Andrea Bakacs
Maximón Worship
Two worshipers attend a ceremony of #Maximón, a Mayan Saint and God, who represents both good and evil. December 2022. Each year a local family in the village of Santiago Atitlán, on the shores of Lago Atitlán in Guatemala, does the honorable duty of hosting Maximón, where they stay by his side day and night, chain smoking and drinking. He remains inside all year until Holy Week, where he is brought into the streets and his host family home is changed. Worshippers bring offerings of candles, tobacco, money, and sacred liquor. He is said to understand the mistakes of man, for he too has made mistakes. Legend has it, that while men of the village were out working, Maximón snuck in and slept with all of their wives. So upon this discovery, the men had all of his limbs cut off. Therefore, he is often depicted without both arms and legs at the site of his worship. Tourists can easily grab a tuk-tuk for $1USD and ask to be taken to him directly as the address is kept a secret. This image is from a series of personal photographs in #Guatemala.
