Page 63 - All About History - Issue 16-14

Secrets of the Mayans

Artwork Stone rings
The walls of the court were The courts featured vertical stone rings on each side of
plastered and brightly painted, the court. If the ball passed through the ring, a decisive
featuring many stone reliefs. victory was awarded to the scoring team. However, as
These murals would tell the tales the rings were barely bigger than the ball in play and
of games that had been played in were set high above the playing field – for example 6m
the arena, and scenes of captives (19.6ft) at Chichen Itza – this was a rare event.
and sacrifice were also commonly
depicted. Many of these stone
artworks survive today and have
provided insight into the Mayans.

A Matter Of
Life And Death
Pok-Ta-Pok’s origins were rooted in
symbolism and myth that defined
much of the Mayan society. The
myth surrounding the game tells the
tale of the hero twins who defeated
the lords of death in the ball game
and tricked them into decapitating
themselves. The game told the
story of the journey between life
and death and it was revered so
highly that it was used to settle
disputes within society. At times
the game was used a means to
defuse conflicts to avoid warfare,
with kings playing against kings for
Rubber ball domination, waging their battles on
Solid rubber balls were
the ball court.
used in the game, usually Sacrifice was an important and
made from latex of the
revered aspect of the ball game and
rubber tree. These balls is depicted on the glyphs of many
were not in uniform sizes
ball courts. Sometimes captives
but most were the size would be bound and forced to play
of a volleyball, however
a rigged ball game they could not
they were 15 times heavier win, after which the loser would
at 3-4kg (6.5-9lb). The
be beheaded. However, practiced
balls were so heavy that players were also sacrificed and
the players risked serious
there is evidence to suggest that it
injury or even death if was sometimes the winning team
struck by them. Several
or captain who were chosen. The
Mayan artefacts have also idea of a quick death and instant
shown skulls used as balls.
passage to paradise was regarded
as an honour. However, sacrifice did
not take place in every game, as star
teams existed. It is likely that there
were two versions of the game,
one played as a sport with betting
involved, and another as a sacred
re-enactment of the mythical story
complete with human sacrifice.

A ball-court mural depicting a scene
of human sacrifice

63