Santiago Atitlan and Maximón

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Santiago Atitlán, our destination today is the largest of the lakeside Mayan communities. It's main claim to fame is its worship of Maximón, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints and conquistador legends. The institutionalized effigy of Maximón is under the control of a local religious brotherhood and resides in various houses of its membership during the course of a year. It is a great privelidge to have Maximón or Saint Simon stay in your house, partly as you can charge people to come visit him.

We asked some kids where we could find his current locatio and took us there directly. This deity is rather amusing, enjoying strong liquor, cigars and money! He is a very human deity..... the legend of Maximón has it that one day while the villiage men were off working in the fields, Maximón slept with all of their wives. When they returned they became so enraged they cut off his arms and legs (this is why most effigies of Maximón are short, often without arms). Somehow he became a god following this and later, with the introduction of Christianity became associated with Judas. At a festival called Santa Semana during holy week he is moved, by procession to a different house in the village. Worshippers offer money, spirits and cigars or cigarettes to gain his favour in exchange for good health, good crops, and marriage counseling, amongst other favours. The effigy usually has a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth and we were told he even has a hole in his mouth (leading to a small bottle somewhere within) so that his attendants can pour liquor in! Nice life eh?

We then explored the local chruches, the markets here were less touristy, more the everyday things needed for life by Guatemalans. The fruit market was enormous and seemed to go on forever! Elsewhere in Santiago there were some great art and painting shops around Santiago and we got the chance to meet one of Guatemala's leading artists with his protege! Our boat journeys were again divine (for some, the slap of the boat on the waves were exciting, for others with dodgy stomachs following our indulgences in Chichi they were less so) and we returned to Casa Palopo tired but happy.

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Photos

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Boat trip across the lake

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Fruit market

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The official Maximon, Santiago Atitlan

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Early morning on the lake

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Traditional Santiago dress, purple Huipil and cinta (headress) wrapped around head to form a disc.

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Santiago Atitlan

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Huipil

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Early morning on the lake