture of two arms crossing each others in the act of a trade. This sign was also
used for exchange, and transformation depending on its context.
Position. The signs are positionally sensitive. Relative direction as well as unwritten signs
can be determined by their position. For example, the position of a sign on a face or body
can represent that part without it needing to be shown. The non depicted part is incorporated into
the message along with the sign that occupies the position. This could result in some bizarre
forms and imagery. A Leg and Foot might appear where an Arm and Hard would be
expected. Because the Leg and Foot hold the meaning of a long journey and the Arm and Hand
hold the meaning ofa warriorand stewardor priest the resultant message would be, the long journey of the warrior priest.
Compounding of Signs. Form, Imagery, and Gesture signs were all compounded. This often
resulted in odd appearing Forms such as a Serpent's Body with the Head of a Fox, etc. Compounded
Gesture signs are sometimes difficult to recognize because of their simplicity or lack of Imagery.
Stance. Examples would be of a Figure sitting meaning, waiting. A Figure on Bended Knee
might represent one arising etc. Stance might also include such things as Facial Expression.
Written sign language was a skeletal language and therefore could be used by people speaking avariety of different languages with different grammars. The eloquence of the translation was
dependent on the reader and the manner in which the signs were paraphrased.
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The original paper on the Nazca Monkey Figure was written more than a decade ago. Much has
been learned since that time which includes a better appreciation of the use of compounded Form,
and the highly positional nature of the signs as they related to one another.
Most animal Imagery found in Native American compositions are associative and related to the
spirit or essence of that animal. The essence of a Dog is its ability to alert people to events or
dangers yet unseen. Due to its acute hearing a dog can alert people that someone or some possible
danger is approaching. It appears that the Form and Imagery of the Dog was used to encompass the
idea of a prediction, or a prophecy. Other synonyms are: augury, forecast, foretelling, soothsaying,
etc., The Stance of the Dog's Head is facing to the Left or Eastin accordance with the principles ofNative American gesture signing whereby it was assumed that the reader was facing South making
his Left Hand indicate the East and his Right Hand the West. Of course the reader did not not
literally have to take that position.
Compounded with the profile Form of the Dog's Head is a Rectangularplace sign, The Stance of
theplace sign is Rightward Leaning indicating, waiting. This Stance was based on the gesture sign
which, in written form, is a simple vertical line leaning to the right.
The Dog, The Prophet
Looks
East ward,
The waiting place.
The Monkey Imagery that is within the Dog/Prophet Form, as we shall shortly learn, is the Image
associated with the spiritor essence of a storm. It seems likely that the prophet is looking eastward
for the appearance of a storm. But was it a normal weather pattern for storms to arrive from the
east? According to Dr. Marcus Reindel1 in discussing possible damage to the desert figures states,,
...in one part of the Nasca Pampa, where dry valleys reach far back into the mountains to the east,
rainfalls in the highlands during irregular precipitation patterns like the so called Ni a may
1 http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nasca lines the buried secrets 4477/Overview14#tab qa dr
markus reindel#ixzz1UubqkYLx
Illustration 1: Total Form: The Prophet
Looks Eastward, The Waiting Place
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nasca-lines-the-buried-secrets-4477/Overview14#tab-qa-dr-markus-reindel%23ixzz1UubqkYLxhttp://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nasca-lines-the-buried-secrets-4477/Overview14#tab-qa-dr-markus-reindel%23ixzz1UubqkYLxhttp://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nasca-lines-the-buried-secrets-4477/Overview14#tab-qa-dr-markus-reindel%23ixzz1UubqkYLxhttp://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episode/nasca-lines-the-buried-secrets-4477/Overview14#tab-qa-dr-markus-reindel%23ixzz1UubqkYLx8/6/2019 The Nazca Monkey Desert Figure
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produce water flows which reach the pampas and may damage the geoglyphs. Thus it would seem
reasonable for the Prophet to be looking to the highlands east of the Monkey Figure for signs of a
storm.
