The time we have been fortunate enough to spend with people of Maya descent has been enlightening in many ways, but I was especially impressed with their sense of humor. Mexico in general has some interesting examples of humor in television. A man dressed as a bee complaining of stomach pain was not pulled out of thin air for The Simpson’s. I saw where the original idea came from as a guest in a Mixtec home in Oaxaca. The people watching loved it and wanted to know how I was enjoying it. Very interesting, I thought. I told them I was delighted.
The traveling clowns of Mexico are a dichotomy. Rural busses loaded with passengers taking their goods to market are entertained by these infamous clowns in exchange for a few pesos if the clowns are lucky. Most people seem to have a soft spot for them as their migratory lives depend on the laughter and enjoyment of others. Their routines are done with much frequency and their timing is impeccable. Behind the face paint and props their faces hint to you that they’re not always jovial. They often have a slight down-and-out look has they offer their hat for donations.
The mythologies and philosophies of Mesoamerica, specifically the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Maya do not translate all that well with the Western world, which brings me to my next topic: obsidian. In the pantheon of Maya gods duality prevails. No gods make this more true than Kukulcan, god of wind, light, water, and thunder, and his counterpart, Tezcatlipoca, who could be described in simpler terms as the devil. Now, this devious fellow shares some traits in common with the Judeo-Christian deceiver/challenger known as Satan in that he is cunning, a sexual tempter, supporter of blind drunkenness, bringer of pestilence and sorrow, and a black magician. Tezcatlipoca’s curious description shows that he has one obsidian mirror placed at the back of his head, and one replacing a foot. Obsidian knives were a part of Aztec and Maya rituals and normally associated with this dark character. So when the people were invaded by Spanish conquistadores and clergy, they found that the greedy and ignorant Spanish priests rather liked the obsidian knives for themselves, and brought them into their churches. Little did they know how ironic this theft was, as they celebrated the tool of Tezcatlipoca, a demon. This made for an uproarious joke not soon forgotten by Maya people for generations. The irony!
The last treatment before returning back to the United States our yerbatero/shaman, Don Antonio, was adamant that the cleansing, psychedelic herbs he prescribed as part of therapy was extremely important, and that if we had to leave Mexico, bringing the medicine back with us through customs would be “seguro,” safe. On the flight we had to fill out our government customs card. Had we been on a farm or rural lands? Yes! Were we bringing back any soil, plant material, fungus? Yes! After we got off the plane we had to stand in a special line for inspection. A police officer asks, “What’s in the bag?”
“It’s medicine from my shaman. Smell it. It’s fresh!” Philip held the open bag up to the officer's nose, eagerly waiting to hear a reply. Now, the truth is that the medicine smelled earthy, maybe even a little rank to the average nose. Powerful indeed! The officer inhales and answers almost hypnotically, “Yes! Very fresh!” Philip walks over to a table and points to some official yellow tape. “Can I have some to wrap around my special bag?” The officer got the tape for him with haste and we were on our way. Retelling the story to Don Antonio after we returned to him was the first time we ever saw him laugh, and oh did he laugh. When Philip told him that he heard Don Antonio in his mind directing him in what to say, he slightly closed his eyes, smiled, and nodded knowingly.
The graceful Quiche Maya of Guatemala spend much of their life working hard on their famous textiles used in clothing, purses, etc. They do most of their traveling on foot and often carry large loads perched atop their head, keeping balance all the while. Philip, having lived there while running a bar in Panajachel, made his way up the same paths frequently. One day while walking he trips, yet catches himself, giving other pedestrians a good laugh. Why? They are probably strangers to this common occurrence, common in societies living imbalanced lives. So, let’s all remember to have a good therapeutic laugh from time to time. It’s a key to longevity and happiness.
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