old thread here
This was the owl:
Found here at Dos Pilas
Ah Puch -- The Maya god of death, also known as Hunhau, he ruled over Mitnal, the land of death, the lowest and worst of the nine hells. He was normally shown with the head of an owl on a human body. To this day, the Indians of Central America and Mexico believe that someone will die when the owl screeches. In other representations Ah Puch is shown as a skeleton or a swollen corpse, wearing bells.
Ah Puch - God of death and ruler of Mitnal, the lowest and most terrible of the nine hells. Portrayed as a man with an owl's head or as a skeleton or bloated corpse. Also known as 'God A'. Ah Puch survives in modern Mayan belief as Yum Cimil (Lord of Death).
In Mesoamerican myth, Au Puch, also known as Yum Cimil and Cum Hau, is the Mayan Lord of the dead. His realm is Hunhau, which literally means "spoil." It is a bitter land of the dead where punishments are inflicted on evil doers. Au Puch presides over the ninth and worst layer of Hunhau. He is usually depicted as a skeleton (skull head, bare ribs and spiny projections from the vertebrae) or with bloated flesh marked by dark rings of decomposition and a menacing grin. In his hair are bell like jewelry and he takes great pleasure in causing eternal torture and torment to the damned. According to some legends, he is said to occasionally roam the earth looking for evil people, causing war, sickness, and death. Once someone is condemned to Hunhau, they can never leave. Sacrificial victims were offered to Au Puch in the cenote or sacred pool.
Even today, some Mexicans and Central Americans believe that an owl's screeches signify imminent death... as the following saying, in local Spanish, indicates:
Cuando el tecolote canta... el indio muere (When the great owl sings, the Indian dies)
The Fourth Moon of the Mayan Calendar is the moon of the ‘Owl’ which begins 18th of October. The Mayans called the owl ‘Moan’, and to them the Great Horned Owl was the most sacred. The Mayans regarded them highly for their wisdom and their ability to see in the dark. For often the truth is hidden. Owls are also very powerful creatures with sharp talons and beaks.
If the bird has ears or horns and a much smaller beak, it’s an “omen owl.” Owls are typically depicted holding shields, which symbolize their fortune-telling ability.
The owl, a symbol of wisdom used by Aztec wisemen and warriors in Mexico.
MUAN: AH-PUCH's messenger demon and bringer of evil omens.
This is the name of a screech owl — who seems to have been used as a Godly messenger bearing not-very-welcome tidings from the direction of the Underworld.
So there you have it....anyone think it would make a nice tattoo..?
Attached Files
-
D23747.GIF 17.43K
3 downloads
Edited by .:. Greencavefloat .:., 07 June 2007 - 06:41 PM.