Illustration 2 provides us with an overlay of text related to the signs found in the Monkey Figure. Inaccordance with the principles of written sign language we tend to read from the larger Forms and
Imagery to the smaller ones. This is reflected in the font size of the overlay. Because the message of
the glyph is non linear we can start our reading anywhere and still, in the end, understand its
message. We note that what was essentially the Form of a waiting place sign within the Imagery
level provides additional information as the upper left corner of the rectangle forms the Triangular,
earth female sign. Further, the (blue) Lines within the Triangle is the sign for a flow orflowing
which, in this case, is water. This part of the message may well have been a metaphorical allusion to
the menses of the earth female . In any event, the result of any storm might well result in water
flowing down the hillside upon which this glyph was created. Photographs show an area of erosion
or a dry wash near the Monkey's Hands.
We will now move on to explanations of some of the details found in the glyph.
Illustration 2: Text Overlay
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The essence of a Monkey is that it lives in the trees, a space between the earth's surface and the sky.
When hunted bands of monkeys whether out of excitement or defense urinate on the hunters below
giving the effect of a rainstorm. For this reason it is thought that the Monkey Imagery represented a
storm. We will see that, within the context of the composition, this attribution seems to fit in quite
well. The antics of bands of monkeys jumping from branch to branch in the jungle canopy could
well have been, metaphorically, associated with the movements of a storm.
This desert figure was drawn with one single line but, in effect, that made the Monkey Imagery
Double Lined, indicating it was invisible or unseen. Further the Monkey has no Face and as we have
see in past papers the Face indicated, he appears, or his appearance. Thus by implication the Storm
has not yet appeared.
Illustration 3: Areas Discussed as Numbered
Illustration 4: The Monkey's Compound Forms
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The Over all Form of the Monkey's Tail (blue green) appears to be that of a Serpent. The Serpent,
perhaps by association with a river, indicates a stream of water. The Crook (tan) sign in the center
of the Swirl means, take, or bring. The Concentric Swirls indicate, levels of height. The Swirl
indicates a number (three, shorthand for many). Many levels or high above. The direction of the
swirls are downward. The Head ( ing) of the Serpent appears to be that of a Finger (the thickening
of the Tail at its base) indicating the direction, here. From the Mouth of the Serpent (positional)
stem Double Lines indicating unseen (actually the entire Monkey was considered Double Lined andunseen).
Monkey, Storm,
Your Stream,
Bring Down,
from
High above,
Here,
The Mouth,
The water source.
We now come to the junction of the Monkey's Tail, Legs, and genital area. The Legs are in the Right
Facing Stance that means arrive or appear. The Rectangle that connects the Pair of legs is a Right
Leaning, waiting place sign.It is from here, the genital area, that the Double Lines (blue) continue
downward. In terms of the Monkey's Stance he is urinating or making water.
Appear,
at the
Waiting place
The (blue) Double Lines (unseen) leads downward(Positionally, below the Tail) to the ground
surface (the yellow angled Line).
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Appear,
Here
Make water,
Down,
onto the
Surface,
and
Below
it.
The water Line (blue) continues on past the ground's surface and down the side forming a large
(blue) Zigzag watersign. This part of the message terminates at the Slanted second surface Line
(yellow). The Slanted Stance indicates, awaiting or waiting. The Triangular areas (red) are the signs
forfemale, meaning the female earth. The Zigzag (watersign) is compounded with aplace sign and
the female sign, a female earth place located below the surface. This last sign rests upon an even
more steeply angled (yellow) surface sign. The reason for this is not entirely clear but may have
been used to connect or indicate the continuation of the main (larger) message at the surface level.
The water,
Below the surface ,
On the side,
An earth female,
Place
Illustration 5: The Stream of
Water
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Returning to the junction at the Genital area, the Tail, and the Body we see that the back of the
Monkey was created from a Bent Finger (tan) pointing the direction above, here. The Head of the
Monkey is a compound of several Forms each offset a bit perhaps so that they could be discerned
more easily. The Forehead of the Monkey (a Half Circle) is the upper half sign indicating the upper
world. This sign rests upon the Form of a Severed Finger (green) pointing to the same area as the
one (tan) that makes up the Back of the Monkey. This Finger is a compound Form that stretches
between the Position of the Ears (the two orifices or holeslocated on the sides. The two Fingers
their tips) make the V shaped sign for an opening. Also the left Ear of the Monkey also has the
V (Form) sign for an opening, positioned, on the side. The Central part of the sign (green) is a
place sign.
