Balam

Balam means jaguar in the Mayan language. The word is also applied in Mayan mythology to geniuses or deleterious beings (the Uay Balam) protectors of the fields and crops that have the shape of a jaguar They were worshiped before starting the sowing and therefore some considered them as deities, although they do not appear in the Mayan pantheon.

They are also called Nukuch (Nohoch)-Uinik which means big man and Yumil-Kol is applied to them when they protect the cornfields; It is also known as Bolom or Bahlum.

Popular belief

In the Mayan culture, particularly the Yucatecan, the Balames are, more currently, Mayan spirits in charge of protecting the villages, the cornfields and men. According to popular tradition, there are four of them for each site, each of which is located in one of the cardinal points to carry out its protection functions.

They usually appear at night, although -sometimes- they appear during the day. It is assumed that if someone has an encounter with one of them, they will become sick with fright; This condition is a consequence of suffering a great scare and manifests itself with vomiting, diarrhea, sleep problems, listlessness, etc.

As for their appearance, they are described as old men with very long beards; His face is horrible and hardly anyone will be able to resist one look from him. They wear wide-brimmed palm hats, wear leather sandals, and wear flowing tunics. They are very fond of tobacco, in fact, it is said that the shooting stars are actually the cigarette butts thrown by the Balames. There are discrepancies regarding their height, as they are described as very tall or very small.

Their character is dual, that is, they do good, but they do not hesitate to punish those who have forgotten to make the corresponding offerings. Likewise, in the Belizean Mayan culture, another version is told that indicates that if a person fails to comply with his offerings, the creature will devour, instead, the innocent soul of a child.

Classification

The Balames are classified into two types depending on their activities. Those in charge of protecting the towns are called Balam-cahob which means Balames of the towns or Canan-cahob (guardians of the towns). And those responsible for taking care of the cornfields are called Balam-col. The Balames protect the towns and cornfields not only from harmful humans and animals, but from spirits capable of doing harm; When a single Balam cannot defeat the enemy in question, he calls out for help from the rest of the Balames who, upon hearing the call, come ready to help him. One of the weapons that the Balames use are the piliz-dzoncab, which are a type of projectile made of obsidian stone that they throw using their fingers. These artifacts are highly valued by healers since they use them to make bloodletting.

Other beliefs

Traditional farmers greatly value the work carried out by the Balames and thank them by leaving them zacá gourds as an offering (refreshing corn drink).

Another belief regarding the Balames is that they help children who are lost, they do it by whistling, so that those looking for them can find them. The problem is that the child will be affected by the encounter and will be eccentric throughout his life.

His appearance in Chiapas

In Chiapas, it is known as Dzulúm, whose name translates as “longing to die.” However, here it is not as benign as it might be considered. It is said that at night, he goes out to protect his “domains”, since he believes that they are all his, since he is one of the most feared creatures in the vicinity of Chiapas, even the tiger itself fears him when it senses his presence.; and even the jaguar offers him food and not out of hunger, but to mark his dominance. According to popular belief, no mortal was worthy of seeing his figure, except for his victims whom he chooses.

Its human prey is mainly women, believing that it has the ability to provoke an irresistible attraction in its victims, for which its appearance must be beautiful and sublime. Some have gone so far as to imagine it as a huge feline, with a jaguar-like appearance, with shiny dark fur and fulminating red eyes. Others have imagined it as a jaguar with gray fur with brown spots, carrying pointed manes on its back and chest, possessing a tail as long as its own body; found in this reddish rings and also having yellow eyes. There are also women who have made a pact with this creature, in order to become witches in order to leave their humble lives.

Possibly, he would represent suicide or be a reaper of souls, since it is said that women destroyed inside attract him and when they commit suicide their souls are in favor of him. The mythical character appears in the novel Balún Canán, written by Rosario Castellanos.