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"Hummingbird feathers are magic"... that was what they assured the Mayans, a Mesoamerican civilization who lived between the 3rd and 15th centuries in Guatemala, Mexico and other places in Central America.
The Mayans saw hummingbirds as holy creatures who possessed healing powers through the joy and love they conveyed to the people who watched them. This in a way is very right, even nowadays, every time we see a hummingbird we are filled with very pleasant emotions.
The worldview of the Mayan civilization has a legend for everything (especially animals) and has created an incredible story about this vibrant creature. Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article where you can find out the most curious legend of the hummingbird.
The Mayans and the Gods
The Mayans had a mystical culture and, as already mentioned, they had a legend for everything. According to the ancient sages of this civilization, the gods created everything that exists on the planet, forming animals from clay and corn, endowing them with physical and spiritual skills exceptional and private missions, many of them even being the personification of the gods themselves. The creatures of the animal world are sacred to civilizations like the Maya because they believed they were direct messengers from their adored deities.
the hummingbird
The legend of the Mayan hummingbird says that the gods created all animals and gave each one a certain task to fulfill in the land. When they finished the division of tasks, they realized that they needed to assign a very important job: they needed a messenger to transport their thoughts and desires from one place to another. However, what happened was that, in addition, as they didn't count on it, they were left with little material for the creation of this new carrier, since they didn't have any more clay or corn.
As they were Gods, creators of the possible and the impossible, they decided to do something more special. got one jade stone (a precious mineral) and carved an arrow that symbolized the route. A few days later, when it was ready, they blew so hard on it that the arrow went flying through the sky, transforming itself into a beautiful multicolored hummingbird.
They created the fragile and light hummingbird so that it could fly around nature, and man, almost without being aware of its presence, would pick up its thoughts and desires and could carry them with him.
According to legend, hummingbirds became so popular and important that man began to feel the need to catch them for his personal needs. The gods upset with this disrespectful reality condemned to death every man who dared to cage one of these fantastic creatures and, in addition, endowed the bird with an impressive rapide. This is one of the mystical explanations for the fact that it is practically impossible to catch a hummingbird. The gods protect the hummingbirds.
the orders of the gods
It is believed that these birds bring messages from beyond and that they can be manifestations of the spirit of a deceased person. The hummingbird is also considered a healing mythological animal that helps people in need by changing their luck.
Finally, legend says that this charming, tiny and secretive bird has the important task of carrying people's thoughts and intentions. So, if you see a hummingbird approaching your head, don't touch it and let it collect your thoughts and lead you straight to your destination.
