True North

True North is a story written by Seishin No Uwagi and illustrated by enkaiein. It originally ran in Issue 55 at http://s2b2.livejournal.com/, and will be mirrored at http://www.shousetsubangbang.com/mirror/.

Summary

In ancient Mesoamerica the Gods demand sacrifice so that the crops will grow, the earth will turn, and the sun will always rise. When humans sacrifice themselves to sustain the Gods, the greatest sacrifice of all may be the hearts of those who play the ball game.

Story Notes

- The myth interspersed with the story text is a modified version of the Hero Twin saga, part of the Mayan Popol Vuh mythos. An online version of the Popol Vuh (with annotations) can be found here, though better translations exist (See references).

- Historically there is no Mayan God of the North Star, despite an otherwise extensive astrological pantheon. During the Classic period the part of the sky that we identify as 'true North' was empty black space that the Mayan called "The Heart of the Sky." Polaris has only recently shifted to occupy its present day location. The story plays with the idea that Polaris was made and placed in the sky by a Mayan God.

- The version of the ball game shown in the story was a complete invention of the author. Very little is known about how the ancient Mayan played the sport and there were many versions of the game depending on time period and geography. Some commonalities included: Players could not touch the ball with their hands, and the hips in particular were used to 'throw' and receive the ball. Balls were made of rubber and were generally quite heavy. Courts could vary in size but were typically enclosed by parallel lines (the court in True North is an oval, the only complete departure from historical fact in the portrayal of the ball game). Players likely wore leather hip guards and heavy girdles that offered protection and could lend more force in propelling the ball. Courts could include stone markers and/or rings; the purpose of these structures in unclear, however it's thought that passing the ball through a ring was a game ending event. Teams could include either 2, 3 or 4 players per side. The ball game was considered a sport for royalty, though was not limited to them; it was also highly ritualized, with sacrifices of players being a probable occurrence (though how common of one is not known). For an explanation of the Ball Game as it is played in True North, see section below.

- All other portrayals of Classic Mayan culture were taken from the literature (see references).

- The character of Cimi was inspired by The Good Life by Three Days Grace

- The character of Ts'ii (Kulal) was inspired by True North by Bad Religion

The Ball Game In True North

The ball game in True North takes the generally accepted constants of the historical game (stone markers, rings, ball handling, etc) and combines them with Mayan astrology, numerology, and theology to create a fictional version of how the game might have been played. The only true departure from what is known historically is the fact that the court in True North is oval, where actual Mesoamerican ball courts were rectangles or parallelograms. In True North, the oval shape of the court represents the oval path that the sun travels through the sky and the underworld during its 24 hour circuit.

Set up: - The stone markers around the perimeter of the court represent positions of the sun. The royal team (representing the Sun God No'oh) work to move the sun from West to East, through the underworld, to end at dawn. The sacrificial team (representing the Underworld Lords) work to move the sun from East to West, through the sky, to end at dusk. To progress, players must use the ball to hit the stone markers in the proper progression. - The court is quartered by the 4 holy directions: North, East, South, and West. Each section of the court takes the color represented by its guiding direction, North = white, East = red, South = yellow, and West = black. - In Mayan theology, each number is associated with a patron God. The God, in turn, is associated with certain symbols and images. The stone markers take their names from these associations. *Note: the Deity names below are the actual Deities known to the Maya, not the fictitious names used in True North

    - 1. 
    - 2.
    - 3.
    - 4.
    - 5.
    - 6.
    - 7. Centeotl, the Maize Lord. Seven is considered to be the most auspicious number.
    - 8.
    - 9.
    - 10.
    - 11.
    - 12.
    - 13.

References

- Re-creating Primordial Time: Foundation rituals and mythology of the postclassic Maya codices by Gabrielle Vail and Christine Hernández (2013)

- An Epoch of Miracles: Oral literature of the Yucatec Maya by Allan Burns (2011)

- The Classic Maya by Stephen Houston and Takeshi Inomata (2009)

- The Memory of Bones: Body, being, and experience among the Classic Maya by Stephen Houston, David Stuart, and Karl Taube (2006) * Highly recommended!

- Ancient Maya: The rise and fall of a rainforest civilization by Arthur Demarest (2004)

- Ancient Maya Gender Identity and Relations edited by Lowell Gustafson and Amelia Trevelyan (2002)

- Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya by Victoria Schlensinger (2001)

- A Forest of Kings: The untold story of the ancient Maya by David Freidel and Linda Schele (1992)

- The Maya's Own Words (translation of the Popol Vuh) edited by Thomas Irving (1985)

- Cenote of Sacrifice: Maya treasures from the sacred well at Chichen Itza by Orrin Shane and Clemency Coggins (1984)