The Mayan Ball Game - Did Ancient Mesoamericans Invent The Ball Game?

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The Mayan Ball Game - Did Ancient Mesoamericans Invent The Ball Game?
The original Maya ballgame designated pitz appeared to be an important part of Maya political, religious, and social life. Played with an actual rubber ball running in size from that of a softball to the soccer ball, competitors normally would attempt to bounce the ball without making use of their hands by means of stone hoops attached to the sides of the ball court. Typically the ball court alone had been a focal point of Maya cities and towns and showed the entire city's wealth along with power. The main playing stadium appears to be in the design of an I with high platforms on either side of the court enabling a lot of viewers. Portable stone court markers called hacha commonly depicting animals or skulls were inserted all around the arena. Murals illustrating captives, fighters, Creation myths, and transfers of political power from one ruler to the next were actually painted surrounding the ball court. Typically the ballgame provided neighboring urban centers a replacement for war regarding resolving quarrels.

Ballplayers put on protective equipment all through the competition in order to avoid bodily injury by means of the hard rubber ball that sometimes weighed approximately 20 lbs. To guard ribs and the torso participants would wear a yoke of leather material or perhaps wood around their waists. Natural stone hachas were sometimes coupled to the front of the yoke right after the match for ceremonial activities. In addition they put on padding around knees and even arms, and large stylized animal headdresses which could have represented what they considered to be their particular animal counterparts or way. Handstones referred to as manopla were found to be held to hit the ball with extra force, and may have been useful to commence the ball in play.

The spiritual story most related to the ballgame is that of the Maize Gods and the Hero Twins from the Quich Maya book of creation, the Popol Vuh. As the tale goes, the Maize Gods appeared to be avid ballplayers that were killed and buried on the court by the Lords of Xibalba (the Underworld) for annoying them with the noise of the match. The head of one of the Maize gods was hung from a tree in the Underworld, and as a daughter of the Lord of the Underworld passes, it spit directly into her palm, unbelievably impregnating her. The daughter bore twin sons, the Hero Twins, who avenge their very own father and uncle's deaths by way of resurrecting them on the ballcourt. The Hero Twins go on to make it through the ordeals of Hell directed at them by the death gods, although the reborn Maize Gods remain on the ballcourt intended for humans to honor. The Maya as a result believed that that it was required to play in the match for their own survival. The ballgame presented a way to show devoutness to the gods by way of sacrificing captured kings and even high lords, and the losing opponents of the match.

Popol Vuh

Very much of Maya traditions revolved around the text of the Popol Vuh, or Book of Counsel. The writing takes note of the creation of humans through the Heart of Sky along with the Sovereign Plumed Serpent in a series of attempts, making use of materials which includes clay, wood, and then finally maize. The most significant gods included Itzmna, lord of life; Ali Kin, the sun god; Ah Puch, god of death; Chac, god of water and rain; Yumkax, the corn god; and Ixchel, goddess of the moon, pregnancy, and of abundance. The Maya trusted there was clearly a total of 13 heavens above earth and 9 underworlds down below it. A god ruled every one of these skies and lower worlds. The Maya respected all of these many gods mentioned within the Popol Vuh with sacrificial ceremonies where food, pottery, animals, and also humans were offered.