[Aztlan] INSTITUTE OF MAYA STUDIES MAY LECTURE

[michael ruggeri]

Wednesday, May 16, 8:00PM

“Gods and Games: Religion and Entertainment in Central Mexico”
with Marta Barber, IMS President

Throughout history, humanity has invented sports primarily as a means  
to meet socially with others to display skills and physical prowess  
and to entertain or offer excitement. Many early cultures like the  
Aztec incorporated religious and political elements into their games.

Early Spanish writers, who witnessed Tlachtli ball games as played by  
the Aztecs, were amazed at the speed of play. Judging by their  
description, the game was a combination of basketball, soccer,  
volleyball, and as thrilling as ice hockey or jai alai.  
Professionals, nobles, and the general public played, with the teams  
normally ranging from two to eleven players. Religious ceremonies  
accompanied every game, usually with courts having a sacred temple,  
and special priestly ceremonies conducted before, and midway through  
the game.

Games of chance were quite popular in a number of Mesoamerican  
cultures; the Aztecs’ addiction to the game of Patolli is well known.  
The stakes they played for sometimes rose so high that the loser lost  
not only his wealth but his freedom too, selling himself into slavery  
to pay his debt. Later religious people fiercely disapproved of  
Patolli because the players invoked the names of Aztec gods during  
the game.

Miami Museum of Science,

3280 South Miami Avenue across from Vizcaya.