Bloodletting and the Maya

In another Maya city, Yaxchilán, a carved stone lintel has helped archaeologists to understand a lot about Maya beliefs. It shows a bloodletting ritual performed by Yaxchilán's king, Shield Jaguar the Great, and his wife, Lady K’ab’al Xook. Lady K’ab'al Xook pulled a thorned rope through her tongue to make it bleed so that she could speak with the gods. Bloodletting was important to the Maya; they believed the gods had let their blood to create the human race. By bloodletting, Maya rulers showed their thanks to the gods, but also showed that they were the right people to rule.