﻿122 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  REPRESENTATION 
  OF 
  A 
  

  

  Photograph 
  from 
  the 
  Biologia 
  Centrali-Americana 
  

   BLOOD-LETTING 
  CEREMONY 
  

  

  This 
  sculptured 
  panel, 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum, 
  was 
  originally 
  carved 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  

   side 
  of 
  a 
  door 
  lintel 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  temples 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  Maya 
  city 
  of 
  Yaxchilan, 
  in 
  southern 
  

   Mexico. 
  A 
  priest 
  with 
  a 
  ceremonial 
  staff 
  is 
  shown 
  at 
  the 
  left, 
  supervising 
  a 
  blood-letting 
  

   ceremony, 
  possibly 
  by 
  a 
  neophyte, 
  who 
  is 
  kneeling 
  at 
  the 
  right. 
  Note 
  the 
  gorgeous 
  details 
  of 
  

   the 
  priest's 
  costume. 
  The 
  neophyte, 
  scarcely 
  less 
  handsomely 
  garbed, 
  is 
  engaged 
  in 
  drawing 
  

   blood 
  from 
  himself 
  by 
  passing 
  through 
  a 
  slit 
  in 
  his 
  tongue 
  a 
  long 
  piece 
  of 
  rope 
  with 
  sharp 
  

   thorns 
  fastened 
  to 
  it. 
  A 
  basin 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  catches 
  the 
  drops 
  of 
  blood 
  as 
  they 
  fall. 
  

  

  