After hearing about everything from mind-altering enemas to the world’s first dental grills, you’d expect tattoos to be one of their more normal routines. Almost everyone gets tattoos nowadays, it’s safe, cheap and a creative outlet. Back in the Mayan days though, these body arts were quite rare.
Most Mayan men would get tattooed after getting married, females would also get them, although at a lower rate. The main reason for the considerably lower popularity of tattoos in the Mayan culture was because they were extremely painful. They were done using scalpels that would literally cut into the flesh. This would often cause disease and infections. So if one Mayans who got tattoos and survived, they were looked upon as heroes.
Mayans Kept Turkeys As Useful Pets
When most people think of the word ‘pet’, the first words that come to mind are usually dogs, cats, parrots, etc. When the Mayans thought of pets, the first animal they had in mind was the turkey. You might ask yourself what possible use could these advanced ancient people have had with an annoying bird whose main claim to fame is being a relative of the T-Rex. Apparently, Mayans have been using these big birds a long time before they became America’s favorite Thanksgiving meal.
While the Mayans most likely ate turkeys like most other people, they also found many other uses for the birds that were quite unique to them. Mayans would often pick their bones and feathers to create various tools, from fans to musical instruments. Archaeologists have found many turkey bones in Guatemala where the Mayans lived, which makes it very likely that they have domesticated them for their wonderful benefits. Raising turkeys as pets isn't the only weird thing that the Mayans did. They also gave their children names based on the calendar. Here's the reason why…
How Mayans Chose Their Children's Names
Most people today take a great deal of time to name their babies. Mayans had a much simpler way to go about these things, they would choose their child's name from a short and predefined list that was based on the current day in their Mayan calendar.
For the Mayans, names were an important part of their culture and a way for them to pay honor to their gods. We've already explained in depth why their calendar had a very spiritual and important element to it that supersedes any other consideration. For Mayans, failure to follow the calendar meant the probability of death. That's why they chose to base their newborn children's names on the day in the calendar that the birth took place. The Mayans also engaged in some excruciating and dangerous tattoo work over their bodies. Here's why…
Mayans Paid Homage to Deities Through Body Art
Beyond the mere glory of living through the pain and infections involved in getting a tattoo, these were also a way for the Mayans to pay respect and homage to their gods. With a list of over 150 of these supernatural beings, there was quite a long list of potential gods to worship and hopefully find the favor of.
Tattoos were also a way for Mayans to display their high place in the social hierarchy, as having one of these often meant that you have either a high social standing, specialized skills, or religious power. The pain and blood loss during the process was also considered to be a sacrifice to the gods, which was always quite welcome in the Mayan culture.
Their Story of Creation is Almost Identical Sounds Pretty Familiar
Everyone knows very well the story of creation from Genesis. God created the heavens and the earth in six days, he then rested on the seventh and blessed his creation. The Mayans had a very similar story, where according to their mythology, God created the animals, then clay and wood, and finally, us human beings. The Mayans believe that people were created out of maize, as an “art piece” by the gods.
August 11, 3114 BCE marks the creation of the world of human beings, according to the Mayans. This is pretty elaborate compared to the traditional Jewish, Christian and Muslim ones.