Masaya the “Mouth of hell”, Nicaragua: Volcanological interpretation of miths leyends and anedocthes

VIRAMONTE J.G.; INCER BARQURO J.

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

Elsevier

Año: 2008 vol. 176 p. 419 - 426

Abstract Nicaragua's conquest started only 30years after Christopher Columbus arrived to America in 1492. At that moment the Masaya and Momotombo volcanoes were erupting simultaneously. The former was the first permanent lava lake observed by Europeans, and this produced a strong impression and interest in it. For more than a century therewas great controversy over the nature of this phenomenon. Somepeople believed that itwas the Mouth of Hell, whereas others could greedily see in the lava a source of gold or silver. This fact led to many attempts trying to prove it. In this paper, aboriginal myths about the volcano are described as well as different ideas and “supported evidence” given by the Spaniards regardingwhether itwas or not indeed theMouth ofHell. Moreover, the first detailed geological descriptions are exposed aswell as interesting interpretations found in the chronicles. It is also narrated the first descent into the volcano's mouth to extract samples of that “gold”, a real exploit for that time. Fromthese descriptions, a volcanological interpretation is proposed,which is a contribution to the understanding of the eruptive history and evolutionfirst permanent lava lake observed by Europeans, and this produced a strong impression and interest in it. For more than a century therewas great controversy over the nature of this phenomenon. Somepeople believed that itwas the Mouth of Hell, whereas others could greedily see in the lava a source of gold or silver. This fact led to many attempts trying to prove it. In this paper, aboriginal myths about the volcano are described as well as different ideas and “supported evidence” given by the Spaniards regardingwhether itwas or not indeed theMouth ofHell. Moreover, the first detailed geological descriptions are exposed aswell as interesting interpretations found in the chronicles. It is also narrated the first descent into the volcano's mouth to extract samples of that “gold”, a real exploit for that time. Fromthese descriptions, a volcanological interpretation is proposed,which is a contribution to the understanding of the eruptive history and evolution“supported evidence” given by the Spaniards regardingwhether itwas or not indeed theMouth ofHell. Moreover, the first detailed geological descriptions are exposed aswell as interesting interpretations found in the chronicles. It is also narrated the first descent into the volcano's mouth to extract samples of that “gold”, a real exploit for that time. Fromthese descriptions, a volcanological interpretation is proposed,which is a contribution to the understanding of the eruptive history and evolutionfirst detailed geological descriptions are exposed aswell as interesting interpretations found in the chronicles. It is also narrated the first descent into the volcano's mouth to extract samples of that “gold”, a real exploit for that time. Fromthese descriptions, a volcanological interpretation is proposed,which is a contribution to the understanding of the eruptive history and evolutionfirst descent into the volcano's mouth to extract samples of that “gold”, a real exploit for that time. Fromthese descriptions, a volcanological interpretation is proposed,which is a contribution to the understanding of the eruptive history and evolution