The Mayan Ball Game

The Mayan Ball game was an ancient game played by the mayans that acted as a type of religious experiance. The game was very difficult and usually ended when someone scored just one goal. The captain of the losing team was often sacrificed. They played with a hard latex ball and stone hoops.

"Solid rubber balls were burned in front of images of deities and inside pyramids and shrines. In addition to the symbolism referred to above, the rubber balls were symbolic of fertility as both the Aztecs and the Maya equated the latex that flowed from inside of the tree with blood and semen."

"The goal of the game was to pass the ball around, without having it touch your hands, and then get the ball to pass through one of the rings. Since the rings were so high and players were not allowed to use their hands, it was extremely difficult to get the ball through a ring. In fact, when a player did manage to get a ball through a ring, that usually ended the game. The game ended otherwise when the ball touched the ground."

"The winners of the game were treated as heroes and given a great feast. The penalty for losing a game was unusually harsh: death. The leader of the team who lost the game was killed. This fit in with the Mayan belief that human sacrifice was necessary for the continued success of the peoples' agriculture, trade, and overall health. "

I am going to change my topic from weapons to this.