Maya

Monday, December 11

Guatemala is internationally known for its large number of abandoned Mayan ruins in the jungle. Some of the ruins are over 2000 years old! What many people in Europe and the USA do not know, however, is that the Mayan people are not extinct. The Mayans are still a group of indigenous peoples living in Mexico and Central America today.

In Guatemala, around 40% of the country's total population are Mayans. Today, the Mayans live in cities just like other Guatemalans and take part in modern public life, but unfortunately they still experience exclusion and discrimination from some of the non indigenous people. Fortunately, in recent years there have also been many countermovements and groups of Mayan women who are actively fighting against discrimination. More and more Mayans are openly proud of their origins, their history and traditions. No matter where Christoph and I were - small town, big city, in the countryside: everywhere we saw Mayan women in their traditional clothes. We found it really nice that the Mayans are such a big part of the daily life in Guatemala. Although traditional Mayan clothing looks different from city to city, it usually consisted of three main elements: 1. a very colorful and very elaborately embroidered top made of thick, high-quality fabric, 2. a kind of belt or wide cloth that is tied around the waist and 3. a long, colorful skirt or long, colorful fabric that is held together by the belt at the waist.

The patterns and embroidery motifs of the textiles are very diverse and look very different depending on the region. In Antigua there is a kind of artisan store where visitors and tourists can take a closer look at these textiles (and also buy them). At “Nim Po’t” you can buy souvenirs and products from Guatemala that come (unlike at the market) at a fixed price. For us, the textile area in this store was almost like a small textile museum because there was so much different, beautifully woven and embroidered clothing in all kinds of designs. The scarves and tops were lovingly crafted with so many details that each one was a work of art in itself. Here is an interesting interview with the owner of the store, about the history and culture of textiles in Guatemala: “Textiles Of Guatemala Offer Meaning And Symbolism Of Traditions”.