City - Santiago Atitlan State - Country - Guatemala
About
A local deity also know as Hermano San Simon, "Brother Saint Simon Peter." Maximon is actually a pre-Columbian Mayan god of the underworld formerly known as Maam ("grandfather"); his modern name is a conflation of Maam and Simon. Contemporary images do not depict the deity himself, but rather a life-sized carved wooden statue of the god dressed in 20th century clothing. He is portrayed as a mustached man seated outdoors at a crossroads, wearing a black suit, red tie, and wide-brimmed hat. Maximon symbolizes chthonic male sexual power. As an "opener of the way," his feast day falls at the onset of the fertile rainy season, but except for that day, his darker aspect leads his devotees to carefully guard his visage from public view, for fear that his sexuality may run rampant. Primarily a bringer of rain and fertility, he is sometimes also called "the saint of gamblers and drunkards." He brings wealth and worldly success to those who venerate him. Despite the hostility of the Catholic church, which has tried to identify him with Judas Iscariot, in many Guatemalan villages Maximon is still worshipped with offerings of tobacco, alcohol, Coca Cola, and a tropical plant with orange-red berries. Incense and perfume dedicated to him is scented with the orange blossoms or blended citrus odors of lemongrass, citronella, and sweet orange. On his feast day, he is carried through the streets on the shoulders of his human "horse," and his statue is given cigarettes or cigars to smoke. In some villages he may be hung from the sacred Mayan world-tree-cross at the end of his ceremony.
Interesting about, and for me this image is all about color and light. Both the vivid colors and the warm light are truly lovely, and you composed it very well, nice work Alison! :)
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{K:164501} 3/4/2008
