93:
hallucinatory vision occurs." Once the actual bloodletting was over, the blood soaked ceremonial papers were burned, releasing a column of smoke. The smoke provided the perfect medium for the Vision
Serpent to appear. Every major political or religious event involved bloodletting because it provided a medium by which the gods could be called upon to witness and actually participate in the ceremony. Sometimes the spirits of ancestors were also called upon to give guidance. The Hauberg Stela (A. D. 199) from the Maya Lowlands "is one of the first dated monuments that depict the Vision Serpent's connection to bloodletting".
68:, participants would experience visions in which they communicated with the ancestors or gods. These visions took the form of a giant serpent "which served as a gateway to the spirit realm." The ancestor or god who was being contacted was depicted as emerging from the serpent's mouth. The vision serpent thus came to be the method in which ancestors or gods manifested themselves to the Maya. Thus for them, the Vision Serpent was a direct link between the spirit realm of the gods and the physical world.
102:'s wives, is seen gazing up towards an enormous bicephalous Vision Serpent. In her left hand, she holds a bowl containing a stingray spine, an obsidian lancet, and papers spattered with blood. The Vision Serpent appears to be emanating from the bowl. From the jaws of the Vision Serpent, spews forth an ancestral Tlaloc warrior complete with spear and shield".
109:" and shows him preparing to draw blood from his penis with a stingray spine. Opposite Bird Jaguar is Lady Balam-Ix, who proceeds to pass coarse rope through a gouge in her tongue. The blood is being collected in the vessel near Bird Jaguar's feet. The Vision Serpent's mouth is green and, the trickles of blood characteristic of bloodletting are red".
75:. Essentially the World Tree and the Vision Serpent, representing the king, created the center axis which communicates between the spiritual and the earthly worlds or planes. It is through ritual that the king could bring the center axis into existence in the temples and create a doorway to the spiritual world, and with it power."
112:
Lintel 15 depicts the appearance of this Vision
Serpent. "The serpent can be seen rising out of the bowl with trickles of blood along a column of blood scrolls. This lintel shows the queen of Yaxchilan involved in a visionary experience following an elaborate bloodletting ceremony. She holds the
92:
Many have attempted to explain the manifestation of the Vision
Serpent in association with Maya bloodletting. One conclusion is "that massive blood loss causes the brain to release an abundance of natural endorphins, which are chemically related to opiates. As the body goes into shock, a
128:
One of the most common rituals associated with the Vision serpent involved invoking ancestral spirits. Especially during coronation rites, the kings would contact the spirits for guidance and blessings. It is the Vision
Serpent who provides the medium for contacting these deities.
48:
was a very important social and religious symbol, revered by the Maya. Maya mythology describes serpents as being the vehicles by which celestial bodies, such as the sun and stars, cross the heavens. The shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal.
158:
The portrayal of the Vision
Serpent was very prevalent in Maya pottery. Vessels used during bloodletting ceremonies, depict the Vision serpent. The vessels below are excellent examples. They are carved in stone and are “some of the earliest depiction of Vision Serpent
140:
for this transition. In the same way that the Vision
Serpent represents a conduit between the physical world and the spirit realm of the ancestors, this bicephalous serpent bar represents a conduit between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead.”
136:, is probably “the single most comprehensive image which relates the Vision Serpent to Maya religion.” It depicts the death of Pakal and his descent into the Underworld. “The bicepalous serpent bar is placed horizontally on the World Tree and is the
63:
The Vision
Serpent is thought to be the most important of the Maya serpents. "It was usually bearded and had a rounded snout. It was also often depicted as having two heads or with the spirit of a god or ancestor emerging from its jaws." During
60:, was represented as a feathered serpent. The name means "Precious/feathered serpent" (from Nahuatl, "quetzalli" is used to describe the bird, its feathers, or something precious depending on the context and "coatl" meaning snake or serpent.).
202:
for the village. The participant came into direct contact with a giant serpent, Ochan (Och-Kan). It was through this experience that he completed his initiation rites and gained the knowledge that is needed to become a powerful shaman.
178:, serpents adorn the corners of the principle facade. Characteristic of the Vision Serpent, there appears to be either an anthropomorphic deity or the spirit of an ancestor emanating from the gaping jaws of the serpent's mouth”.
20:
457:
163:. Blood spews forth from the open jaws of the front head. Although the rear is not physically attached, it sits just above the serpent's tail and also represents blood”.
171:
The Vision
Serpent also finds a place in Maya architecture and is especially prominent in the decoration of pillars on the interior and exterior of Maya temples.
155:, bicephalous serpent.” It is believed to have been worn during a bloodletting ceremony. It clearly shows the arrival of an ancestor from the spirit realm.
71:
The Vision
Serpent goes back to earlier Maya conceptions and lies at the center of the world as they conceived it. "It is in the center axis atop the
458:
https://web.archive.org/web/20100219002040/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/y/yaxchil%C3%A1n_lintel_15.aspx
420:
341:
78:
The Vision
Serpent is prevalent in bloodletting ceremonies, in Maya religious practices, Maya jewelry, pottery and their architecture.
477:
432:
390:
358:
315:
186:
Remnants of the Vision Serpent have survived until modern times. Around 1930, J.E.S. Thompson noted in San Antonio,
482:
472:
412:
87:
382:
113:
ritual paraphernalia in her arms while the vision serpent rises from a bowl of blood stained paper."
