Women in Maya society
Encyclopedia
The roles and representation of women in Maya society has been a comparatively little-studied subfield of Mayanist
research, which nonetheless has benefited from an increasing scholarly attention in the latter-half of the 20th century and into the present. Specialists working in the fields such as archaeology
, anthropology
, art history
and ethnography
have separately and jointly begun to address and expand upon what is known on the representations of Maya women in Maya art
and literature, and their everyday lives- both for the pre-Columbian
Maya civilization
, and among modern-day Maya peoples
.
San Lorenzo is located in the southeast area of Veracruz, Mexico. The figurines discovered here were found in a midden pile during excavations of the site. They date to the early formative period, around 1900BC to 1300BC.
Paso de la Amada is in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. The figurines here were discovered in household trash deposits and date to the Ocos, from 1400BC to 1250BC. The figurines found here are mainly of young women and old men. The female Paso de la Amada figurines have larger hips and breasts than the female figurines at other sites. This has led to some speculation that they may have been associated with fertility.
is of equal importance. Still another Maya goddess was Ixchel
(goddess O), the patron of midwifery and medicine, represented as an aged woman with jaguar features. Moreover, Maya queens were often dressed as maize goddesses.
El Perú (also known as Waka') is a site in northwestern Guatemala. At this site, archaeologists have discovered the almost untouched burial tomb of a Maya queen which dates to approximately 800AD. The queen’s skull and leg bone are missing, and were possibly removed to be used as relics. Though her name, lineage, and cause of death are not known, it is believed that the queen was between 30 and 45 at her death. Inside the tomb archaeologists found more than 1,600 artifacts, including a plated helmet with jade plaques, and a small jade carving of a deity in profile, which were worn by Maya royalty. Stingray spines, which were commonly used for bloodletting, were also found in the tomb, placed upon the queen’s pelvis. According to David Freidel
of Southern Methodist University
, the placement of the spines may served to represent the queen as both male and female.
Maya women were important because they could create new life by giving birth. Some scholars have suggested that by piercing their genitals during ritual self sacrifice, men were actually recreating the process of menstruation in women.
While women were not warriors themselves, their husbands success in battle could be affected by the women’s actions at home. Before Maya men went into battle, their wives would often let blood to ensure his success. While her husband was at war, it was essential that a Maya woman perform certain tasks, including sweeping the house in a particular manner, in order to please the gods enough to grant him success. Women were also held to strict standards in regards to sexuality. Boys and girls were separated, with females staying with their mothers and males living in the men’s house, where prostitutes were often present. Girls were raised to be chaste and were severely punished by their mothers for lapses.
Marriage was viewed not as a love match, but as a potential social or political alliance. Marriages were arranged by families, and were particularly taboo if between two people with the same patrilineal name.
Maya standards of beauty included filing their front teeth with elaborate patterns, being scarred and/or tattooed from the waist up after marriage, and crossed eyes, which parents caused by hanging beads in front of their babies noses.
Today, most Maya women continue to be dependent mainly on their husband to support the family. Family sizes have begun to shift as some women are choosing to have fewer children than the women before them. As their society modernizes and Maya women take increasingly complex social and economic roles, it is no longer as beneficial to them as it once was to have many children.
However, in areas with the highest indigenous Maya populations, women still dress in the traditional Maya garb as they have for centuries. Weaving is still an integral part of their culture, and something that almost all young women are taught to do. Traditional Maya religion is still practiced alongside Catholicism in most of the Maya areas.
Mayanist
A Mayanist is a scholar specialising in research and study of the Central American pre-Columbian Maya civilization. This discipline should not be confused with Mayanism, a collection of New Age beliefs about the ancient Maya....
research, which nonetheless has benefited from an increasing scholarly attention in the latter-half of the 20th century and into the present. Specialists working in the fields such as archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
have separately and jointly begun to address and expand upon what is known on the representations of Maya women in Maya art
Maya art
Maya art, here taken to mean the visual arts, is the artistic style typical of the Maya civilization, that took shape in the course the Preclassic period , and grew greater during the Classic period Maya art, here taken to mean the visual arts, is the artistic style typical of the Maya...
and literature, and their everyday lives- both for the pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
, and among modern-day Maya peoples
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
.
Earliest representation of women in Mesoamerica
Ceramic figurines have been found throughout Mesoamerica. Some of the earliest representations of women were figurines found at the sites of San Lorenzo and Paso de la Amada. Other sites include Tres Zapotes, where the figurines were found in mounds and burials, and Chiapa de Corzo, at which figurines were discovered in residential areas and plazas. Both sites date from the mid to late Formative Period.San Lorenzo is located in the southeast area of Veracruz, Mexico. The figurines discovered here were found in a midden pile during excavations of the site. They date to the early formative period, around 1900BC to 1300BC.
Paso de la Amada is in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. The figurines here were discovered in household trash deposits and date to the Ocos, from 1400BC to 1250BC. The figurines found here are mainly of young women and old men. The female Paso de la Amada figurines have larger hips and breasts than the female figurines at other sites. This has led to some speculation that they may have been associated with fertility.
