Sacred Mayan Voyage, an exceptional tradition
Experience one of the oldest and most important traditions of the Prehispanic Mayan world: the Sacred Mayan Voyage. A mystical ritual of pilgrimage in search of the wisdom of the great goddess Ixchel, goddess of water, love, fertility, the moon, medicine and textiles. Centuries later, in 2019, we still pay homage to this ritual every year with the Sacred Mayan Voyage (Travesía Sagrada Maya).
History
The Itzaés Mayans were great priests and traders that established their domain on the Yucatán peninsula. They were known for their spirituality and their incredible knowledges about navigation and sea trade. It was mostly them who used the Caribbean sea as a trading route connecting cities from all the coasts of the Mayan world. Their routes covered such vast territory and their techniques were so advanced that famous historian and archaeologist Erich Thompson named the Itzaés “the Phoenicians of the New World”.
Since Ixchel was the goddess of two of the most important things for life: water and fertility; it comes as no surprise that she was one of the Itzaés’ main deities. So what better place in the Caribbean to build a templo for her than the island of Kuzamil, nowadays known as Cozumel. Ixchel’s oracle was established here, where the chosen priests would interpret her will and share her wisdom.
For these Mayans the sea represented a duality that gave them life: it was their main trading route that made them prosper and it was also the gate to enter Xibalbá, their underworld. It was this why Kuzamil was chosen to be the site of Ixchel’s home on Earth.
From Polé to Kuzamil
In the voyage, multiple canoes with their teams of rowers row from the continent to the island to take offerings to the goddess and to hear her advice. The rowers would depart from the port of Polé (where Xcaret is located today), a very important trading port and a place of spiritual significance. It is said by the good of Chilam Balam of Chumayel that it was from here that the first Itzaés set out to settle in the Mayan world.
Both the rowers of the past and of today did this voyage back and fort (around 50 kilometers total) in big canoes carved out of a single log and used wooden oars. Each canoe had space for 5 rowers and their offerings to Ixchel, although today the voyage is done in 10 person canoes.
The ritual lasts a total of 3 days, starting with the arrival of the “7 Towns” to Polé; during which the canoes, offerings, and rowing teams from the 7 towns: Acalán, Conil, Ichpatun, Ochtankah, Xcambó, Xamanhá and Zamá, would arrive to the port. Upon their arrival, the rowers are welcomed with a ceremony of purification.
The second day starts early in the morning with the first rays of sunshine, when the canoes depart in their pilgrimage to Kuzamil. Upon arriving to the island, the messengers of the 7 towns are received by the locals who offer them food and shelter to rest for the day. At dusk, the travelers would visit Ixchel’s oracle to deliver their offerings and their petitions. Their offerings usually consisted of the most important items they traded with (nowadays we still offer the same things to stay true to the tradition). They ask the goddess for her protection and good favor in brining fertility to their soils, for good weather, their health, and the balance and survival of life on Earth. After delivering their offerings and making their requests, the oracle would preach to them the wisdom of the goddess and the messages they were to deliver back to their leaders.
The third and final day of the ritual, the rowers depart Kuzamil at dawn and begin their journey back to the mainland. The return trip is longer than getting there and takes between 6:30 and 9 hours and ends in the city of Xamanhá (in today’s Playa del Carmen). Here the messengers are received by their people and the ritual ends with a celebration thanking the goddess Ixchel for her favor.
The Voyage Today
Although this ritual stopped for nearly 500 years after the conquest, today it is a tradition that has returned and happens every year with the most care to keep it as close to the original tradition as possible. In fact, the ritual today has very few differences from the one centuries ago. The main differences are that today the rowers don’t return to Xamanhá but to Polé instead, and that the oracle of Kuzamil no longer exists, so the goddess Ixchel can no longer communicate with our messengers. The travelers still ride the same traditional canoes (albeit bigger), with wooden rows, wearing the same customary clothing their ancestors would have worn.
The rowers must register for the voyage at least 6 months in advance because they must complete a demanding training program through the 6 months previous to the ritual to prepare for it. They also need to pass a physical exam and a swimming test since the voyage is extremely demanding physically and mentally. It is the rowers dedication and passion that leads them through this arduous task to keep the tradition alive.
Today there are around 450 people participating in over 40 canoes.
For assisting:
Anyone can be present for the departing ceremony in Polé, the arrival, celebrations and ritual in Kuzamil, and the return to Xamanhá/Polé. To assist to the departing ceremony and the return to Polé you will need tickets for Xcaret park. For the events in Kuzamil/Cozumel you will need to buy ferry tickets to and from Cozumel and to get tickets for the events in the island.
Although most of the events happen very early in the morning or at night, they’re all well worth being there for. Here you will have the incredible, unique chance to be a part of a true Prehispanic ritual. If you are interested in being a part of it it is also possible, but you should know that you would have to be in Cancún or the Riviera Maya for 6 months for all the preparations and training sessions.
For more current information about this year’s Sacred Mayan Voyage, tickets, registration to participate, training sessions, events, and the ritual itself visit: