Although little is known about the
actual rules of
the Mesoamerican ballgame,
archaeological
discoveries attest to the widespread
popularity of
this phenomenon. Courts have been
excavated
from northern South America to the
southwestern United State, and on
Caribbean
Islands. While the earliest ruins date
from over
three thousand years ago, a derivation
of this
ancient game is still played today in
parts of
northwestern Mexico. Although the game
was
played as a sport, it also had
tremendous
religious and ceremonial significance.
In the
“Popol Vul,” the creation myth of the
Quiche
Maya of highland Guatemala, the
protagonists
(the Hero Twins) are ball players who
compete
against the Gods of the Underworld.
Scholars
believe that certain ceremonial games
might
have reenacted this mythological
competition
where the losers would be sacrificed to
the gods.
While little specifics are known
regarding game
play, much more is known about the
extensive
uniform and regalia thanks to painted
and
sculpted references as well as the
actual artifacts
themselves.
This gorgeous jade palma is just one
such
artifact that played an essential role
in the
ancient game. Palmas were believed to
serve as
court markers, perhaps delineating
borders or
scoring ranges. It is also thought that
they
might have been awarded as prizes to
victorious
combatants. Clearly, this spectacular
work would
have been a most formidable prize. The
Maya
considered jade the most precious of all
stone
substances. Carved with the depiction of
a
standing figure, perhaps a ballplayer
himself,
wearing an elaborate, towering
headdress, the
style of the decoration, specifically
the figure’s
face, reveal the influence of the Olmec
on the art
of the Maya. One cannot say for sure
what this
palma may have been used for; however,
we can
be certain that, considering both the
beauty of
the carving and the luxurious nature of
the
material, it was treasured in ancient
Mesoamerica much as we appreciate it
today for
its ancient magic and mystery.
- (PF.6236a)
|
