Wood Handicrafts and the Mahogany Side Note

Wood is a very popular material for handicrafts made by the artisans around Antigua Guatemala. Last year on May 25th I told you about the meaning of the name of this country:

The name Guatemala derives from the word Goathemala which was given by the Spanish conquistadors and it derives from Quauhtlemallan a word from the Nahualt language spoken by the Tlaxcala’s natives that accompanied the conquistadors. Quauhtlemallan was a direct translation from the Mayan language’s Quiche or Iximche which more or less translates to the land of many trees or forests. This was long-winded explanation to bring forth the fact that this land has been a powerful lung for earth for a very long time; thanks to its many forests.

The follow-up post Detail of a Stairway even included a trivia language game:

What other words in any language could be translated to the concept of “land of forests or trees”? I will get you started with three: Quauhtlemallan in Nahualt, Quiche in Maya, Holland in Dutch. Please help with other words in other languages.

Mahogany Side note:
Mahogany trees are everywhere in the north side of the country. The mahogany forests in the north are the reason why there is now an English commonwealth country called Belize, a former Guatemalan territory.

I hope the explanations above clarify why wood is such a popular material for the craftsmen and their creations.

© 2007 – 2020, Rudy Giron. All rights reserved.