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CHAAC

CHAAC. The Role of the Mayan Rain God: Past and Present. CHAAC BACKGROUND. OLMEC IZAPAN MAYA. CHAAC BACKGROUND. CHARACTERISTICS Elephant-like nose Sometimes depicted with tears in the eyes, representing rain Associated with the frog gjoachim.club.fr/uxmal.htm. CHAAC BACKGROUND.

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CHAAC

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  1. CHAAC The Role of the Mayan Rain God: Past and Present

  2. CHAACBACKGROUND OLMEC IZAPAN MAYA

  3. CHAACBACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS • Elephant-like nose • Sometimes depicted with tears in the eyes, representing rain • Associated with the frog gjoachim.club.fr/uxmal.htm

  4. CHAACBACKGROUND • Often represented as one god OR • As the four cardinal points: • Chac Xib Chaac (red Chaac of the East) • Sac Xib Chaac (white Chaac of the North) • Ek Xib Chaac (black Chaac of the West) • Kan Xib Chaac (yellow Chaac of the South)

  5. CHAACBACKGROUND Effigies of Chaac are often painted with blue, red, yellow, white, black, and green www.answers.com/topic/mayapan

  6. CHAACBACKGROUND

  7. CHAAC TODAY • Conversion to Catholicism faciliatated by replacing indigeonous gods with Saints • Pre-colonialism prayers to Chaac are still in use, with Saint Thomas in place of Chaac

  8. CHAAC TODAY • Cities were converted to Catholisim more easily • Rural areas retained more traditional Mayan beliefs

  9. CHAAC TODAY Often, the people in smaller towns will first pray in the Catholic church for rain, then will take prayers to Chaac into the cornfields if the rain still does not come

  10. CHAAC TODAY THE RITUAL • The Mayan Shaman chooses a spot near a tree, and conducts prayers with no other people nearby • The Shaman then makes ´Kol´, a corn based food, as well as a corn based drink • Food and drink are distributed among the people

  11. CHAAC TODAY • Regular ceremonies to Chaac still exist • Cha-chaac is a ritual performed at the start of the rainy season • Mayan people must travel far into the wilderness to practice these rites, in order to avoid persecution

  12. COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC • Tourism is one of the most important industries in Mexico and in the Yucatan • The Mexico Ministry of Tourism, the Commission of Tourism, and the Federal Law of Tourism work together to support this industry

  13. COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC The Uxmal Light and Sound show is one example of attempts to use Mayan culture to bring in tourist revenue (www.ecoyuc.com.mx/daytours.php?did=19 )

  14. COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC • According to Eduardo of Muna, the commodification of Chaac as ornaments or souvenirs is not offensive to the Mayan people, since the traditional ancient rites have been all but forgotten by the common people • Juan of Merida, on the other hand, suggested that peddling Chaac images, especially those made in another country, cheapens the culture

  15. COMMODIFICATION OF CHAAC At Muna we found representations of Chaac that were much more than simple replicas…

  16. QUESTIONS?

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