Maya The Riddle And Rediscovery Of A Lost Civilization by Charles Gallenkamp

Author:Charles Gallenkamp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David Mckay Company, Inc.
Published: 1959-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

The text on this page is estimated to be only 28.01% accurate 116 MAYA After this anointing, the priest removed the white cloths from the children's heads. The children then gave the chacs some feathers and cacao beans which they had brought as gifts. The priest next cut the white beads from the boys' heads. The attendants carried pipes which they smoked from time to time, giving each child a puff of smoke. Gifts of food, brought by the mothers, were distributed to the children, and a wine offering was made to the gods; this wine had to be drunk at one draught by a specially appointed official. The young girls were then dismissed, each mother removing from her daughter the red shell which had been worn as a symbol of purity. With this, the girl was considered to have reached a marriageable age. The boys were dismissed next. When the children had withdrawn from the court, their parents distributed among the spectators and officials pieces of cotton cloth which they had brought as gifts. The ceremony closed with feasting and heavy drinking. . . . Marriage was permitted any time after the puberty ceremony, although generally it did not occur until an average age of twenty. Arrangements were usually made through the parents with the fathers selecting the future wives of their sons. It was important to choose a girl of equal background who was properly trained in the domestic duties and modest behavior befitting an ideal wife. One had to be careful not to violate certain restrictions which prohibited unions between persons related by clan membership or prior marriage. Such matters took time and followed a devious procedure of bargaining; often a skilled matchmaker was engaged to represent the bridegroom in the important question of a worth-while dowry. After the wedding the groom was required to dwell with his wife's parents for several years to assist his father-inlaw, and thus prove his abilities. He was then free to establish a separate home with his wife. Marriage could be dissolved

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