Product Description
Here is a vintage carved wooden Ajitz from Guatemala. 11.5" x 3" x 5"
Ajitz is a Mayan spirit who vanquishes evil and is a symbol of anti-colonial resistance.
During the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, conquistadores converted the Mayans to Christianity with the brutish power of the sword: if they refuse to accept the new religion, they were murdered. It was believed that one Mayan shaman escaped, survived, and returned to become the spirit, Ajitz. Ajitz then became a protector of the Mayan people against evil and a foreteller.
Ajitz is often depicted as dressed in red clothes and having red skin. He often carries an axe with which he vanquishes evil.
