Monkey and Cacao: in Search of a Myth Through the Initial Series Group Reliefs in Chichén Itzá

Abstract

Recent studies about cacao symbolism have stressed the importance of this plant and its bean in several contexts of ancient Maya culture, sustaining the assumption that it was the most revered plant after corn. Its value stands out in economic and social terms and, of course, in religious contexts. However, we do not know the mythical beliefs related with its procurement for the human beings; in this paper we propose a possible interpretation, based on the maize mythical model and supported by several representations from the Initial Series Group of Chichén Itzá, where monkeys play an important role.