There is a link between religion, faith and the fantastic;
the heroic. Among my first bedtime stories both read and told to me were the
mythologies of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. These were no less equal to the biblical
tales and exploits of Samson, David and Noah among others I was introduced to
early on. Each in their own way amazing and all miraculous. Would Jesus be as
effective had he not walked on water, cured and fed multitudes and eventually raised
from the grave himself? Questions…
There are abundant similarities in ancient mythologies, texts
and carvings and associations with our modern mass communications. One deity and theme that seems to be timeless
and multi-cultural is the man-bat or in our popular culture “Batman.” The
Mayan’s worshiped what seemed the first bat demi-god in their own
Camazotz. He was half man, half bat, full of mystery and vengeance. He dates back culturally as far as 200
yrs. B. C. and he is still being researched today. The Mesoamericans viewed
their bat deity as terrifying and like ever good bat lusting for blood. There
were thousands of sacrifices made to him. He would; as to legend emerge from
his bat cave nightly and was even connected to the creation of mankind. His
visage, persona and legend were equally terrifying. His totems were used
for protection and to ward off evils. This principle element was again not unlike
our own, much beloved and lauded Batman.
The Mayan Man-Bat creature aroused from his cave in a
chronicled tale of a once vengeful murder of the Mayan hero Hunahpu. The blood lust
associated with Camazotz was tremendous and legend says he killed his victim by
decapitation. The similarities here are much closer to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Camazotz is linked to both nocturnal characters (Batman and Dracula.) This
attests to the richness of the ancient culture’s imagination in multiplicitous
forms including writings, stone and stories.
There is no shortage of interpretations; but the idea of the
“Batman” abounds, especially for our southern Mesoamerican neighbors and
ourselves. In the end it is all about
the idea. The myths live on across space and time, across cultures. They are as
envisioned in and through “The Batman” whether intended or unintended and in
their magnificence; eternal.
“I shall become a Bat!”
The art featured on this page range from the minds and hands
of Bob Kane, Neal Adams and original Mayan drawings to the spectacular “Camazotz
Armour”
from the phenomenal designer Kimbal.
