“How was it? What’d you see?” I asked, accosting him in the murky, cramped passage.
“It’s…I’ll let you look for yourself,” he replied, panting, “just keep in mind it’s really dark in there.” The corridor and stairs were so narrow, the two of us could barely sidle past one another. I was already claustrophobic from the musty rooms above ground. Now, in the crypt I could scarcely breathe; my eyes detected shadows in the gloom. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to observe in the chamber: its occupant and his accoutrements had long been excavated. Just an empty space. I hastened out into the sunlight.
“So…d’you see him?” Mark leaned in to whisper. He was one of the members of our guided group at Mitla. We’d briefly bonded over our camera lens preferences.
“See…who?”
“The…y’know…ghost.”
I laughed. “What?”
“Look…I’m not…y’know one o’ those supernatural nuts, but…you didn’t…I mean you had to have seen the guy in there…right?”
“Uh…it’s an empty tomb, Mark.”
“Right…no…right, yea….”
The back of my neck prickled. “You thought you saw someone in there?”
“You didn’t?”
Our guide summoned us for a lecture so we hurried off, but I was distracted. I don’t believe in ghosts. Nevertheless, this ancient ruin could be teeming with them. Mitla, a nahuatl word meaning “Place of the Dead,” may refer to the annihilation of this city by the Aztecs. Even prior to its conquest, constant skirmishes between Mixtecs and Zapotecs left the ceremonial center ravaged. Our docent, James, explained all this carnage to us in precise numbers and calendar dates. I, however, kept wondering about the phantom. Had Mark been hallucinating, or playing a joke on me, or had he mistaken another visitor? A part of me began to speculate whether I had felt the semblance of a presence from long ago.
What makes historical sights come alive for me are details — the uncovered relics, the disinterred murals, the archaeological detritus. I enjoy incorporating these discoveries into imagining how a culture once lived. But, too often the evidence is austere and unrevealing. Though crucial for authenticating what happened in the past, it doesn’t impact my emotions, doesn’t plummet me into a narrative.
Perhaps that’s the reason ghost sightings have remained popular through the centuries, finding new avenues in our digital world. The haunting account of a single soul determined not to be forgotten captures our imagination. Whether it’s a tragic love story or a horror recounted, apparitions involve us with history much more forcefully than artifacts. They remind us that the past is never really gone.
Our chaperoned presentation ends. We’re allowed to roam Mitla on our own. Mark and I return to the burial chamber. It’s silent and vacant. We pop into a couple of other rooms hoping to catch the specter, but he’s elusive. There’s only the faint whistling of wind, the tingling of hair on my lower arms, the shuffle of our footsteps. Then, as we’re exiting the doorway of the last priestly accommodation, we both hesitate, turn back, peer into the grayness. Is it a ghost, is it the shape of our fears, or is it Mitla shifting under the weight of history?
TRAVEL NOTE:
Mitla’s most striking feature is its architectural geometry. Intricate friezes are carved into the sides and interiors of temples and living quarters. Archaeologists are beginning to uncover the cultural significance behind some of the fretwork patterns depicting the Zapotec life cycle, thunder, and maize.
Have a ghost story? I’d love to hear your favorite spooky tales below in the comments!
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I don’t believe in ghosts per say, but I do believe that the energy of departed souls do linger in this world once their bodies have ceased to function, and at times, we can feel that energy.
Great photos by the way, the scenery would have been enough, but the buildings were very interesting as well. Thanks for the tour!
Glad you enjoyed the tour! Perhaps what you describe is the atmosphere I often feel when I’m exploring an archaeological ruin or an old palace on my own.
I don’t know if I really believe in ghosts or not, but my feeling is that I won’t run into one on a group tour. Sometimes when I’ve been at an archeological site and there are very few people around or when I linger a bit longer and touch a wall, I think I feel something, perhaps a connection with past life.
I agree! One of the reasons when I’m on a guided tour, I always like to have some time to run off on my own to wherever there aren’t any crowds. That’s usually when I “feel” the place come alive for me.
I suppose if anywhere has ghosts, this would be the place. We’ll never know what Mark saw, but his mind told him it was a ghost, so that’s reality to him.
He certainly saw something, and though I didn’t, it was fun to go back through those dark rooms searching for what it could have been.
What a great story to tell. Imaginations do tend to run wild in places such as these or is it reality???
😁 Hard to tell the two apart sometimes. I’m always fascinated by how our senses and perceptions deceive us in so many ways.
Absolutely. Let it remain a mystery I say. 😉
Again, a great introduction and spectacular photos … you really set the scene and went on to capture the spirit of Mitla. You had me hooked right from the first few words.
Takes you right to the heart of the place. Love the sombre mood of the internal photo, also the starkness of the exterior shots. You spiced it up with the spectre of ghosts from the past and remind us there has been so much violence, tragedy throughout the history of this region. Yet there has also been such advanced thinking … the association with the heavens, the universe … as well as of the land itself.
Thank you. Mexico’s pre-Columbian history is truly complex, there is an equal amount of violence and beauty in it. One of the things I took away from my explorations at Mitla was the incredible artistry that was present at the time of the Zapotec and Mixtec reigns. From the fretwork at the ruins to the excavated pottery and jewelry, the creative output was marvelous.
Never seen a ghost and never want to!
😁 Here’s hoping you never do! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Very impressive photos. We have not been to Mexico, but it seems that it offers positive surprises. Thank You.
Thank you very much for your kind words. Mexico is worlds away from Scandinavia, culturally, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my wanderings here.
Your photos are very moody and representative of a ghostly, difficult past, if only in the imagination. 🙂
What a compliment! Thank you. ☺️
Your travels are fascinating and unique. Thanks for sharing such an interesting perspective. 😀
eden
So happy you enjoyed this one. Thanks, as always, for dropping by to read and chat! I so appreciate it.
My pleasure. xox
Because you couldn’t see the spirit doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. I cannot see England from Virginia, but I know it is there. Plus many people have the sight to see the spirits of the after-life. Nowadays with the refined cameras available, they are even caught in photos. Believe.
As Shakespeare’s Hamlet tells Horatio, “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Thank you so much for reading and sharing your insight!
Mitla is a pretty site. Did you go to Monte-Albán?
Yes I did! That was fascinating on a whole other level. Fantastic views of the countryside from the hilltop and a very educational lesson on eco-friendly irrigation/sewer system of the Zapotecs while I was there. Take care.
🙂
Stunning photos and evocative text as always Atreyee!
Thank you Kathryn, so pleased you liked it.
I have to admit that the hair on my neck stood up slightly when visualizing myself in this chamber. Like you, I do not believe in ghosts (except for those conjured by Charles Dickens!), but I think our imagination is impressionable, and darkness revives ancient fears.
But who knows? There are phenomena that defy logic, and I am keeping an open mind.
☺️ I’m tickled my post affected you in such a spooky manner! It’s what I was hoping to achieve. I too am keeping an open mind about things that go bump in the night, since so many people I know have personal ghost interactions they’ve recounted to me….
Mission accomplished! 🙂
These pictures are great 🙂
Thank you Cate! Happy to have you drop by for a visit. 😊
What a fascinating structure and those hovering clouds…it definitely looks suspenseful! How timely with Day of the Dead celebration approaching, a time where we convivir with ancestors so as not to forget them.
😊 I too thought ghosts were an appropriate subject for this time of year.