Here,
On the Surface,
Of the
Upper world,
the
Opening,
The
Place.
Next we find the (blue) male spiri t sign. This sign was based on the glans penis to signify genderjust as the Triangular female sign was based on the form of the female genital area. This identifies
the Monkey or storm as male (on or above the surface of earth female) and a spirit.
Illustration 6: The
Male Spirit
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The spirit of storm is by its Stance placing water (the large (blue) Zigzag sign beneath the surface
(yellow) of the earth. The Arms and Hands of the storm create the + shaped sign that means
crossing or passing through.The Hands are a bit odd in that the Monkey's Hands have a total of
only Nine Fingers. This would seem to indicate that the the water was placed into the nine levels of
the under world. The Monkey's left hand has the first Finger making the sign for, covered unseen,
followed by turning, and held down below (positional). The right hand's Fingers mean, turning,
here, place, below. Note that the third Finger on the right hand has a squared off fingertip turning
that finger into aplace sign.
Monkey, Storm,
Spirit,
Your hands,Pass through,
The waiting surface,
releasing water,
covered, unseen,
turning,
held down below.
Turning,
Here,
Place below
Illustration 7: The Form of
the Fingers
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We have now covered the Sections 1 and 2 and will now examine Section 3 which is, basically, the
sign (green) for a mountainside. The base of the mountainside has a Triangular (also green),
female earth sign on it that was created by the third (yellow) ground surface Line. The (yellow)
surface Line has the angled Stance that means waiting or awaiting. In Section 4 we see the upward
and downward pathways of water(blue) that is beneath the surface of the mountain. The water
Lines do not go higher than the top surface (positional) of the mountain. The reason for the three
(many?) surface levels is not known. One possibility is that they may represent the various levels of
the mountainside topography.
The mountainside,
The awaiting,
Female earth,
Her pathways,
of
Water,
Moving upward,
and
downward,
Below.
Illustration 8: The Mountainside and the Waiting Place
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Finally we have the relatively Large (green) Rectangularplace sign. Theplace signis angled the
same as the surface Line meaning, waiting or awaiting. This is a compound sign where the upper
left corner of the sign is in the Form of the Triangularfemale earth sign. Within the Triangle is the
(blue) sign for, a flow orflowing.
The Great Waiting Place,
of
The Earth female,
Her flow.
As mentioned earlier in this paper the statement about the earth female her flow may be a metaphor
related to the menses of earth woman. The implication may have been that the flow would not be
possible without the periodic rain from the storms on the mountainsides. The flow of subterranean
water was crucial for agriculture but it was also part of the cosmology as an important avenue for
the spirits of the deceased to rise to the earth's surface for their re birth and ascension to the sky.
The sky was the abode of the deceased, male, ancestors such as the Warrior's Star (Venus). It was
for this reason that many the signs were written large on the desert floor in order that the ancestors
could also read them. It the case of this particular Monkey Figure the aim was not so high up but
still to the sky where the storm spirit had his house or abode. It is not known whether the Nazca
had a clan or family lineage whose leader may have been named after Storm and who also, as a
deceased ancestor, may also have been thought to follow events on the earth.
The Imagery of the Monkey Or storm shows him hovering over a mountainside and placing water
into the earth. This reflects the actual placement of the topoglyph which was made on a hillside.However the smaller compound Forms (the Head) make the statement that the male spirit, his Arms
(his warriors), his Hands (his stewards or priests) place water into the earth. This may mean that
there was a ritual performed in the waiting place that involved people acting as the arms and hands
of the spirit who actually poured or put water into the ground as a means of enticing the storm spirit
to do likewise. It would be interesting to learn whether there was a geological fault near the
Monkey's hands. Photographs show a dark area near the hands that may be from erosion or a wash.
As in petroglyphs, topoglyphs some feature in the nearby environment may have inspired the
physical placement of the Figure as well as its incorporating aspects of that environment into its
message.
Illustration 9: The Great Waiting Place
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