Santiago Atitlan and Maximon

Oh, Santiago Atitlan!! How I miss your beautiful location and landscape. This place is truly one of my favorite Maya towns of all time! 99% of the population speaks Tz'utujil Maya (a member of the K'ichean branch of Mayan languages; its closest language relative is Kaqchikel). From the first picture, if one just continues to go forward, one would make it to Santiago Atitlan (named thus for its patron saint, Santiago or St. James). Santiago is a municipality in the Solola department of Guatemala. The town sits on a bay of Lake Atitlan, enclosed by the Lake on one side and by two of the three volcanoes on the other side (so it cannot really "grow" as a town because it is wedged into its physical, geographic space). It is truly a beautiful place with colorful people, languages (many Tz'utujil Maya also speak Spanish), and cultures. I absolutely love Santiago and want to return to spend more time there. The week leading up to my visit I was reading a book by Dr. Allen Christenson about the altarpiece of the church in Santiago so I have learned so much from his book about Santiago's history and people. It is a fascinating place, rich with traditional Maya beliefs and practices but also acclimating to the modern world (and tourism as well!). What a lovely place to visit.

Here is the famous church in Santiago Atitlan. Unfortunately, I was unable to go inside and see the altar because Mass was being given (the altar was probably originally built and carved in the 16th century, but parts of it were destroyed in the 1960s and early 1970s, so two Tz'utujil artists were commissioned by Father Rother (a Catholic priest assassinated in 1981) to re-build and carve the altar from 1976-1981). Well, I will just have to go back in order to see the altar!!

Part of Santiago's history is compelling and very sad. It was the site of a massacre in December of 1990 when 14 men, women, and children were killed and more than 20 others were wounded when the Guatemalan army opened fire on these innocent victims. My two Tz'utujil guides, Miguel and Juan, took me to the "Parque de la Paz," an ironically named place where Mass is still given once a month to commemorate and remember the innocent people gunned down there. I was told that I could take pictures, but I just did not have it in me. I stood there and felt so many emotions run through me as I read the plaques with each victim's age (some as young as 5 years old) and contemplated how anyone could have done this. However, their sacrifice brought peace to Santiago several years before the Peace Accords were signed for the whole country in 1996. A powerful place that brought tears to my eyes.                                      

And here are a few pictures for which you have all been waiting! Hahaha...Maximon (pronounced Maa-shee-mohn) has become a recent fascination of mine, even before I visited him in Santiago Atitlan. One of my friends was going to do her dissertation on Maximon and how he fit into the larger complex of Maya beliefs and interactions with objects within the ritual landscape, but she is no longer in the PhD program at FSU. Anyways, the name Maximon could possibly be a combination of "Simon" (See-mohn) and "Max" (Maash), the Mam (a Mayan language) word for tobacco. Now, not to be confusing, but the Maya of Santiago Atitlan speak Tz'utujil, not Mam. But Maximon (a white and bearded effigy) is a complex cult effigy or figure and his origin, including the origin of his name, is murky at best and not very well understood. Here is the front of the house where Maximon currently resides (he changes from one house and cofradia to the next every year; therefore, every 12 years the cycle repeats). This particular Maximon is considered to be the "mero mero" or "true" Maximon (there are a few others in Zunil, Chichicastenango, and another place in Guatemala but those are "copies," my guide told me).

I was a little nervous as my guide, Juan, walked me down this very narrow passageway. It would be a perfect place to rob someone, but I would be nervous if someone anywhere (not just in Guatemala) walked me down a narrow little sidewalk like this. But we arrived at Maximon's safely!

"Mam" was also an ancient Maya deity known as "Grandfather" or "Ancient One." Maximon is not, of course, recognized by the Catholic church, but he has quite the following in Santiago Atitlan (although not everyone in Santiago believes in him or ascribes to his cult). He has several names and identities, such as San Simon, Rilaj Mam, among others. Maximon has 12 houses in Santiago, many, many clothes donated by members of the community, he loves to smoke cigars and cigarettes, and he loves to drink alcohol. I was told by my Tz'utujil guide that Maximon wakes up at 7:30a.m. and goes to bed at 6p.m. Separate cofradias (or "confraternities" in English or religious brotherhoods) watch over him, feed and dress him, and light his cigars and cigarettes for him. The final picture is of one of his other houses where he goes for Easter Week (it is directly to the right of the Catholic church thus fusing the two religious thoughts and practices into the same physical space). For 12 Quetzales, I was able to take exactly 2 pictures. So I gave one of the cofrades (one of the gentlemen taking care of Maximon) 50 Quetzales as an offering (because Maximon loves to receive gifts such as money, liquor, cigarettes, clothes, etc.). So the cofrades allowed me to take a few extra pictures because of my gift. While there, a man came in and offered Maximon liquor, cigarettes, and candles and was petitioning him for all kinds of things (he was whispering so I could not quite figure out what he was asking Maximon for).  Maximon absolutely fascinates me!! I felt a little weird meeting him (or even writing that I "met" him), but the people who do believe in him have so much faith in him that it astounds me.

Lago de Atitlan

I feel so very grateful for the time that I was able to spend on el Lago de Atitlan (3 days)! I absolutely loved being here. Lake Atitlan ("At the water" in the Nahuatl language; yes, it is a name that is not Maya, but Nahuatl because in 1524, Pedro de Alvarado invaded the region, bringing with him several thousand Nahuatl-speaking troops from what is today central Mexico, thus the name in Nahuatl) is an endorheic lake meaning it does not flow into the sea. It is the deepest lake in Central America with depths reaching 1120 feet, is 12 miles long and 6 miles wide. Volcanic in origin (forming a "caldera" or basin for the lake around 85,000 years ago), three different volcanoes surround Lake Atitlan: Volcan Atitlan, Volcan Toliman, Volcan San Pedro (Atitlan is the largest of the three at 7,868 ft. high). I have included a few pictures of the hotel where I stayed (I highly recommend it: La Casa del Mundo is its name), the stairs I had to walk up in order to reach my room, and a picture of my little room from the outside. Besides all of the geographic and historic facts about this lake, I found the place itself to be simply exquisite. It is full of beautiful vistas and the air is so pure and clean (or at least it feels that way). The lake contains some of the most fascinating Maya towns such as Santiago Atitlan, San Pedro la Laguna, San Juan la Laguna, etc. I loved being here (have I already stated that?). I cannot wait to go back and spend more time here. It is just too beautiful!!

One of the days I was on Lake Atitlan I visited the town of Santiago Atitlan (more on that later). So, a few of these pictures were taken from the little "lancha" or boat that I took around the lake (an expensive trip because I rented the lancha instead of taking a public one, which is much more expensive but takes much less time than the public one). Also, I took a few of these pictures from a "mirador" or overlook called "Rey Tepepul," a sacred site that became officially recognized as such last year. The view was stunning and my two Tz'utujil Maya guides were great!!

And here are a few more views of the Lake and its stunning landscape. I cannot state in mere words how peaceful and beautiful this place truly is. The view from my little hotel room was absolutely marvelous and I would just sit in front of the window and stare out into the sights before me. How gorgeous is Lake Atitlan!?! I loved being here and it was such a nice way to end my visit to Guatemala for the very first time. I will certainly be headed back and hopefully be able to stay longer!!