Mayan Marriages


 
 
 
 
 
Mayan Wedding
 Ashley C.   
 
         The “decent of the gods” was when the child reached puberty. When the child reached this the parents would start thinking about marriage for there children which was arranged and not for love it was simply to produce a larger family. Family and the priest would arrange the marriage. The boy was normally 16 while the woman was 12 they were only kids and being forced to marry a stranger. It was believed there was no god or goddess of love.  The parents hired the matchmaker or atanzahab to examine the children’s horoscopes and names and decide if they were compatible this way. The children were practicly sold for marriage the father wanted a good price for his daughter but the grooms parents would settle to have there son working for the brides family. 
The length of time he worked all depended on his ability to work in there field of choice.  The wedding preparations were always made at the bride’s house. The guest would bring gifts and food. The day of the wedding the bride would wear a blouse and skirt made by her future mother in law and the groom would wear an embroided loin cloth decorated with feathers made by his mother in law. During the ceremony the couple did not say a word and the priest blessed them while everyone prayed to the gods. There was no honey moon and after the wedding they continued on with life like always. During the first year of the marriage the bride returned home to live with her parents.  They divorced very easily if they wanted to after all they did not marry for love.

  1.       http://www.mayadiscovery.com/ing/notes/default.htm
  2.       www.crystalinks.com/mayansociety.html
  3.        www.mayankids.com/mmkpeople/mkmarriage.htm
  4.        www.mexicosol.com/partyplan/mayan%20wedding/mayanwedding.htm
  5.       www.indians.org/welker/maya.htm
  6.       www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-society.html
  7.      www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-society-page2.html