Nicolas here is going to give us the example of what a Yucatecan "bomba" is. -"A Yucatecan man fell from the top of a church and a bone broke because he fell on his head, bomba" (rhyme in Spanish). I like it, I like it (Music) Knowing Mayan culture How are you today my friends!
We are going to talk about one of the most fascinating cultures that have ever lived on earth, the Mayans. We are in Yucatan, in Mexico's south, a region that many say is the cradle of the modern Mayans. Well, even though nowadays to find what we could say 100% pure Mayans is something impossible, we find a lot of people who are direct descendants of the Mayans.
They have the physical characteristics and even Mayan language deeply rooted. This does not mean that all communities speak Mayan but they speak a Spanish mixed with pre-Hispanic words, ancestral words. Commonly someone comes and tell you "whats up "pelaná", "pelaná" is like their word to say friend or a little insult, among others that we are going to be explaining.
So yes, in a casual way, not too elaborate, I want us to cover a little of the history of certain sites that you come across and evidence that are left in our so-called modern world. So let's go! This region of Yucatan, Mexico awaits us.
I would normally say let's hit it, but we're in Mayan territory so I'll say Ko'ox! Let's start with the geographic location and physical features of the Mayans. The Mayans up to the date, can be found in five territories: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Mexico.
Curiously, it is believed that they started in Guatemala, and then moved to the rest of Central America and moved up to Mexico. Well, now to talk about theories of their origins, we need to talk about their physical features. Mayans are characterized by being short or medium.
They are usually dark skinned and have slanted eyes. In fact, in many physical ways they would remind us an Asian person. You go maybe to Cambodia, to Vietnam, to certain areas of China, and you're going to find people that have physical features that are very similar.
Because in fact, there is a theory that tells us that the Mayans came from Asia We have to go a lot, too many thousands of years ago, they moved into this region. And that's why there's evidence of Mayan civilizations from hundreds of years before Christ. Now we're going to talk a little bit about their language, their expressions and how they are still used in modern Spanish in certain regions from Mexico and perhaps other countries.
I'm here with Russell, who was born and raised in Yucatan. I'm going to ask him some Mayan words, so we see how they mix them with modern Spanish. Let's see then, for example the word "pelaná", what it is and how you use it?
-It's something common for us among friends, it's like a greeting. It's more like a brotherhood and it's something common. It's become a common thing, but it's actually an insult.
And how would you say to someone, let's see. -"Hey you pelanà! " It's something like this.
What do you tell about doing "moloch", what is this? -Is someone who annoys you a lot and we're all going to make him moloch. Like getting around him to bother him too or what?
-Yes. I found this word on the internet, "pirix". -Yes "pirix", little chicken boy.
But what does it means? -A boys penis. Oh really?
the pirix hahaha Let's see, the word "posh". -Is like you're craving for a meal and you say "I have "posh" about this. like I'm craving for, I want this, I have posh okay.
Now what do you tell me about the word "wixar". -It's a word in the Mayan language that means pee, like I'm going to pee or I'm going to "wixar". I've heard that people use the expression "po".
What does it means? -It's like I don't like, no like, like I don't get something, like disgusting or something. Hey I have here another word that I found on the internet, "pichon", what does it means?
-It's a bird, "the bird" Oh okay, like the male penis, ha ha ha. I didn't know it, I found it on the internet. Let's see what else you have -"Ko'oten janal" it's like come to eat.
. . For example how would you say hello.
-Ma'alo'ob k'iin, that means good afternoon, good morning, or good evening. And to say thank you yo say "yuum boꞌotik", it means God keep you or God bless you. -"Tu'ux a taal", where are you from.
These are some examples to make a long story short, but there are too many of how a Mayan person speaks in the modern world. Another thing very characteristic of Yucatan people is their accent, than we, in central Mexico, I am from Mexico center, we say that they kind of sing the little cut words. Lets see.
-A Yucatecan fell off from a church, a bone was broken because he fell on his head, bomba. I like it I like it. One of the greatest evidences of the Mayan culture, which is still very well preserved to this day, is certainly Chichén Itzá.
