[Aztlan] Sexuality in Mesoamerica

[David Hixson]

Fellow listeros,

I would also point out that ancient Maya depictions of, or references to, male nudity illustrate an interesting disjunction.

First, one regularly finds depictions of fully nude males as captives across the Maya realm (from Palenque to Uxmal), implying that public displays of nudity may have carried a similar humiliating context as one finds in Western society.

One also finds that rulers are often depicted with the implements for penis perforation (although actual depictions of the sacrificial act are more rare than depictions of the implements).  This act of auto sacrifice by rulers was likely more private, physically situated within an enclosed space (not paraded in front of the public as were the nude captives).

However, the penises depicted on the naked captive warriors on Uxmal's north building of the nunnery quadrangle appear to show the scars of penis perforation, indicating that the scars (in addition to the act of auto sacrifice) were emblems of status.  Were these normally only seen by fellow warriors ("locker room pride"), and inappropriate to display in public (therefore stripping captive warriors bare becomes an overt act of humiliation)?

The question is still unresolved regarding in what context male nudity was appropriate.  The ancient Maya of the northern lowlands sculpted many stone phalli that were clearly on public display, both as freestanding monuments, and a few architectural examples (such as the temple of the phalli at Uxmal, where rainwater would flow out the tips of the sculpted penises, or the house of the phalli at Chichen Itza).  The freestanding phalli may have actually been the locus for penile bloodletting, or other ceremonies involving male nudity.  This is indicated by the depiction of a large stone phallus within the frieze of the North Building of Chichen Itza's Great Ballcourt (near the upper left corner).  In front of the stone phallus is a man standing with his genitals exposed. 

[If you go to Uxmal, be sure to also visit the "garden of the phalli" where most of the phallic monuments were moved when the queen of England visited the site -- an interesting contrast with modern morals]

There are also "unusual" examples that fall outside the normal cannon of Maya art.  These include the sculptures from Telantunich (near where the three states of Yucatan, Q. Roo and Campeche meet).  Some very large and unusual monuments at this site depict men holding their engorged penises.  The sites of Sayil and Puustunich also have sculptures that depict figures with enlarged genitalia.  These monuments were clearly positioned for some form of public display (not private showings).

Therefore, one must wonder if there was a "proper" display of male genitalia vs. an inappropriate display of such nudity.  And who exactly would be the audience for such displays?  Was there truly a "cult of the phallus" as described by some?  Or are the surviving monuments simply what survives of a pan-Maya connection between the penis and achieved status through more private acts of self sacrifice?

Relevant links --

Northern Yucatan Phallic Monuments
http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~dhixson/phallus/loltunphallus.html

Chichen Itza - North Temple of the Great Ballcourt
http://research.famsi.org/uploads/schele/hires/08/IMG0032.jpg

Type in "penis" to the Kerr database for examples of penis perforation imagery.
www.mayavase.com

References --

Archaeologies of Sexuality (Robert Smith, Barbara Voss)

The Archaeology of Southwestern Campeche (Andrews IV)

The Unusual Sculptures of Telantunich (Andrews IV)

The Unusual Sculptures of Telantunich -- Phalli and the concept of Masculinity among the Maya (Ardren and Hixson)

-Dave
________________________________
David R. Hixson
Tulane University
chunchucmil at yahoo.com