Abstract

GONZALEZ PEREZ, Damián. Storm clouds, torrential storms and tornadoes: accounts of waterspouts or tornado alleys in Oaxaca (1830-1885). Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2019, vol.40, n.159, pp.113-146.  Epub Sep 30, 2020. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v40i159.631.

The objective of this text is to contextualize accounts of phenomena called “water snakes” or “waterspouts” that occurred in Oaxaca, Mexico, between 1830 and 1885, found in a weather registry maintained by Manuel Martínez Gracida. The review of each chronicle makes it possible to identify a common element; namely, the cloud formation called Cumulonimbus, which produces torrential storms, thunderstorms, hailstorms, hurricane-force winds, and even tornadoes. The contextualization of this document is based on elements that characterize the mythology associated with rain deities in Mesoamerica, especially stories from Zapotec communities, and with meteorological knowledge gathered in those villages. This corpus is then contrasted to the technical information of an institutional nature typical of positivist science.

Keywords : Torrential storms; Cumulonimbo; tornadoes.

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