The Dance of the Serpent among the Maya

Abstract

In the Maya art of the Late Classic period we find a very singular representation, people dancing with snakes. Although its meaning is not entirely clear, it is possible to conjecture, given the symbolism of the snake, that this dance represents the control of man over nature and the domain of fertility that arises from the interior of the Earth. In this context, the present paper aims to unravel the complex meaning of the dances with snakes departing from several historical sources. In addition, from the methodological point of view, it is intended to analyze these dances and ethnographical as part of a historical longue durée process because in the present, in the villages of Momostenango and San Bartolo Aguas Calientes, Guatemala, is still being performed a "dance of the snake" and is offered to Mother Earth for the benefits that endows us; likewise, for these contemporary groups the serpent symbolizes wisdom.