Maximón (), also called San Simón, is a Mayan deity and
folk saint
Folk saints are dead people or other spiritually powerful entities (such as indigenous spirits) venerated as saints, but not officially canonized. Since they are saints of the "folk", or the ''populus'', they are also called popular saints. Like o ...
represented in various forms by the
Maya peoples
The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people ...
of several towns in the
Guatemalan Highlands
The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala, lying between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north.
Description
The highlands are made up of a series of high valleys enclosed by mou ...
. Oral tradition of his creation and purpose in these communities is complex, diverse, and born of the ancient Maya traditions centuries ago.
Origin
The worship of Maximón is believed to have begun at the time of the
Spanish conquest of the Maya
The Spanish conquest of the Maya was a protracted conflict during the Spanish colonisation of the Americas, in which the Spanish ''conquistadores'' and their allies gradually incorporated the territory of the Late Postclassic Maya states and ...
. The designation of Maximón as a
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
is the result of
religious syncretism.
[''The Drunken, Devilish Mayan God Still Worshiped in Guatemala'', VICE, Benjamin Reeves, December 18th, 2013](_blank)
/ref>
The modern character of Maximón is thought by analysts to be a blend of several historical, biblical, and Mayan mythological figures. These include Pedro de Alvarado, Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
, Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
, and Mam.[''A Mayan and Catholic Easter Tradition? Yes, in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala'', NBC News, María Martin, April 12th, 2017](_blank)
/ref>
Maximón's appearance varies greatly by location. While he's popularly depicted as a man in a suit and hat, this isn't a constant. In Santiago Atitlán
Santiago Atitlán (, from Nahuatl ''atitlan'', "at the water", in Tz'utujil ''Tz'ikin Jaay'', "birdhouse") is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. The town is situated on Lake Atitlán, which has an elevation of . The town s ...
, he wears colorful garlands and scarves, while in Zunil
Zunil () is a town and municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with a surface area of .[trickster
In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...](_blank)
. He is both a womanizer and a protector of couples.
According to some legends, Maximón was an elder who reincarnated to protect his people. During the Spanish Conquest, an elder named Ri Laj Mam, upset by the evils of the Spaniards, encouraged his people to start a rebellion. He was eventually executed, but returned to life in the form of a judge named Don Ximon, who fought to give land back to the native people of Guatemala.[''The Legend of Maximon'', Organization for Mayan and Indigenous Spiritual Studies, October 14th, 2014](_blank)
/ref>
Another legend states that Maximón was hired by traveling fishermen to protect the virtue of their wives. Instead, Maximón disguised himself and slept with all of them.[''Meet Maximón: The Liquor-Drinking, Chain-Smoking Saint'', National Geographic, Bethany Jones, January 24th, 2018](_blank)
/ref>
In Santiago Atitlán
Santiago Atitlán (, from Nahuatl ''atitlan'', "at the water", in Tz'utujil ''Tz'ikin Jaay'', "birdhouse") is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. The town is situated on Lake Atitlán, which has an elevation of . The town s ...
, an alternative tale says that Maximón was never a man, but a wooden figure created by shamans
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
to defend the village from witches. However, Maximón used trickery to harm the people of the village, so the shamans twisted his head around and broke his legs to stop him. He then did his job properly and protected the people of the town from evil.[Santiago Atitlán, Maximón](_blank)
/ref>
Veneration
Maximón is venerated in the form of an effigy or cult image. Worship varies greatly by location. In Santiago Atitlán
Santiago Atitlán (, from Nahuatl ''atitlan'', "at the water", in Tz'utujil ''Tz'ikin Jaay'', "birdhouse") is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. The town is situated on Lake Atitlán, which has an elevation of . The town s ...
, Maximón's effigy resides in a different household every year. His image is normally only taken out of this house during Holy Week
Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...
, whereafter it will change households, but is on display year-round due to the popularity of pilgrimages
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
. The effigy has special attendants that stay by the altar year-round, drinking and smoking alongside it. They deliver offerings from the public to the image. Popular offerings include money, tobacco, and moonshine.
In the town of San Andrés Itzapa
San Andrés Itzapa () is a town, with a population of 24,992 (2018 census), and a municipality of Chimaltenango, Guatemala. San Andrés Itzapa is in the eastern region of Chimaltenango, while the district capital lies to the north, Acatenango lies ...
, there is a large temple to Maximón. Here, offerings such as corn, flowers, and candles are burned in public by shamans for the deity. Pilgrims travel to this temple from all across Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
.
Guatemalan press has claimed that the worship of Maximón has declined in recent decades, but this is difficult to measure with much certainty.
Outside of Guatemala
As many Guatemalans have migrated to areas such as Mexico, the United States, and Canada, the veneration of Maximón has traveled beyond the borders of Guatemala, where he is more commonly known as San Simón. There are temples dedicated to him in New York, California, and Florida.[''Maximón or San Simón: the Mayan folk saint who drinks, smokes and offers protection'', LifeGate, Sarine Arslanian, 26 July, 2017](_blank)
/ref>
See also
* Folk Catholicism
Folk Catholicism can be broadly described as various ethnic expressions and practices of Catholicism intermingled with aspects of folk religion. Practices have varied from place to place, and may at times contradict the official doctrines and pr ...
* Folk religion
In religious studies and folkloristics, folk religion, popular religion, traditional religion or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized re ...
* Folk saint
Folk saints are dead people or other spiritually powerful entities (such as indigenous spirits) venerated as saints, but not officially canonized. Since they are saints of the "folk", or the ''populus'', they are also called popular saints. Like o ...
* Maya religion
Notes
Further reading
*Pieper, Jim, (2002) ''Guatemala's Folk Saints''
*Stanzione, Vincent, (2003) ''Rituals of Sacrifice''
External links
* Rilaj Maam - Spanish Wikipedia page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maximon
Catholic Church in Guatemala
Christianity and death
Christianity and religious syncretism
Death gods
Fertility gods
Folk saints
Fortune gods
Guatemalan folklore
Love and lust gods
Maya gods
Maya mythology and religion
Religion in Guatemala
Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints
Superstitions of the Americas
Trickster gods
Vengeance gods
Miracle workers