Zip- Maya GodDeity"Lord of Deer"
Also known as: Sip and Ah Zip
Description
Zip owned every deer in the forest. Maya hunters could not simply take one. They fasted and laid offerings before pursuing game, petitioning the god who decided whether deer would run toward their traps or away.
Mythology & Lore
Master of the Deer
Zip was the supernatural owner of all deer. No hunter could take an animal without his permission. Before each hunt, Maya hunters fasted and made offerings. In return, Zip released game into their traps. Hunters who took only what they needed and treated animal remains with care kept his favor. Those who hunted carelessly found no deer where deer had always been.
The Madrid Codex devotes several folios to deer-trapping rituals. The scenes show hunters performing the rites that earned them a kill, petitioning a god who held the forest's wealth.
The Month of Sip
The Haab calendar month bearing Zip's name marked the season when hunting ceremonies received their fullest attention. Landa's Relación records rituals held during Sip to honor the hunting gods. Royal expeditions invoked Zip before the chase, and success in the hunt confirmed a king's bond with the divine.
Contemporary Maya hunters in Guatemala and Belize still seek supernatural permission before pursuing deer. The practice continues without a break from the rituals shown in the codices.