The zoological reference to lions,
while communicating accurately to an American audience, is not culturally
accurate for Mesoamerica where the biggest feline was a jaguar. Joseph Smith substituted
a well-known big cat. In other words, for underlying text was probably “jaguar,”
but the translation is “lion.” It is easier to see explain this word as Joseph’s
mislabeling than Mormon’s failure to correctly identity a jaguar.
The more common English idiom of fighting
lions in verse 10 gives way to a much more awkward description in verse 11 of “flight
like dragons.” (The reference to fighting like dragons will also appear as a description
of the Lamanites in Alma 43:44.) In English literature, the dragon appears as
the maiden-devouring, fire-breathing foe of St. George and other fairytales.
(In contrast, the Chinese dragon represents wisdom and longevity, rather than
ferocity.) Furthermore, the image of English dragons is always negative (a
vicious enemy to the innocent), Mormon clearly uses the term to praise Limhi’s
soldiers. Why? The best explanation relies upon a Mesoamerican context.
Mesoamerican culture contains a fictive animal that combines elements of both serpent
and bird (wings and feathers). During Mormon’s feathered, serpent could have
been seen as a symbol par excellence of valiant warriors. The Temple of
the Feathered Serpent at Teotihuacan clearly presents the symbol in this
military context.
Thus, recasting verses to reflect
their Mesoamerican context might yield this retranslation:
And it came to pass:
The battle became violent and noisy
They fought [for their families]
Like God’s jaguars for their prey.
And it came to pass:
The Limhites began to drive away the Lamanites
Though they were not have so many.
They fought for their lives, wives, and children.
They fought mightily.
They fought like God’s feared war serpent.
Of course this “translation” takes
great liberties with the English text. I do not argue that it represents the
actual underlying text but rather that it may simulate the text. In both Maya
and Nahua poetry, the imagery comes in shorter and more powerful phrasings, so
I have restricted the English ideas to provide a more Mesoamerican flavor.
Moron is clearly creating a poetic
parallel between the loins and the dragons. When we add the religious/military significance
of those images in Mesoamerica, the description of the Limhites’ fighting fury takes
on new meanings. In addition to the strength of arms alone is the implication of
a divine presence (God’s”). In poetic terms, Mormon not only describes their
efforts but also emphasizes the role God played in the victory.
John Sorenson has also identified the
dragon as a Mesoamerican motif but missed the parallel to the loin and suggested
that the dragon is the caiman or the earth monster. While the caiman is certainly
a respectable candidate for the dragon, being one of the few large predators of
the area, its association with earth ignores the significant military
associations of the war serpent of Mormon’s time. Clearly there is not enough
evidence to draw firm conclusions, but the war serpent appears to fix the
context better. (Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual
Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford
Books, 2007], 3:361-62)