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Maya Ballgame


Maya Ballgame, which is a branch of the Mesoamerican Ballgame, is an athletic event that was played throughout the Maya civilization. The Maya civilization was spread out throughout much of Central America. One of the common links of the Mayan culture of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize is the game played with a rubber ball, about which we have learned from several sources. Maya ballgame was played with big stone courts. The ball court itself was a focal point of Maya cities and symbolized the city’s wealth and power. The playing arena was in the shape of an I with high platforms on either side of the court allowing for large numbers of spectators. Portable stone court markers known as hacha usually depicting animals or skulls were placed around the arena. The game was played for 2 weeks.

The Maya ball game originated more than 3,000 years ago. The Popol Vuh describes the history of the Quinche and their rulers and mentions the important position of the Maya ballgame. Through this ball game, a conflict of the forces of darkness and light is described and enacted. By tradition, the twin brothers, Hun Hunaphu and Xbalanque, used their time on earth to play ball. Through the noise of the game, the anger of Vucub Came,the master of the underworld, was aroused. A fight ensued,from which resulted the form of the MBG. After the game, one of the brothers was decapitated and his head was used as the game ball. From the decapitated trunk of the player, blood escaped in the form of snakes. This blood was taken as a symbol of fertility. This scene is depicted in reliefs on the walls of MBG courts, such as the most famous example in Chichen Itza in Mexico.

In the highlands of Chiapas and of Guatemala alone, 300 MBG courts have been found. Of these, 85% have been dated in the post-classic period. Only two early classic courts have been reported and these are at Palenque and Copan.

Murals depicting captives, warriors, Creation myths, and transfers of political power from one ruler to another were painted around the ball court.


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