The Role of Maya Women

The Third Gender

In his essay on the “third gender” within Maya culture, Mathew Looper said, “many images of Maya rulers negotiate a fluid mixed-gender realm which afforded multiple alternatives to polarized ‘male’ or ‘female’ identities.”¹ In this case, Looper is introducing the practice among the ancient Maya rulers to adopt different costumes (either traditionally male or female) in order to achieve certain religious and image purposes. For example, one of the most revered deities was that of the pairing of the Maize god and Mood goddess. This figure was typically depicted with both female and male characteristics. This, in turn, prompted different rules to wear costumes that wear also mixed-gender in order to convey the same supernatural and spiritual essence.² Another example can be seen in ceremonies such as the Period-Ending rituals where male rulers would sometimes wear female costumes or use already determined attire which included skirts and capes. These styled costumes were for both men and women and were at times hard to distinguish.³ This gender ambiguity that could sometimes be seen in religious ceremonies and in commemorative monuments not only hints at the complex gender perception the Maya had but also at the, at times, complementary roles that existed between men and women. 

_{*Stela 16, Tikal; Walwin Barr, University of Pennsylvania Tikal Project Negative C57-8-68, All rights reserved. University of Pennsylvania Museum; Shows Hasaw Kan K'awil wearing a ritual dress for a Period-Ending ceremony*}

Gender Relations

Women for the most part are depicted with being in charge of taking care of daily household tasks such as cooking and textile production. However, some scholars have interpreted these tasks as being complementary to those of men. When describing this complementary relationship, Rosemary Joyce says that "women's labor transforms the raw materials produced by men into useful products crucial to social, ritual, and political process." What she means is that if it weren't for the work of the women, men wouldn't have the material means requiered for religious ceremonies as well as every day life. The same goes for women whom without men's labor wouldn't have the necessary materials to produce food, textiles, and other ritualistic offerings.¹ Another quote that explains this concept of complementarity is seen in Josserand’s essay, “Women in Classic Maya Hieroglyphic Texts,” where she says, “males may perform most publicly viewed activities, but they cannot serve in office without wives to perform other rituals offstage and to organize less public ceremonies from maintaining a household altar to the saint for the year of office to producing the all-important ritual meals of Maya ceremonial life.”² This demonstrates the importance of women in every-day rituals and how essential females are for Maya society as a whole to go forward. 

_{*Stela 24, Naranjo; Image from L. Schele And D. Freidel, A Forest Of Kings: The Untold Story Of The Ancient Maya 1990:187, Fig. 5:13; Stela narrates the arrival of Lady Six Sky in Naranjo and the birth of her son. This marks the start of a new legacy in Naranjo which saved it from the percieved ruin it was facing*}

During the Classic Period, there was an increase in the role of women in different ceremonies and rites. There is also evidence of women gaining more importance among the upper class with more burials and monuments being dedicated to them.³ This didn’t occur in great abundance, but it was enough to notice a shift in the importance that was being given to women in society. This is mainly due to the fact that during the Classic Period many kingdoms were reaching their peak of development, bringing forth a rise in powerful secular rulers. In exchange, this also brought forth a mindset where women were extremely important in securing alliances and continuing the ruling families’ dynasties.⁴

_{*Stela 3, Naranjo; Image from L. Schele And D. Freidel, A Forest Of Kings: The Untold Story Of The Ancient Maya 1990:193, Fig. 5:18; Shows Lady Six Sky participating in her son's anniversary ceremony*}

Something that most scholars who have written about this topic agree on is that lineage and kinship are one of the most important parts of women’s relevance in the upper class. There is countless evidence that demonstrate examples of women passing down the right to rule to their husbands and sons.⁵ In fact, as Josserand said in her essay, “in the maya world…for purposes of succession it is more important to be the child of the previous ruler than it is to be the male.”⁶ This means that, regardless of their gender, Maya princesses carried a lot of purely inherited power which was purely inherited. In other words, these women were born with the right to rule and it is they who give the men in their lives the authority to rule. In the following sections we’ll see some examples of women who, despite the tradition of letting the men rule, took advantage of their birthright and ruled as some of the most notorious queens in Maya history. 

It’s impossible to say with absolute certainty how these women felt about their roles or what realities they were facing that were not included in the pieces of evidence that we have. However, it is fair to assume that they were respected enough and considered important enough to have all sorts of monuments erected in their honor. Whether it was stelae, massive murals, or clay figurines, Maya women during the Classic Era had clearly become an important asset for the progress of the society as a whole. In fact, we can go even further and identify three important Maya women from the now Guatemala region, that have been found to carry great importance in the history of this ancient civilization.

_{*Stela 2, Naranjo; Image from L. Schele And D. Freidel, A Forest Of Kings: The Untold Story Of The Ancient Maya 1990:192, Fig. 5:17; Shows Smoking-Squirrel celebrating a Period-Ending Ceremony*}