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The Descent of the Gods
[edit]The Descent of the Gods refers to a Maya ritual, for either male or female children who had reached puberty, which when completed would allow them to get married and consider themselves adults and members of the Maya Civilization
Maya Rituals and Ceremonies
[edit]Societies such as those of the Maya Civilization rely heavily on rituals and [[ceremony}ceremonies]] to understand the way in which the world works and structure human activity. For this reason, it seems obvious that the Maya peoples would have developed rituals for important agricultural occasions such as planting and harvest as well as important occasions in the human life cycle, among those a celebration of coming of age, a kind of rite of passage.
The Descent of the Gods
[edit]The ritual known as “The Descent of the Gods” was an annual ceremony that communities would have for children who had reached puberty and become eligible for marriage[1]. This ceremony is conducted for both boys and girls, but girls are 35% more likely to be initiated than boys [2].
Timing
[edit]The timing in which these ceremonies took place is a matter of debate. Carrasco argues that many of the rites of passage were conducted at the age of eight and a half years old [3]. Sharer notes that this “coming of age” right was predominantly one given to children when they reached puberty[1]. It also seems that the ceremony would happen approximately once a year on a date “carefully selected to ensure that it would be a lucky day" [1]. Only having a ceremony once a year meant that one waited to become a mature member of society until the day of the ritual instead of a birthdate. The Maya calendar does not repeat any day names (let alone birthdays) for one Calendar Round or fifty-two years.[4]. A ritual once a year also meant the Descent of the Gods was a community event with multiple families usually participating.
Organization
[edit]Rituals initiating people into to community life commonly involved well-known leaders of both political and religious life. The Descent of the Gods required the leadership of five men from around the community and a priest[1]. It was important to make sure the chaks, or old men, were honorable and respected members of society. Once everyone was gathered together the event would begin with the priest symbolically sweeping the area and then cleansing everyone and everything of all evil spirits[1]. Many sources claim that as a coming of age ritual the leaders spent a long time instructing the initiates in the requirements of Maya citizens[3][2].
Participants
[edit]Participation was based on age and/or development. A set age was not important to being a part of the ritual. It was instead tailored for each individual’s personal development.
Preparation for Boys
[edit]The instructions given to the boys included a strong dedication to their group[5]. The cultivation of their fields and also the importance of hunting was also discussed[1].
Preparation for Girls
[edit]Girls were told how it was very important that they practice modesty avoiding touching brushing or even making eye contact with men[1] in this way they would limit future improprieties. This focus on modesty is one practiced to this day even to the point of being beaten for talking to boys[6]. Also they were taught the importance of maintaining their house and those in it[1]. The place of the woman is in the home and this means that she must be initiated into her place.
Function of the Ritual
[edit]Instructions were not solely to induct new members into the community but would also have been a continuum which linked those already members to the initiates. The ceremony also indicated that the initiates were of marriageable age and upon marriage would be definititvely considered to have reached adulthood[5].
The Ritual
[edit]Once all of the ceremonial requirements were met and all of the information had been disseminated the ritual became what all rituals should become, a festival type atmosphere. The ritual concluded with a feast and lots of drinking.[1]
Modern Syncretism
[edit]Living Maya do not practice the Descent of the Gods, but there are surviving rituals which are practiced when a child reaches the distinction between childhood and adulthood. The most widely practiced puberty ritual was conceived by the Christian Church and has since blended in a form of syncretism with Mesoamerican beliefs and ideals to form the modern Quinceañera rituals[7]. Quinceañera rituals are celebrated individually and occur on the celebrant's fifteenth birthday. Also the many things a woman must learn may also help explain the differences in age between Quinceañeras and the Descent of the gods. For boys, any formalized ritual pertaining to either coming of age or puberty has been forgotten. As Faust has argued, "The loss of ceremonies, oral histories, and traditional knowledge of local environments are common consequences of modernization” [2].