Cantepec, a creature hiding in a crevice, is identified by the modern population of the state of Tabasco with a serpent, the image of which clearly goes back to the ancient Feathered Serpent.
In the vicinity of ancient Tamulte, in a mountain forest, there lived a certain creature - Cantepec *. Cantepec lived in a deep crevice under a giant rock. He was kind and helped the local Indians a lot. It was according to his promptings that in one place or another, at a certain time, they grew those edible plants that formed the basis of their diet.
But only the head of the local community could communicate with him. To do this, at noon he entered the forest, went to the rock and prayed to the sacred creature. Cantepec came out to meet them and named the day when they should sow. Cantepec was never wrong, and if he believed that the conditions were very favorable, he hurried the peasants to sow. Otherwise, Cantepec advised not to rush and wait. And it must be said that the Indians never neglected his wise advice and did not regret it, each time receiving rich harvests.
...When the harvest of the feeding land was ripe, the grateful Indians collected part of it and handed it over to the head of the community so that he could take it to Cantepec. This offering was delivered into the forest directly to the entrance to the crevice.
Cantepec himself never went outside to collect the offerings - for this purpose he had a four-eyed sariguella. She climbed out of the crevice and dragged the chontal gifts she had brought into the depths of the mountain.
But the advancement of civilization destroyed that forest and the sacred place disappeared. The Indians gradually forgot about Cantepec and replaced him with saints from Spain. Then the times of satiety and prosperity ended.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru