rism. This weekend was no exception. On Saturday I joined a group from Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Minnesota on a hike up to Cerro de Oro (Hill of Gold). Shom unfortunately couldn't join us since he had Kaqchikel class all day, but I had a lovely time enjoying the great outdoors and getting to know some great people. The hike lasted from 9:30a.m. until 2:00p.m. , and included stops at a Mayan ceremonial site, (optional) caving, explanations of various medicinal plants and the coffee growing/harvesting process, amazing views of Lake Atitlan (above right), and a
ncient Mayan hieroglyphs (left) that are being deciphered by a professor in Arizona as we speak.On Sunday we tagged along with the same group and visited Chichicastenango
(also known as ¨Chichi¨), the city most famous in Guatemala for its large and colorful Sunday market (right). Chichicastenango is also known for its strong Mayan religious heritage that persists to this day. According to our guide, about 20% of the population of Chichi practice a syncretistic blend of traditional Mayan religion and Catholicism, about 30% are strict Catholics, and the remaining 50% participate only in Mayan religious practices. This is evidenced by the Iglesia de Santo Tomás (Church of Saint Thomas), which was built on top of an ancient Mayan t
emple in the 1500's. Because of it’s location on top of a sacred Mayan site, Mayan priests and priestesses continue to worship there, offering candles, incense, and flowers to the Mayan gods (above). In fact, Catholics and practitioners of Mayan religion seem to coexist quite happily in the church, with the Catholics lighting candles in front of the various statues
of saints that are situated along the side walls of the church, and Mayan shamans lighting candles and performing rituals and prayers at the small platforms that run down the center aisle of the church. Outside the church, Mayan shamans light a large ceremonial fire of incense every morning at 3:00a.m. as an offering to the gods in thanksgiving for the day to come. The incense continues to smoke as the day wears on (see above), floating up the 18 stairs that lead up to the church, each of which stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.
In addition to the church and the
market, Shom and I also made the trek up to Pascual Abaj, an ancient carved stone icon that has been a Mayan worship site for thousands of years (left). Ceremonies are held there for all sorts of things: to bless a marriage, to pray for a good harvest or to give thanks for a good harvest, or to remedy a problem such as preventing thieves from stealing your corn. According to our guidebook, these ceremonies usually take p
lace at odd hours of the day or night and tourists are unlikely to witness such a ceremony taking place. We must have had great luck, though, because when we got to the top of the hill there was a ceremony taking place (above)! Obviously it was difficult to understand what exactly was going on, especially since the ceremony was in K’iche’ (the Mayan language spoken in the area), but suffice it to say that it was an amazing thing to witness.
(also known as ¨Chichi¨), the city most famous in Guatemala for its large and colorful Sunday market (right). Chichicastenango is also known for its strong Mayan religious heritage that persists to this day. According to our guide, about 20% of the population of Chichi practice a syncretistic blend of traditional Mayan religion and Catholicism, about 30% are strict Catholics, and the remaining 50% participate only in Mayan religious practices. This is evidenced by the Iglesia de Santo Tomás (Church of Saint Thomas), which was built on top of an ancient Mayan t
emple in the 1500's. Because of it’s location on top of a sacred Mayan site, Mayan priests and priestesses continue to worship there, offering candles, incense, and flowers to the Mayan gods (above). In fact, Catholics and practitioners of Mayan religion seem to coexist quite happily in the church, with the Catholics lighting candles in front of the various statues
of saints that are situated along the side walls of the church, and Mayan shamans lighting candles and performing rituals and prayers at the small platforms that run down the center aisle of the church. Outside the church, Mayan shamans light a large ceremonial fire of incense every morning at 3:00a.m. as an offering to the gods in thanksgiving for the day to come. The incense continues to smoke as the day wears on (see above), floating up the 18 stairs that lead up to the church, each of which stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.In addition to the church and the
market, Shom and I also made the trek up to Pascual Abaj, an ancient carved stone icon that has been a Mayan worship site for thousands of years (left). Ceremonies are held there for all sorts of things: to bless a marriage, to pray for a good harvest or to give thanks for a good harvest, or to remedy a problem such as preventing thieves from stealing your corn. According to our guidebook, these ceremonies usually take p
lace at odd hours of the day or night and tourists are unlikely to witness such a ceremony taking place. We must have had great luck, though, because when we got to the top of the hill there was a ceremony taking place (above)! Obviously it was difficult to understand what exactly was going on, especially since the ceremony was in K’iche’ (the Mayan language spoken in the area), but suffice it to say that it was an amazing thing to witness.
1 comment:
Gorgious - and very interesting observations on the sometimes synchretic, often compatible, and always observable mix of religious traditions. You are an amazing photographer and a lovely descriptor... thanks for sharing! I miss you.
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