A History of the World in 100 Objects
Maya relief of royal blood-letting
Jun 14, 2010
Explore the power and intrigue of the ancient Maya royal courts with a limestone relief carving depicting a king and his wife engaged in ritual bloodletting. Learn about the enigmatic abandoned cities and ultimate collapse of the Maya civilization. Discover the symbolism of self-inflicted pain and the consequences of a queen's self-mortification. Uncover the significance of bloodletting in Maya culture and the ongoing efforts of the Maya people to preserve their heritage after the decline of their civilization.
14:08
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Quick takeaways
- Bloodletting was a significant ritual in ancient Maya culture, believed to enable transcendental experiences through self-inflicted pain.
- The stone carving depicting the queen's painful ritual was a symbolic display of the king's authority and devotion in Maya civilization.
Deep dives
The Queen's Painful Ritual
The podcast explores the ancient Maya tradition of bloodletting as a path to transcendental experience. The episode focuses on a limestone relief carving depicting a king and his wife engaged in a devotional partnership. In the sculpture, the queen is shown lacerating her tongue with a rope containing large thorns. This act of self-inflicted pain was believed to summon and propitiate the gods and was seen as an act of great piety. The intense pain experienced by the queen was believed to enable her to enter a visionary trance. The podcast highlights the visible nature of the woman's pain in the sculpture, offering insights into the significance of pain and sacrifice in the Maya civilization.
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