Φωτογραφίες

Maximon is an old Mayan god, still revered in the Guatemalan highlands. The origins of Maximon are still disputed, as there are many legends connected with him. I prefer the one that Maximon was a member of one of Mayan tribes. When the war came, because of his illness he was unable to join the rest of the men who went for battle. So when his companions left the village, Maximon was the only man who remained there. When they came back, they found out that all the women in the village were pregnant :) They wanted to kill Maximon in revenge, but the women stopped them and made them revere Maximon as god. Quite funny to me.

As I said Maximon is still revered in Guatemala. The best place to see it is in the town of Santiago on the shores of Atitlan lake (you have to see this, wooden Maximon sits there smoking a cigar, and the men surround him and drink local firewater until they fall unconscious!). This photo was taken in one of the other altars.