Monkeys and the Ancient Maya
Introduction
Both howler monkeys and spider monkeys existed alongside the ancient Maya and were part of their collective imagination. Archaeologists have found few physical remains of monkeys: It is rare to find monkey bones during excavations. But, images of monkeys created by the ancient Maya endure. Ancient Maya artists carved images of monkeys into stone and bone and painted them on ceramic vessels. Most surviving images of monkeys have been found on bowls, plates, and vases deposited in elite funerary contexts. So far, archaeologists have not recovered any objects with monkey iconography from Punta Laguna.
Three monkeys sit cross-legged. Each holds a cacao pod and wears an ornament around their neck. This polychrome cylinder vase was found at the site of Chama, in Guatemala. Rollout photograph by Justin Kerr (K1789). www.mayavase.com
Monkeys in Ancient Maya Mythology
Like other peoples throughout the world, the ancient Maya explained the origin of the world, and of the humans and animals who occupy it, in mythological creation stories. Monkeys figure prominently in these accounts and are often the result of an early and failed attempt by the gods to produce humans. One particularly prominent Maya account of creation, known as the Popol Vuh (book of council), narrates the activities of Jun Batz and Jun Chuen, a pair of monkey artist deities, prior to the creation of humans. The Popol Vuh describes this monkey pair as talented artisans, and specifically as scribes, singers, dancers, painters, sculptors, and jewelers. Representing both howler and spider monkeys, Jun Batz and Jun Chuen were often depicted making art or
writing, and were viewed as protectors of Maya artists.
A pair of monkey scribes (left-center foreground) record information while animals bring ceramic vessels as offerings to the deity Itzamná. This scene illustrates a mythological event from the Popol Vuh. Unfortunately, this provenience of this polychrome cylinder vase is unknown.
Rollout photograph by Justin Kerr (K3413). www.mayavase.com
Monkeys in Ancient Maya Art
Monkeys appear frequently in ancient Maya art. The ancient Maya depicted monkeys not in their natural jungle habitat, but instead in mythological places, including the underworld, known as Xibalba. In addition to portraying monkeys as artisans, the ancient Maya also frequently depicted them carrying objects, and most commonly cacao pods.
A spider monkey (far right) dances as part of a musical procession. The other animals play musical instruments, including a drum. Unfortunately, the provenience of this polychrome cylinder vase is unknown. Rollout photograph by Justin Kerr (K1208). www.mayavase.com
Ek Chuah as the monkey god of cocoa. Censer lid, Toniná Site Museum, Chiapas. Photo by Bob Schalkwijk (Attolini 2013: 48)
Howler Monkeys and Spider Monkeys
Howler monkeys and spider monkeys are distinct in appearance and behavior, and the ancient Maya often depicted these two primates in different ways. Howler monkeys are generally shown as serious and responsible. Spider monkeys, by contrast, are often shown as silly and mischievous. Sometimes they are even depicted engaging in lewd or indecent behavior. For unknown reasons, spider monkeys appear more frequently in ancient Maya art and calendrical information than do howler monkeys.
A spider monkey (far left) dances in procession with a black jaguar, while a deer plays the drum. Provenance unknown, rollout by Justin Kerr (K1208). www.mayavase.com
Acknowledgements
This information was compiled by the Punta Laguna Archaeology Project, co-directed by Sarah Kurnick (University of Colorado Boulder) and David Rogoff (University of Pennsylvania). Nahim Alcocer Espejel provided translation and other assistance. All photographs are from the Maya Vase Database. Sources used include:
Emiliano Bruner and Andrea Cucina. 2005. Alouatta, Ateles, and the ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Journal of Anthropological Sciences 83: 111-117.
Yasminda García del Valle, Felipe Ruan-Soto, Fernando Guerrero-Martínez, and Felipe Reyes-Escutia. 2020. Local Knowledge and Cultural Significance of Primates (Ateles geoffroyi and Alouatta pigra) Among Lacandon Maya from Chiapas, Mexico. In Neotropical Ethnoprimatology: Indigenous Peoples’ Perceptions of and Interactions with Nonhuman Primates. Bernardo Urbani and Manuel Lizarralde, eds. Pg. 49-68.
Prudence M. Rice and Katherine E. South. 2015. Revisiting Monkeys on Pots: A Contextual Consideration of Primate Imagery on Classic Lowland Maya Pottery. Ancient Mesoamerica 26: 275-294.
Recinos, Adrián
1997. Popol Vuh. Quinto Sol, México.
Seler, Eduard
2008. Las Imágenes de Animales en los Manuscritos Mexicanos y Mayas. Casa Juan Pablos, México.