El culto de Maximón en Guatemala

• Main Author: Sylvie Pédron‑Colombani
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Centro de Estudios Mexicanos y Centroamericanos 2008-12-01
• Series: Trace
• Subjects: deidad sincrética; guatemala; indígenas; maya; pentecostalismo; turismo
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/trace/457

This article presents Maximón, a syncretic deity from Guatemala, in the context of protestant attacks on popular Catholicism. This hybrid deity, which is associated with catholic saints, Judas, and mayan god Mam, is invoked by different groups within the population (indigenous and mestizo). This deity has also become the symbol of hidden social protest movements, in particular when Maximon is linked to the image of corrupt politicians, large landowners or military officials. Nonetheless, in the present context of massive conversions from Catholicism to Pentecostalism, a growing religious sector, the rituals offered to Maximón tend to represent ancestral maya traditions. In addition, the growing international importance of these religions has led to an adoption of Maximón rituals to attract tourists, in order to generate new income, and to claim legitimacy