Maya Tattoos and Body Piercings

Tattoos and Body Piercings: What They Meant to Ancient Maya Civilization

INTRODUCTION

The sun shone down upon the magnificent temple. At the base of the temple is a gathering of people. They pray, chant, and dance in honor of the rain god, Chaak. Atop the pyramid-like temple sits the ruler of his people, Pacaal, the mighty king of Palenque. Dressed in his ritual headdress, body painting, and both ears and nose pierced. Surrounding him are his priests in a deep trance. Warriors escort a prisoner, who has been painted blue, to a blood stained altar. Four priests hold him down as a fifth approaches. Brandishing an obsidian knife the priest pleads to Chaak for rain. As suddenly as it begins, it is over, with the still beating heart held aloft for all to see.

As grisly as this might seem, ritualistic sacrifice was a common practice of Maya religion. The practice was vital to world order and keeping the masses in line to the hierarchy. Even though very little is known about Maya civilization, ancient religious artwork depicting Maya people having tattoos and wearing body piercings have been found. The belief was the king and his priests were the human contacts of ancient Maya gods; however, bloodletting was practiced by all levels of society. The blood taken was burned as the Maya believed the gods received sustenance from the smoke

ANCIENT MAYA TATTOOS AND BODY PIERCINGS

Ancient Maya wore various forms of body modification. Most notable were the ear flares present in almost every painting, carving, or sculpture on record. The Maya were obsessed with beautification of the body, including shaping of the forehead. There is little evidence supporting the use of tattoos. Galvin (1997) noted that tattoos were applied after marriage. Males received tattoos on their hands, face, and body while females were tattooed from the waist up. There has not been adequate research to support the meanings of Maya tattoos. However, there is an ample amount of documented usage...