In Bushman Photography we want to share with the people the experience of feeling the nature, the history and the essence of the place. Thats why we want to share with you this part of the Chichen Itza´s history.

And if you come with us to one of our private tours, you can enjoy the Mayan Cosmology visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the world with a special access before anyone else. We have arranged a special pass for people like you who prefer to avoid crowds. Our expert guides will immerse you in the past of this ancient civilization at the right moment. Learn more.

At a distance of eight leagues from the town of Valladolid are some buildings called Chichiniza [ Chichen Itza], where there is a manmade cu [k´u] of stone and masonry. And in this building´s tallest section, an encircling stairway with some ninety steps leads up to the top is a sort of tower consisting of various parts; this cu lies between two cenotes or sinkholes filled with very deep water, one of which is known as the sacrificial cenote. The site´s name is Chichiniza, named after an Indian called Alquin Ytza  [Ahkín Itza] who used to live by the sacrificial cenote.

In this Cenote, the lords and rulers of all the provinces of Valladolid practiced the following custom: after fasting for sixty days, during which time they did not raise their eyes, not  even to look at their women or at those who brought them food,[…] they would arrive at the mouth of that cenote at dawn and throw in some indian maidens belonging to the various lords gathered there, and these maidens would be told to ask for good year for all those things that should be deemed necessary; and these maidens, who were simply hurled into the water, with their hands untied, would hit the water with great force, and precisely at midday one or more of them would shout out for a rope to be thrown down so he could be hoisted up, and once she had been lifted, half-dead, to the top, large fires would be lit all around her and she would be enshrouded in copal incense smoke, and as she came around she would report that down belong there  were many of her people, man as well as women, who had gathered around her, and when she had raised her head to look at the one of them she had been slapped strongly in order to keep her head bent low.

This all happened in the water, in which there were many remains and recesses. And these people down below would answer the Indian Maiden´s questions, and say whether it will be a good or a bad year . And if there was no call from a Maiden to be brought back out at midday, it was because the devil was angry with one of the lords who had thrown her in […], and the maiden would never be seen again,and this seems to be similar to what happened at the [legendary] Cave of Salamanca. And so, seeing that she did not come out , the lord himself and all his people would throw huge stones into the water and with greats shrieks would run away from the spot.

BUSHMAN #HuntingMoments