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| A piece of stone ("jadeite/omphacite, iron ore") worked to look like the Jester God's bird form. It dates to the 600s AD to 700s AD and comes from either Mexico or Guatemala. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and cropped by Glas Ysgrifen -- me. |
"The Jester God" is a nickname created by the well-known
Maya expert Linda Schele in the '70s for a figure in ancient Maya art whose
headdress looks like a jester's hat. From a symbol worn as a jewel to a
supernatural being of various things – to both of these possibilities -- there
are all kinds of views on what the ancient Maya thought of the Jester God. This
article will touch on the three forms as well as some of the views on it.
Forms
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| This image shows a jade pendant from Guatemala or Mexico that dates to 200 AD to 600 AD. The top of the man's head has what the image's description calls a "beaded tassel" which it says relates to the Jester God. From the Yale University Art Gallery. |
The Jester God is known for being drawn in three ways,
known as forms. These forms are the fish or piscine form, the bird or avian
form, and the maize or anthropomorphic form. The ancient Maya didn't always
keep these forms separate when they drew them -- there was a practice of mixing
the forms in different ways. (However, not everyone thinks these are three
forms of the same being. Instead, some think these are three beings
that are separate from each other.)
Anthropomorphic Form
Though spoken of as one, the maize/anthropomorphic form is
actually two forms. The book Maya Imagery, Architecture, and Activity describes
the one as like a corn kernel made a bit human. It also says other is a whole
ear of corn that has been made somewhat human -- and unlike the other version,
it has a more "human" looking face.
The Name of Paper
also says there are two types of the anthropomorphic form. However, it says
that the plant is a flower blossom – maybe a corn blossom – and that it doesn’t
always have a human face. (It also says that when the Maya did draw it as a
face, it was from the side.)
Fish Form
This form looks like a shark that's blooming. It has spiral
pupils, which the ancient Maya drew for creatures connected to the underworld.
Its forehead has two separate sections. This form has large nostrils and a
snout that either goes upwards or is straight out. The Maya also drew it with
"face fins" -- though you may see them called gills -- which
you'll find either on the form's chin or not far from its cheek. Another
notable feature was its teeth, which like its nose the Maya had two ways of
drawing: one was to draw just one triangle-shaped tooth and the other was to
draw serrated teeth. As for its tail, the Maya (when they drew it just as
itself, without adding in other forms) drew it so that it was over the form's
head.
The Name of
Paper, which as mentioned above says the
forms are separate beings, calls the fish form the Xoc Adornment.
Bird Form
This form tends to have square-ish eyes and square-ish
pupils. Its nose is a “beak-snout” that has big nostrils. Like the fish form, the bird form's teeth too are also a notable feature and could be several shapes: one of the shape's the bird forms could be was similar to fangs. The Maya also
would draw a mirror on this form’s forehead that fits she shape of the forehead.
There's a theory that this form was, in its unique way, a fig tree.
The Name of Paper describes this form
as the "true" form of the Jester God.
Function
Different people have different ideas about what the Jester
God was to the ancient Maya. You may see sources say that it was a living
version of the world tree -- which also meant it was connected to the idea of
"center," rulers, jade, and corn. You may also find descriptions that
say it was the essence of paper items used for rituals -- that it was a living
version of these things.
A view within the idea that the Jester God was a symbol (you may see it described as a symbol that was animate -- held life) of rulership says that Maya rulers wore images of the Jester God's bird form as a
jewel on their heads in various ways, including on headbands -- and a ruler could wear more than one Jester God.
There's also an outlook within the idea of the Jester God being connected to
rulers that says paper headbands -- called sak
hu’un, white paper -- with the Jester
God's bird form on it were part of a ruler becoming a ruler officially. One theory I saw said sak hu'un were used for when a ruler got
their ruler's name, and another said that they were used to make a ruler divine.
In the view that the Jester God was worn as a jewel by
rulers, you will also find it said that it was very common to carve Jester God
jewels out of green-colored stones they valued, such as jade. On a related note, the Maya would draw a
Jester God jewel (using any one of the three forms) as part of the ancient Maya
glyph for ruler, ajaw.
They drew the jewel on the forehead of the face that also made up part of the
glyph. (However, The Name of Paper questions the accuracy of
saying Jester God jewels are the bird form and instead thinks they look more
like the fish form -- which it calls the Xoc Adornment.)
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| This clay figurine's left cheek has a symbol on it that its description says is connected to the Jester God. It dates to between 600 AD and 900 AD and comes from Mexico. From the Yale University Art Gallery. |
The Maya had a practice where they would label
items they'd drawn with glyphs. This included when they drew something that was paper: there are times when the
ancient Maya drew the Jester God's bird form as part of items that are made of
paper, such as codices. (And perhaps may be why it was drawn on the paper
headbands of rulers.)
Speaking of paper, the ancient Maya also used the bird form in their glyphic
writing. The bird form's head was used as a "head variant" glyph
or as the main part of a head variant glyph – I have seen both descriptions.
Either way, the ancient Mayan word this particular head variant glyph is huun or hu’n, depending on the conclusion of the person reconstructing the
pronunciation -- I will be using huun.) Huun means a world of related things,
including "paper,” “fig tree” (amate,) "book," and
"headband."
Consideration: The Principal Bird Deity
Drawings of the Jester God made in the Classic Period have
the same face as a supernatural being archaeologists call the Principal Bird Deity. In fact, it looks like
these two a connection -- one idea is that the Jester God’s bird form came from
the Principal Bird Deity.
Another Consideration: "Ux Yop Huun"
In various places, archaeologists have found a phrase:
"ux yop huun." (You may see this phrase written as "ux yop
hu'n.") One translation of the phrase is "Three Leaf Paper." The
head of the Jester God's bird form
either is or is the "main part" of a head variant glyph for
the huun part of the phrase. There's a theory that this might be
the bird form's name -- depending on the source, you may read that it may have
been or actually was the name for all three forms.
Ux yop huun
may also be a name for a Juun Ajaw, whose name means One Lord. Juun Ajaw is one
of the Hero Twins (also known as the Headband Twins.) If you have read or read
about the Popol Vuh will have heard of that book's version of Juun Ajaw:
Hunahpu/Jun Aj Puuh/Jun Ajpu. Jun Ajaw is known for shooting a giant bird with
his blowgun. The Maya also liked to draw him with a paper headband.
References:
University of Calgary: "A Study of Dress and Identity in the Late Classic Maya Court"; Cara Grace Tremain;August 2017 (This will download when clicked.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Deity Face
Pendant
Yale University Art Gallery: Warrior with Facial Decoration
Yale University Art Gallery: Warrior with Facial Decoration
Image Credit:
Yale University Art Gallery: Warrior with Facial Decoration
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