The Mayan legend of the hummingbird, the messenger of the gods

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It is said that when someone has an encounter with a hummingbird, they are overcome with joy. For the Mayan culture, these beautiful birds were magical and had a very important mission: to act as messengers between the human race and the gods.

The Mayan legend of the hummingbird dates back to 2000 BC. c. This cultural and anthropological legacy reveals to us the fascination of this people towards a bird that seems to have the rainbow printed on its plumage. A creature of just 20 grams capable of flapping its wings up to 60 times per second. Magical abilities were attributed to them, including acting as messengers between people and the gods.

The beauty of this bird also symbolized pure love and the fragility of the heart. Few creatures in nature seem so delicate and extraordinary at the same time. Not everyone knows, for example, that it is the bird with the largest brain in relation to its size. Perhaps, nature or, as the Mayan gods themselves say, created it on purpose for a very specific purpose.

Among his tasks was to collect every thought, desire and reflection of men and women to take them to those Mesoamerican deities located between Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. Also in the western part of Honduras and El Salvador. A part of the hummingbird’s legendary past has remained among us in the form of curious traditions… We analyze them.

According to legend, whoever dares to capture a hummingbird will be punished by the gods.

Legend says that if we see a hummingbird, someone who loves us is thinking of us.

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The Mayan legend of the hummingbird: the messenger of the gods

It is often pointed out that A part of Mesoamerican culture is still present in certain traditions of the modern Mayans. Likewise, if today we can also evoke and enjoy this entire pantheon of gods and their stories, it is mainly due to the books of Chilam Balam. These writings were written by the descendants of the Mayans throughout the Spanish colonization.

In this way, and within this mythology, special reference is made to two deities. Tepeu and Kukulkan (Quetzalcóatl for the Aztecs) were the creators of the entire known world. In addition to “making” the earth, mountains, rivers and seas, they gave life to human beings and animals. To the latter, each one was assigned a task and a function.

Now, when the gods finished that complex task of creation, they realized one thing. They had forgotten to shape a messenger, some creature that would serve as a link between deities and mortals. The Mayan legend of the hummingbird says that they took a jade stone and then began to sculpt an arrow with it.

Later, once the small work was finished, they blew to remove the dust caused during carving. When he blew, a small, shiny creature came to life.. And she flew. He flew very high and very fast, with the liveliness of extraordinary creatures, with the magic of beings that do not seem to be from this world.

It had the colors of the rainbow in its plumage and its wings were like those of an insect… They called that little bird al x ts’unu’um.

Little magic feather messengers

The hummingbird is such a small and delicate bird that it can approach and feed on any flower without barely moving it. It is said that The Mayan gods were fascinated with their creation. They loved to watch it when the raindrops fell on it. That animal shone in such a way that it seemed to have the entire universe printed on its feathers.

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The Mayan legend of the hummingbird tells us that this bird became a carrier of messages between worlds. He not only brought to the gods what humans thought, felt or needed. It also brought information from the afterlife, from the deceased.

What’s more, nowadays it is said that if we meet this animal, it means that someone who loves us is thinking of us.

Despite their apparent fragility, hummingbirds range from Alaska to Chile. There are more than 343 identified species and encountering one of them is always a cause for joy and expectation.

Joy, good luck and healing

Those countries fortunate to have these beautiful creatures among their ecosystem know that no one remains indifferent when they have an encounter with them. The legend of the hummingbird indicates that they are bringers of joy and good luck.. And not only that, its mere presence has healing properties.

With its nervous fluttering of wings it brings hope, joy and healing. What the animal does is fly around the person’s head in order to remove negative energies, calm the pain and suffocate the sadness. Just look at the flash of its plumage to fall under its magical spell.

Capturing a hummingbird brings bad luck and is something we should never do.

The Mayan legend of the hummingbird tells us that we should never harm them

You should not touch a hummingbird, catch it, or lock it in a cage, and even less take its life. The Mayan gods laid down an implacable curse for mortals who dared harm their beautiful and fragile creature. Whoever dares to harm them will forever suffer from lovesickness, get sick and die early.

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The hummingbird is a sacred animal. He is a link between worlds, a faithful messenger, he brings with him joy and his body contains the extraordinary reflection of the universe, of the rainbow, of those hues that invite us to love the world, life and nature itself. Let’s do it then, let’s respect these delicate, but always fascinating beings.