The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-17
THE MAYA WOMEN.
THEY ARE INTELLIGENT, SWEET TERI.
PGR.:O AND BEAUTIFUL.

In tho Oldcn Times These Wives of the
First Owners of America Were the
Mothers of n Courageous Eacc and Ihc,
Never Locked Into II Mirror.
An unfamiliar word, but us old as t,,o
hills almost, is this word Maya. Among
the Brahn;ns it means illusion and is
the nalnc Of tho EARTH the material
world, which, according to tho Brah
manical doctrine, is noncXistent an
illusion. Maya Devi was tho name of
the beautiful mother of Buddha. MAYA
i'll the feminine energy of Brahma and
the mother of all the gods, even Of
Brahma himself. Any Greek dictionary
informs Us that Maya is the good moth
er of all gods and men In japan the
goddess Maya is still worshipcd The
beautiful Indian poem "Ramayana"
tells us about great navigator named
Maya who i'll ages long gone by took
forcible possession of the countries at
the south of the Hindoostanee peninsula
and settled there.
The Maya people Of America were in
oldcn times great nation, occupying
the territory comprised between the 18TH
mus OF Tehuantcpcc and that of Da-
rlen. We know that they were naviga-
tors, their boats being depicted in very
ancient books and paintings In 1902.
when Columbus came to America for
the fourth time, lie met on the high
seas large boat, in which were men.
[vn11tnI and cl,i 1,lro,, r. l., l. Y
90 of merchandise, consisting of weaD
pns, tools, products of the earth and
ready made garments. The travellers
called themselves Mayas. They were in
the habit of travelling to Cuba and other
islands to trade with their inhabitants.
The Mayas We're neatly clothed in white
cotton raiment. They were self possessed
and courteous Fifteen years later their
land, today called Yucatan, was invad-
ed by the Spaniards, but it cost tho
white men % years Of warfare to get
control OF that country, for every Maya
fought like /, hero. They were SONS of
fearless mothers.
In reading tho works left by the
Spanish neutrality-suspicious. who nc
companied the soldicrs-we learn that
'AtN -t".N 81 ND4lINi w NtIN EOOfl look
ing, as many are ut the present day;
that they We're charitable, sweet tenn
percd, industrious, modest and so free
from vanity that they never consulted
the mirror. although their husbands
did. III physique these women were
large and beautifully shaped.
Their complexion was II light brown,
and their silky black hair very album
dant. Father Cogollrdo, Il Spanish priest,
wrote, These women arc more beauti-
full and better tempered than those of
Spain. They always dressed them
selves, as they do at the present time,
III flowing white garments, and in their
happier days were greatly addicted to
the use of perfumes and flowers. They
were industrious, devoted wives and
fond mothers, but cXacted great dcfcr-
ence from their children Their ideas of
modcsty We're so strict that they did not
permit their daughters TO look boldly
into the face of man. and if Il girl
showed want of shyness the indignant
matron would pinch her arms. After
the Spaniards wero in possession of the
land they subjected these women to in
dignities and cruelty. Among many
other things it is recorded that in one
village they found two young women OF
remarkable beauty, one Il bride, the 9th
cr maiden, and they hanged both, so
that there should be no trouble about
them. Many young mothers were hung
from trees and their infants suspended
from their feet. Those who escaped
death We're enslavcd with their hus-
bands and children
Long ago. as far back as our studies
enable rs to know anything about that
nation, tho Maya women seem to have
enjoyed tho same privileges as the men,
to have had equal power in politics and
equal authority
Today, when business is to be trans
acted, the wife takes the active part, her
husband nodding his head afiirmatively.
1t is not that she desires to dominecr,
but because he looks up to her, relying
on her Judgment. She complies with
admirable moderation and modesty. She
is eloquent and forceful without being
loquacious, and she never scolds. When
her husband gets himself into trouble,
she pleads Tor him, being more able
reasoner than he is. If he gcts intoxicat-
ed, she guides him home. If he strikes
her, she says, He docs not know what
he is doing" regarding him with an
gclic forbcarancc, so that domestic
brawls are quite unknown. 1t is her
pleasure to give him the best of what
they have, keeping for herself tho
worst.
This woman's home has a matched
roof and earihcn floor She has 10 pref
ty objects around her. Hammocks serve