Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Ancient Ballplayers
While helping my wife prepare for some schoolwork, I came across a book I read about five years ago, The Maya by Michael D. Coe. In the ancient Mayan culture, a pair of twin ballplayers plays a big role in the mythology.
At last the Twins achieve their final triumph, the defeat of the Lords of Xibalba. Summoned like their slain father and uncle into the Underworld, they are placed in various torture chambers that they manage to survive through trickery. They also defeat the dread lords in a ballgame, but are eventually killed themselves...
Granted, the sport that the Mayans played was much more similar to basketball than any other "modern" sport, but you have to love a mythos that has ballplayers featured in a central role.
posted by David 6:33 PM
