 |
| Figure 1: Source: Miller and Houston, 1987 |
Mesoamerica is home to several pre-Hispanic civilizations,
including the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. All of these groups have been widely studied,
and while each is unique in their own way they had several cultural elements in
common. Today’s blog post will focus on
one of those elements: the Mesoamerican ball game (Figure 1). Remarkably similar to modern soccer this game
was an important part of Mesoamerican cultures for both entertainment and religious
ritual purposes. This blog post will
explore the various aspects of the game, including its origin, purpose, and
game play.
The Mesoamerican ball game was first created by the Olmec in
the Preclassic Period (2500-100 BCE).
While it is unclear what initiated the creation of this game it is clear
that it held quite a bit of importance to Mesoamerican groups as it was widely
played among all cultural groups and is still played today, although not
with the original rules (and you will see why shortly). The game is believed to have originated from
the Hero Twin myth that is chronicled in the Mayan text, the Popul Vuh. According to the legend the gods of life
spared off against the gods of death in a ball game death match that the gods
of life lost. They were decapitated and
their blood impregnated a female goddess who eventually gave birth to the Hero
Twins. These twins avenged their fathers’
deaths by facing the gods of death in a rematch, beating them and bringing
forth new life onto the Earth.
 |
| Figure 2: Xochicalco Ball Court, an example of one of many ball courts throughout Mesoamerica |
The purpose of the ball game is meant to mimic this legend,
although it was played for entertainment purposes, too. Ball courts (Figure 2) were often found in
several ritual centers, and there were anywhere from two to several dozen ball
courts in any location. It is believed
that at least one court was reserved for play by the gods, which may have also
been where the highly specialized and ritualized ball games took place, and the
remaining courts were used for entertainment purposes. It is known that these ball games were often accompanied
by gambling by spectators who would bet on which team they thought would win.
The ball game was a very dangerous game in and of itself. Only young men were allowed to play this game,
which involved moving a large and heavy rubber ball across a stone court into a
stone hoop. This seems like a simple endeavor,
but the catch was that the players could not use their hands, feet, or calves. They could use any other body part, but they had
to do so carefully because the ball was known to be able to break bones. Therefore players would wear protective gear
on their wrists, arms, knees, legs, hips, and head. Players who were successful at winning
received high levels of prestige and celebrity among their respective
societies, but the losers met a less favorable fate. They were ultimately sacrificed to the god Tlahuizca-pantecuhtli-Quetzalcoatl,
who would bring about the rainy seasons and a plentiful harvest out of
satisfaction for this sacrifice. This
encouraged play of the game because without it Mesoamerican groups believed
that they would anger the gods and not receive the life-giving rains and
harvests in payment for their homage.
In conclusion the Mesoamerican ball game was quite prevalent
in the past, and while not played to the same extent today it remains popular in its new (nonlethal) incarnation. Reminiscent to modern soccer this
life or death match held incredible importance in all Mesoamerican cultures. Be it for entertainment or ritual the
Mesoamerican ball game was a mainstay of Mesoamerican life, and one that
continues to fascinate scholars today.
References
Cartwright, Mark.
2013. “The Ball Game of
Mesoamerica.” Ancient History
Encyclopedia.
Kowalewski, Stephen A., Gary M. Feinman, Laura Finsten,
Richard E. Blanton. 1993. “Pre-hispanic Ballcourts from the Valley of
Oaxaca, Mexico.” in Scarborough, Vernon L., and David R. Wilcox, eds. The
Mesoamerican Ballgame. University of Arizona Press.
Miller, M. E., & Houston, S. D. 1987. The Classic Maya
ballgame and its architectural setting: a study of relations between text and
image. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics, 14(1), 46-65.
Uriate, Maria Teresa.
1998. “The Mesoamerican Ball
Game.” Voices of Mexico.
Von Winning, Hasso.
1985. Paraphernalia for the Ceremonial
Ball Game in Ancient Mexico. Southwest
Museum, Los Angeles, California
