During his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, Christopher Columbus came across a heavily laden Mayan trading canoe near the Bay Islands in Honduras. Packed with cotton from the Yucatán, cacao from Belize and a variety of other goods from faraway places, the canoe is testimony to the size and importance of the Mayan trade empire.

The Maya were shrewd merchants who forged trade links with other Mesoamerican cultures in the Mexican highlands such as the Aztecs, and with their Central American neighbors, as far south as Panama.

One of their principal trade routes was the maritime route that skirted the Yucatán Peninsula and extended south into the Caribbean. Merchants used a network of overland routes and rivers to transport their cargo from the coast to cities far inland. During the Post-Classic period (A.D. 1200-1521), ports on the Mexican Caribbean coast including Tulum, Xaman-Há, Polé, Xel-Há, Muyil and Cozumel controlled the traffic of goods to and from the area.

Archaeologists have identified at least 75 trade goods, including honey, beeswax, salt, cotton, cacao, henequen, stingray spines, cinnabar, natural dyes, shells, jade, quetzal feathers, animal hides and ceramics. Mayan traders obtained obsidian and basalt, used to make knives and grinding stones, from central Mexico; turquoise came from the far north and gold was introduced to the area from Costa Rica and western Panama.

The Mayan deity associated with trade, cacao cultivation and war is Ek Chuah.

Archaeological Sites in Quintana Roo

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Source: INAH, subject to change without prior notice.

When I visited Tulum Mexico, it was the first time that I heard about Xtabentun legend, then I realized that  Mayan culture is not only rich because of its Mayan ruins but also for the history, traditions, folklore and legends that are part of a legacy. There is an ancient Mayan legend that concerns the most traditional drink of the Yucatan Peninsula: Xtabentun that is pronounced (ish-ta-ben-toon), which means– “twisting vine that grows on rocks” is fermented from a flower with the same name (Rivea corymbosa) that comes from a seed that causes a sense of euphoria and drowsiness, due to its psychotropic nature.

The Xtabentun Mayan legend from the Yucatan Peninsula, tells the story of two women who lived in the same town long ago. Xtabay, was a beautiful woman that used to be with every man in town; however, she was a kind soul who gave help to those in need. The other woman´s name was Utz-Colel who was considered an exemplary woman in the town. But her goodness was limited because she was cold hearted, and never helped anyone.

The Xtabentun Mayan legend tells that when Xtabay died, her tomb was covered by white flowers which gave off that same delicious sweet scent that filled the town. When Utz-Colel died, a nasty plant began to grow on her grave, it was a spiny cactus called Tzacam, revealing a nauseating smell. The white flower on Xtabay’s grave was called Xtabentun, from which nectar is prepared the famous drink made of honey and anise, native to the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Xtabentun Mayan legend says that when you drink a cup of Xtabentun, the dizzy drunkenness that follows is the effect of the love and charm that Xtabay had on the men she frequented. And if you get lost in the Mayan jungle, the mean Utz-Colel will come along to take your heart forever.