Over lunch, we heard quite a bit about the Maximón of Santiago de Atitlan (pronounced "ma-shee-MON"), who was up next on our itinerary. I had understood something about him being a shaman (chaman), a role passed down from father to son, whom the people visited to ask for favors and assistance. I expected to meet a person, some kind of wise sage, to whom I would make an offering and state my wish.
When we arrived at the mouth of a narrow alley, our guide Domingo, who had been jovial throughout the day, now had an air of solemnity about him. "Aqui esta Maximón," he said. "Remember that photos are not allowed, unless you make an offering of 10Q to him." Fair enough.
We made our way up an incline past some dwellings made of concrete and tin, their inhabitants clutching their few possessions and peeking out curiously at us. We stopped at the highest one, and waited just outside on a small concrete patio next to a full-size Gallo (beer) vending machine.
"There he is," said Domingo.
The room ahead was dimly lit, save for a handful of candles melting into the floor. Multi-colored plastic flags hung from every inch of the ceiling, an assortment of small oranges dangling among them. And ahead, was ... Maximón?
...wait... what?
The four of us glanced confusedly around the room and simultaneously realized that something had been sorely lost in translation. Maximón was not a person nor a shaman... well, not exactly.
The little fellow in the middle wearing one too many ties, that was him.
Here I will again defer to Wikipedia to fill you in on the many facets of Maximón (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximón) or try this gem for a full explanation of how he can make you "die of diarrhea and vomitting" (http://www.santiagoatitlan.com/Religion/Maximon/maximon.html).
What we learned that day went something like this:
Maximón is both good and evil. He can grant wishes for good health, success in business, perhaps a new car -- and he can also help you if you're seeking revenge.
There are only a handful of real Maximóns in Guatemala. One of them "lives" in Santiago Atitlan, where he keeps a house on the square near the main church. It is repainted each year to demonstrate that he's rollin' in the dough.
Maximon is a combination of Mayan saint (Rilaj Mam, created to kill the witches in the village) and Catholic (Saint Simon, also represented as a Judas figure when the Catholics came around and weren't too thrilled with everyone worshipping a Mayan idol.)
He was carved from a tree (that kindly gave its permission to be cut down) for the purpose of fighting witches that had plagued the villages and killed many people.
Sometimes he can be a trickster and try to get with your wife. He's something of a shape shifter, and once tricked some workers into thinking he was a beautiful lady. He gave them a delicious corn drink and bread which they gratefully ate, only to discover it was a trick! They had actually drank horse pee.
To curtail this tomfoolery, they cut his legs shorter and maybe turned his head backwards so he would be less powerful. After that, he mostly behaved. Still, he is hung from a tree every year around Easter because he is also a Judas who betrayed Jesus.
He prefers offerings of hard liquor, tobacco and cash money.
If he grants your wish, you had best return to say thanks -- or else he will teach you a lesson. (i.e. you will probably die in a sudden accident about three days later).
Also, it is best not to talk smack about Maximon for the same reason. He does not appreciate non believers or being made fun of. As another guide told us, "If you don't believe, it's best just to say, 'I'm not sure.'" That guide had a friend, also a tour guide, who was poking fun at Max (if I may) during a group tour and not a day later -- he was killed in a car accident.
I for one can safely say, when it comes to Maximon, I am really not sure of much.
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