Earliest Maya depiction of women
The earliest known Maya stone carving of a woman was found at a site in northern Guatemala called Naachtun. The stela is about six feet high and three feet wide, with many inscriptions, some of which have been too damaged to read. The damage was most likely caused in an attack on the city. The stela dates to 300-400AD, which is significant because it shows women held positions of power early in Maya society, either as queens or deities. The stela shows the head of a woman wearing an elaborate headdress with her hands on each side holding the glyphs for “7 Black K’an,” and “9 Ajaw.” A hieroglyph above her head reads her name, Ix Tzutz Nik. This name is found on many other artifacts as well. Archaeologists do not know whether the woman is a queen of Tikal or a mythological figure, or both. The Maya later buried the monument during the 6th or 7th century near Naachtun’s temples in a ceremony meant to honor the woman whose image is shown. The burials of monuments were usually reserved for important founders or rulers.Mythological women and goddesses
In the Maya codices, and especially in the Dresden Codex, a young goddess of women, marriage, and sensual love (goddess I) occurs frequently. In Classic Mayan iconography, and in the inscriptions, the young Maya moon goddessMaya moon goddess
The traditional Mayas generally assume the moon to be female, and the moon's phases are accordingly conceived as the stages of a woman's life. The Maya moon goddess wields great influence in many areas. Being in the image of a woman, she is naturally associated with sexuality and procreation,...
is of equal importance. Still another Maya goddess was Ixchel
Ixchel
Ixchel or Ix Chel is the 16th-century name of the aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine in the ancient Maya culture. She corresponds, more or less, to Toci Yoalticitl ‘Our Grandmother the Nocturnal Physician’, an Aztec earth goddess inhabiting the sweatbath, and is related to another...
(goddess O), the patron of midwifery and medicine, represented as an aged woman with jaguar features. Moreover, Maya queens were often dressed as maize goddesses.
Women rulers
Although the Maya preferred that rulership pass to sons and not daughters, the eighth ruler of Palenque was a woman. Her name was Yohl Ik’nal, and she ruled for twenty years. She was most likely the sister or daughter of the previous ruler, Kan B’ahlam I.El Perú (also known as Waka') is a site in northwestern Guatemala. At this site, archaeologists have discovered the almost untouched burial tomb of a Maya queen which dates to approximately 800AD. The queen’s skull and leg bone are missing, and were possibly removed to be used as relics. Though her name, lineage, and cause of death are not known, it is believed that the queen was between 30 and 45 at her death. Inside the tomb archaeologists found more than 1,600 artifacts, including a plated helmet with jade plaques, and a small jade carving of a deity in profile, which were worn by Maya royalty. Stingray spines, which were commonly used for bloodletting, were also found in the tomb, placed upon the queen’s pelvis. According to David Freidel
David Freidel
David A. Freidel is an American academic archaeologist, Mayanist scholar and author. He is best known for the books he co-authored with Linda Schele, Maya Cosmos and Forest of Kings. Friedel received both his B. A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard University. He is married to Carolyn...
of Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, the placement of the spines may served to represent the queen as both male and female.
Common women
Maya women were important for many reasons. They were not seen as passive subordinates; instead they had important roles to play in society. Some of the most basic roles played by women were those of weaver and harvester.Maya women were important because they could create new life by giving birth. Some scholars have suggested that by piercing their genitals during ritual self sacrifice, men were actually recreating the process of menstruation in women.
While women were not warriors themselves, their husbands success in battle could be affected by the women’s actions at home. Before Maya men went into battle, their wives would often let blood to ensure his success. While her husband was at war, it was essential that a Maya woman perform certain tasks, including sweeping the house in a particular manner, in order to please the gods enough to grant him success. Women were also held to strict standards in regards to sexuality. Boys and girls were separated, with females staying with their mothers and males living in the men’s house, where prostitutes were often present. Girls were raised to be chaste and were severely punished by their mothers for lapses.
Marriage was viewed not as a love match, but as a potential social or political alliance. Marriages were arranged by families, and were particularly taboo if between two people with the same patrilineal name.
Maya standards of beauty included filing their front teeth with elaborate patterns, being scarred and/or tattooed from the waist up after marriage, and crossed eyes, which parents caused by hanging beads in front of their babies noses.
Maya women today
Though there have been politically and religiously notable women, it is safe to say that the larger role of women in Maya society has been that of helper, child bearer, mother, and wife. Maya women were of great importance in Maya society, but for the most part, they were not seen in the same light as men. Upon colonization, the Spanish caused a shift in the role of women. As many men were killed or forced to work far away, Maya women had to take on greater roles, including those of single mothers, primary breadwinner, and often they would work outside their homes. About a century after the conquest, even noble women were forced to work, since by then they had lost most of their possessions and status.Today, most Maya women continue to be dependent mainly on their husband to support the family. Family sizes have begun to shift as some women are choosing to have fewer children than the women before them. As their society modernizes and Maya women take increasingly complex social and economic roles, it is no longer as beneficial to them as it once was to have many children.
However, in areas with the highest indigenous Maya populations, women still dress in the traditional Maya garb as they have for centuries. Weaving is still an integral part of their culture, and something that almost all young women are taught to do. Traditional Maya religion is still practiced alongside Catholicism in most of the Maya areas.
External links
- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1208_051208_maya_woman.html
- http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/maya/womenatcourt.htm
- http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-07182004-012228/unrestricted/07_mbt_chap6.pdf
- http://www.mesoweb.com/palenque/resources/rulers/essay/rulers_00001.html
- http://www.macduffeverton.com/Modern%20Maya/Mayawoman.html