198:
of the classic Maya, although in a different context. The ritual marked the initiation of a new
137:
99:
191:
8:
45:
376:
307:
301:
438:
428:
396:
386:
354:
321:
311:
65:
424:
152:
142:
94:
297:
38:
466:
372:
35:
442:
400:
325:
408:
368:
195:
57:
160:
53:
19:
333:
132:
It is believed that Lord Pakal's sarcophagus lid, which was located at
72:
423:(photographer) (2nd pbk reprint with corrections ed.). New York:
106:
24:
23:
A Vision Serpent, detail of Lintel 15 at the Classical Maya site of
133:
122:
199:
187:
407:
175:
41:, although the term itself is now slowly becoming outdated.
98:
Lintel 25 depicts one of the bloodletting rituals. "One of
367:
338:
Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions: Vol. 3, Part 1
378:
A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya
332:
105:Lintel 17 refers to "Bird Jaguars as Blood Lord of
194:Maya still performed a ritual very similar to the
121:There was a Vision Serpent named Och-Kan, lord of
464:
348:
296:
417:Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art
166:
181:
146:
52:They were so revered, that one of the main
18:
16:Creature in Pre-Columbian Maya mythology
116:
81:
465:
151:A piece of Maya jewelry depicts an “
13:
353:. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.
228:Schele & Freidel (1990, p.395)
14:
494:
451:
237:Schele & Freidel (1990, p.68)
351:Monuments of Civilization: Maya
276:
267:
258:
249:
240:
231:
222:
213:
1:
289:
34:is an important creature in
7:
264:Graham & von Euw (1977)
255:Graham & von Euw (1977)
246:Graham & von Euw (1977)
88:Bloodletting in Mesoamerica
10:
499:
273:Schele & Miller (1992)
85:
167:Maya architectural motifs
66:Maya bloodletting rituals
478:Maya legendary creatures
349:Ivanoff, Pierre (1973).
206:
182:Contemporary observances
147:Maya jewelry and pottery
336:; Eric von Euw (1977).
344:of Harvard University.
303:Breaking the Maya Code
27:
483:World-bearing animals
22:
117:Maya religious rites
82:Bloodletting rituals
308:Thames & Hudson
473:Legendary serpents
174:”In the palace at
28:
413:Mary Ellen Miller
340:. Cambridge, MA:
490:
446:
425:George Braziller
404:
364:
345:
329:
283:
280:
274:
271:
265:
262:
256:
253:
247:
244:
238:
235:
229:
226:
220:
219:Coe (1992, p.79)
217:
498:
497:
493:
492:
491:
489:
488:
487:
463:
462:
454:
449:
435:
393:
361:
318:
298:Coe, Michael D.
292:
287:
286:
281:
277:
272:
268:
263:
259:
254:
250:
245:
241:
236:
232:
227:
223:
218:
214:
209:
184:
169:
153:anthropomorphic
149:
119:
90:
84:
17:
12:
11:
5:
496:
486:
485:
480:
475:
461:
460:
453:
452:External links
450:
448:
447:
433:
405:
391:
383:William Morrow
365:
359:
346:
342:Peabody Museum
330:
316:
293:
291:
288:
285:
284:
282:Ivanoff (1973)
275:
266:
257:
248:
239:
230:
221:
211:
210:
208:
205:
183:
180:
168:
165:
148:
145:
118:
115:
86:Main article:
83:
80:
39:Maya mythology
32:Vision Serpent
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
495:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
470:
468:
459:
456:
455:
444:
440:
436:
434:0-8076-1278-2
430:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
409:Schele, Linda
406:
402:
398:
394:
392:0-688-07456-1
388:
384:
380:
379:
374:
373:David Freidel
370:
369:Schele, Linda
366:
362:
360:0-448-02020-3
356:
352:
347:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
317:0-500-05061-9
313:
309:
305:
304:
299:
295:
294:
279:
270:
261:
252:
243:
234:
225:
216:
212:
204:
201:
197:
193:
189:
179:
177:
172:
164:
162:
156:
154:
144:
143:
139:
135:
130:
126:
124:
114:
110:
108:
103:
101:
100:Shield Jaguar
96:
95:
89:
79:
76:
74:
69:
67:
61:
59:
55:
50:
47:
42:
40:
37:
36:Pre-Columbian
33:
26:
21:
416:
381:. New York:
377:
350:
337:
302:
278:
269:
260:
251:
242:
233:
224:
215:
196:vision quest
185:
173:
170:
157:
150:
131:
127:
120:
111:
104:
97:
91:
77:
70:
62:
58:Quetzalcoatl
54:Mesoamerican
51:
43:
31:
29:
421:Justin Kerr
334:Graham, Ian
190:, that the
161:iconography
467:Categories
306:. London:
290:References
73:World Tree
123:Kalak'mul
107:Yaxchilan
56:deities,
25:Yaxchilan
443:41441466
415:(1992).
401:21295769
375:(1990).
326:26605966
300:(1992).
192:Q'eqchi'
134:Palenque
138:conduit
46:serpent
441:
431:
399:
389:
357:
324:
314:
200:shaman
188:Belize
207:Notes
176:Labna
439:OCLC
429:ISBN
397:OCLC
387:ISBN
355:ISBN
322:OCLC
312:ISBN
44:The
30:The
469::
437:.
427:.
419:.
411:;
395:.
385:.
371:;
320:.
310:.
125:.
445:.
403:.
363:.
328:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
