Various nations and religions have attached different meanings to colors. For example, the United State’s flag is made out of three colors — white, red and blue. The white color signifies purity, the red color is meant to show bravery, and blue is the color of vigilance and justice. One of the most important colors for the Mayans was blue, it played a very big role in their art because it signified first and foremost, the color of their rain god, Chaak. This meant that anyone who disrespects the color does it at their own peril of draught and death of crops.
Mayans would ask Chaak, the rain god, to provide them with rain by sacrificing a human they had painted…you guessed it, blue. That person would get thrown into the altar alive and while their beating heart was cut out and taken straight out of their chest. As mentioned previously, the higher the status of that person, the more “fitting” and “appeasing” the sacrifice was considered for Chaak.
They Were Master Collectors of Many Kinds of Psychedelic Mushrooms
There is a common theory amongst the supporters of mind-altering drugs that psychedelics that when used properly, can elevate people to higher levels of consciousness and induce their inner genius to awaken. This has been seen multiple times throughout history, with iconic figures such as Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, who's been known for using various psychedelics in his youth and going through several spiritual experiences. Going back to ancient times, many historians suggest that the Mayans had at their disposal over 50 kinds of psychedelic mushrooms which were often used to induce spiritual and religious experiences.
The correlation between the Mayan’s propensity for spiritual hallucinations and their advanced development and understanding of never before seen technology would probably never be properly investigated due to the vast amounts of missing and destroyed documents. Either way, it's a very interesting subject that will, unfortunately, be forever relegated to the category of speculation, but it's certainly fun to speculate. If you think having an arsenal of hallucinogenic mushrooms at their disposable was special, wait until you hear about what they did with toads…
The Mayans Hunted Toads For Psychedelic Uses
The Mayans were definitely “heavy drug users”. In fact, they got to the point where they thought it would be a good idea to start getting high off toad excretions. Their toads of choice had salivary glands that created a toxic liquid called bufotoxins that caused those who came in contact with it to hallucinate.
The Mayans made an even more potent psychedelic vehicle when they would scalp the toads, and dry their skins and mix it with alcohol and tobacco. This potent mix made the hallucinations even more powerful. How innovative, huh?
The Mayans Pioneered The Modern Day Sauna
In today’s health-conscious world, the benefits of taking a dry or wet sauna are substantiated, sitting in a sauna for 15 to 30 minutes can do wonders for your cardiovascular system, relieve stress, detox your body and help rejuvenate the cells. There was one empire that had been using them long before Rome ever came to power.
The Mayans had been using saunas for well over 3,000 years ago, thanks to some fantastic technologies they discovered. Sweat baths were discovered by archaeologists in northern Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador, with some of them being 1,000 years older than Jesus Christ. These structures were built as a way for the Mayans to cleanse themselves by sweating out toxins, most likely before or after the crazy enema-induced mushroom trips they were taking. These were made of stone and adobe, and were fully functional.
They Had Their Own Ball Game
Every civilization in history has had some form of at least one sports game that they either invented or adopted from other cultures. Athletic games are an important part of every civilization and are a perfect way for males to let out aggression in a non-violent way while competing to rise to the top of their status hierarchy (at least in a historical sense). These games would often also feature some form of group play, which helps the development of social skills and a sense of belonging. If you visit cities like Chichen-Itza, where the Mayans were once a dominant force, you’ll find many ancient ball courts like the one in the picture above.
One of the most famous games played by the Mayans was a ball game called “pitz”. It was a unique mix of soccer and basketball, where players would kick a heavy rubber ball roughly as big as a soccer ball, with the goal of shooting it through very tall stone hoops. Players weren’t allowed to use their hands to play, and would often wear protective gear around their ribs, knees, and arms, to avoid potential harm coming to them. It sounds like fun! Despite how awesome this game may sound, it wasn’t just a fun way to pass the time. Pitz was a serious game with strong religious roots, and the Mayans believed their survival depended on it.