Maya Moon Playing Cards
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Features:
- Foil and 3D embossing on tuck case
- Each face card features the original illustration of a Maya god or goddess
- Premium Pantone metallic ink on back
- Printed by Bacon Playing Card Company(BPCC)
Maya
mythology encompasses all the Maya tales in which deities, personified
forces of nature, and the heroes interacting with them play major roles.
The Mayans believed that the origins of most natural and cultural
phenomena were set out, often with the moral aim of defining the ritual
relationship between humankind and its environment.
Scholars have
pointed out that in Maya mythology, the gods and goddesses had
different names and manifestations; stories occurred in assorted forms;
scenes and figures shifted with confusing suddenness. However, beneath
these seeming inconsistencies lay the shared belief that the universe
was an orderly place and that proper behaviors toward the gods were
crucial to maintaining its balance and harmony.
Inspired by Maya mythology, the deck comes in two variations differentiated by color scheme, named "The Sun Deck" and "The Moon Deck".
The
Mayans were ardent astronomers. They believed that celestial bodies
were gods and interpreted their movements as gods traveling among Earth,
the underworld, and other celestial destinations. Since these gods were
greatly involved in human affairs (to the point that many events were
planned according to certain celestial moments; dynasties often claimed
to have descended from the sun or the moon), the Mayans heavily studied
every aspect of the sky, especially the sun and the moon.
About the Maya Moon:
The
moon was one of the most enigmatic and important elements of Maya
mythology, which often associated it with a maiden, an old woman, or a
rabbit.
The Maya moon goddess is Ixchel, the patroness of fertility and the creation of life.
The
Mayans were aware of the moon's influence on tidal waves, harvests, and
fertility, so they dedicated themselves to identifying and recording
its phases.
The Jokers use similar visuals to those on the boxes but against faded backgrounds:
The
Ace of the Spade is distinguished by the illustration of Chichen Itza, a
large pre-Columbian city built by the Mayans of the Terminal Classic
period.
Chichen Itza, one of the largest Maya cities built, remains one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico today.
As
for the back design, the symbol at the center is known as the Hunab Ku
(or the Galactic Butterfly). Often depicted as a black-and-white spiral
galaxy, it resembles the yin-yang symbol of Asia. Similarly, it
represents the harmonious merging of opposites, the duality in all
things, and the one and only God. Serving as a bridge that connects
goodness and evil, men and women, life and death, consciousness and
unconsciousness, etc., the Hunab Ku is a symbol of order, balance,
wholeness, unity, and the conservation of energy in the universe.
The
ring-shaped patterns are made up of Maya glyphs (artistically
rendered). They represented words or syllables that could be combined to
form any word or concept in the Maya language.
The tuck box is protected & decorated by a packaging sleeve with hollowed-out design.
"The
pantheon of the Maya is a vast collection of deities worshipped
throughout the regions of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and
Chiapas in Mexico and southward through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador,
and Honduras. These gods informed the lives and rituals of the people,
established order, and provided hope of a life after death."
- Joshua J. Mark, "The Mayan Pantheon: The Many Gods of the Maya," World History Encyclopedia
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