[Aztlan] Asking the modern Maya about the ballgame

[Mark C]

Regarding Don Raab's question about the modern Maya, I can think of two possible reasons why the Maya of today would shun the ballgame. One, it was not a "fun" game to their ancestors, but one of life and death, slavery or freedom, and strict religious beliefs; they probably feared and possibly hated the so-called 'game'.  And, secondly, it may be related to the very reasons why the common people left the big city-states and began living in small villages - to get away from the oppression and false promises of their leaders, who considered themselves to be gods. They enslaved the people to build at least some of the temples and pyramids, and they held human life in low regard, or at least useful only for sacrifice in one way or another to the gods, including playing the ballgame to the death or sacrificial altar. The Maya I have met were pretty sedate people who avoid strife in their daily lives, although being very religious people.
Respectully,
Mark Cheney

IN RESPONSE TO:
--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: modeldon_9 at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] Zapotec ball court at Atzompa investigated
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:44:58 -0700
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org

Listeros,
 
Has anyone at any time discussed the ball game with the Mayan indians themselves?  
There are many indigineous groups which still live nearby the large city sites.  
The ball game eems to be almost genetically attached to the mayans and other mesoamericans.  
One can even imagine asking some young Mayans to play the game as they know it on an actual 
ball court.  It seems to me that something as fundamental to their culture could be so easily 
forgotten.  Passing on a ball game is what parents do to children.  Think Little League.

 
I also suspect with the large number of ball courts a league at one time existed between cities.  
There was probably even a superbowl.
 
Don Raab



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