Spaces of Healing

The Mayan Flask was used in Mayan culture to hold various healing potions. There are three different clients associated with the flask that all require different spaces.

The first client is the Mayan Priest, called the h-men. He performs his healing in front of everyone to demonstrate the power of the gods and to cause the Mayan subjects to fear their chosen leaders. His healing was not for the purpose of healing, but rather for a power play. This kind of ceremonial healing demonstration requires a presentational space. Perhaps it is on the steps of the Governor's Palace facing hundreds of eager eyes on the grand platform. The space of this performance is open, yet there is a particular area that the view is directed towards.

The second client is the dza-dzac, a medicine man. He uses the flask to truly heal his patients and thus he does not need a large audience. His individual space focuses on the healing experience as a sacred profession, not a spectacle. There is a specific filtration of light coming through this space to create an intimate ambiance so that the patient feels comfortable. This space does not lead to another space because it is the desired goal, true healing. He uses the flask to hold medicines made from the earth and in this space it requires no other housing than just a spot on the shelf where it can eaisly be used again.

The third client is the pulyah, witch doctor. He is very powerful and feared. It is not only the people who fear his dark powers, but also those in authority who have the most to lose if he were to rise up. Thus he must continue his practices underground and away from those who would shut him down. His use of the flask is like the Priest in that it produces shock and awe, but he also uses it to entertain a small group. The flasks holding hallucinogens were most likely in his possession and in the small underground rooms of Uxmal, he would do demonstrations for friends, family, or merely the curious superstitious citizens.