Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Do you know what the symbols on this pendant means?

Hi, I have this pendant that was made in Guatemala and it has symbols on it...looks like it might be Mayan but I haven't been able to find anything online to back that up. Do you the origin of these symbols?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4018960298...

Update:

Hey Choko, not sure if I agree with that answer. The man is holding up a bird in his hands with what appears to be reverence. There are different types of birds around the edges. I don't think it's just random drawings. Do you know of any type of reverence for birds that might apply to it?

2 Answers

Relevance
  • ?
    Lv 4
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    ok heres my answer! :/ hope it helps. im not as good at american/mexian mythology as greek or irish

    in my opinion the "symbols" arent really mayan they are just plain designs to look good,

    the man is holding the "Guatemalaian" national symbol (e.g Ireland's is a shamrock) , a bird called a Resplendent Quetzal, thats mentioned quite a bit in South American / mexian mythology which is also called Mesoamerican (aztecs, mayans, etc)

    the designs around the edge i thought were serpents were actually still the bird, this shows that it was most likely a Quetzal bird, as they get their name from Quetzalcoatl who was basically a feathered serpent god worshipped by most of these groups.

    hope these help, feel free to message me if u need any more help

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resplendent_Quetzal

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl

  • 8 years ago

    Those aren't symbols, they're decorative animal, bird and human forms depicted in a contemporary stylized version of native craft. The symbols don't have meaning, they're just decorative designs in order to sell jewelry to tourists.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.