 |
It
is thought that this was a building for the
preparation of bodies for burial. Note the "XX"
figures in the frieze. No, the Mayas did not
invent Dos Equis beer. The cross, regardless
of orientation, was representative of the four
cardinal directions, and the diamond formed
by the intersecting X's represented the earth.
Even the places used to hold the body before
burial were cross-shaped (see below), and early
Spanish explorers misinterpreted the symbolism
of the cross, believing that the Maya had had
previous contact with a culture of Christian
faith, though they had not. |