The ancient Mayan civilization that had an estimated of 40,000 inhabitants. Located in the Riviera Maya region, today Chichén Itzá is one of the seven wonders of the world. Of the modern world.
And earned this title because of its impressive pyramid of Kukulcan. Which in two dates per year, gets a reflection from the sun, that only some connoisseurs of the stars, teachers could have achieved. That has put many scientists to think that the Mayans have been one of the most advanced civilizations, considering their era and their resources.
In fact, I wanted to record this hole thing inside Chichen Itzá. We're coming out from there right now. But they don't let me record, they get a little bit demanding with that.
So I'll tell you about it outside here, with some images I shot from inside. Chichén Itzá means "mouth of a cenote of the Itzá people" that was the civilizations name. Itzà would be the water witches.
So we could say this city is the cenotes mouth of the water witches. How about it? how poetic huh?
We can inside 13 courts of the ancient ball game. Which is also known as Pokolpok. Because the rubber ball bounces on the hip and makes pok, ol, pok.
A disturbing fact, is that the ball game winners, who were able to get the ball into the high ring more times, so difficult, they were sacrificed. This because they believed that, in this way they could pass to the next life, in the gods world, where they could enjoy forever. So yes, think about it, it's as if today you would go on Sundays to play soccer, there in your neighborhood, and the winners just died after, were killed right there on the spot.
Disturbing Fact! If we talk about religion, the modern Mayans are Christianity followers. I don't think all of them entirely, but most of them are.
And how Christianity is applied here has an interesting context. You tend to see the crosses without Jesus Christ on them, because it is said that when the Spanish people arrived, and tried to convert the locals to their religion, the Mayas started to crucify themselves, because as we already said, they were very accustomed to sacrifices. So they saw the man on the cross, and they said: "Oh that's what we have to do for the deity, we have to crucify ourselves.
" And that's when they said "No no no it's getting out of control, take away Jesus Christ". Another little thing is that you usually see green crosses. This because it symbolizes the Ceiba (kapok), A tree that has a high spiritual value to them.
And also you usually see crosses dressed, with so many colors. This because it reminds them of the typical Mayan woman's dress. In addition to this of course, the Virgin of Guadalupe is very present.
The Europeans, by giving a brunette Virgin to the Latin Americans, were able to convince them more easily. And yes, that's how it has evolved to the day I recorded this. Hey and I want to make it clear that in this video, we're focusing on the Mayans, but really in what nowadays is the Mexican territory before the Europeans arrival, from the old continent, there were more than 50 cultures, The Mayans were only one of them.
50 cultures, hundreds of civilizations, of which there are still many traits in the countrys culture. I just came across with a kapok tree. Is this tree that's here, that although this is found in many regions of the world.
For the Mayans it has a special meaning. The legend says that, in many Mayan territories, of Ixtabay. She was a woman, we could say a ghost, she appears to men that were behaving badly.
Why she comes out of the kapok? Because it is believed that the Kapok is a tree that with its roots connects with the Underworld. So this woman Ixtabay, that is extremely beautiful.
It's believed that she comes from below, from the Underworld to take away the men who are misbehaving with her. What she does is seduced them, tells them "come over here", "follow me" and she proceeds to lose them in the jungle. Something as the Chullachaqui, the legend of the which we learned in the Amazonian region of Peru.
Something like this but instead of being a little old dwarf extremely decrepit, and frightening, it is a very beautiful woman who comes out from under a tree named Ixtabay. And finally let's talk about what happened to the Mayans. There's a lot of theories and really, get into the internet and check it out.
They say that the Mayans disappeared. That maybe the they were traces of extraterrestrials that later vanished. But the reality is that if you ask the people of this region that question, they'll tell you "way`yano' one" that means "we're here, here we continue".
The Mayans did not vanish, in fact there are still more than 6 million Mayans in the planet. Of course Mayans mixed as all cultures in the world nowadays, as a product of the globalization. But it is very beautiful to know that it is a culture that is still alive, that still has evidence in the modern world, and that it will continue here preserving and respecting their roots.
Way'yano'one. . .
I loved that phrase. And with this, we conclude this video. Please correct me, add information down here in the comments below.
Thanks for joining me. And see you, as always. in a few days with a new video.
