Shamans are spcialists in ecstasy, a state of grace that allows them to move freely beyond the ordinary world - beyond death itself - to deal directly with gods, demons, ancestors, and other unseen forces in nature. They may even venture into the place of awe and living magic known as Xibalba.
Mayan society has changed profoundly from the times
of the ancient Maya. In ancient times, the kings and lords of the Maya
were their conduits to the otherworld. They were the shamans of old. They
help great power and responsibility in this role as a shaman-king. They
could move within what the Maya considered the axis mundi - world axis
- in states of trance to consult the gods and their ancestors. They could
battle the forces of evil, death, disease, and drought. They were the shamans
of old and they were kings who held power. They were the Maya elite.
| Click on the picture to the right to hear David Stuart talk about the Maya elite. |
For the Yukatek Maya of today, witches who turn themselves into animals to annoy, attack, and steal the souls of their neighbors are called "wayob" For the Maya, there are actually two forms of souls that they define. The first is that of blood as we have explored earlier. The second is something that relates to the Maya word "way" (pronouced like the english word "why"). In the hierogyphic texts, the Maya used this word "way" to refer to kings, ritual performers, and gods in their magical alternative forms as powerful, terrifying conduits of supernatural power. The "way" is the companion soul of a person. It is important to maintain balance with both souls.