It’s harvest season! And one of my favorite things about this time of year is that it’s a reminder of the connection we have to peoples all over the world and throughout history. It’s one piece of the human experience that has existed for centuries across cultures and continues to exist for many people today.
The Aztecs depended on a good harvest to sustain their culture, economy, their livelihood, and even their social standing in the community.
Who were the Aztecs? They were farmers, warriors, engineers, traders, and artists. They were a rich and powerful people who lived in what is now the southern portion of Mexico. Until the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors about 500 years ago, the Aztec Empire was one of the largest and most advanced civilizations in Latin American history.
The Aztec people had a game they liked to play during the harvest season. (This was a game also played by the Maya and Toltecs before them!) It was a game of strategy and luck, and a local event that attracted players both common-born, nobility, and everyone in between.
The game was called Patolli. Players of Patolli would meet during the Harvest and bring their wealth and crops with them… to gamble. Interested players would choose an opponent by inspecting the belongings they were betting. Players bet 6 things each, represented by their playing pieces or “counters”. They might bet blankets, precious stones, gold jewelry, food, livestock, or the season’s crop. Betting one’s crops was extremely dangerous because it represented all the money, food, and comfort a man and his family would have for the year. In extreme cases, players would bet more than their crops, they might even bet their homes, family members, or their own personal freedom. Agreeing to play against someone was not done casually. This was a serious decision as the winner of the game would ultimately win all of the opponent’s store of offerings and the loser could walk away with nothing to show for a year’s worth of work and investment.
A Patolli gameboard had 52 spaces arranged in the shape of an “X”. It was often drawn on a piece of leather, on a straw mat, or carved into the floor or table top. Each player had six counters that represented their 6 belongings up for grabs and 5 beans that were used as a type of dice.
Seated Zapotec Corn God, Zapotec, Post Classic (900-1100 A.D.), Ceramic, 1994.037
This is a Pre-Columbian artifact in the Old Jail Art Center’s collection. It’s a sculpture of an Aztec Deity important to the Harvest Season. Look closely at the details. What important crop do you see incorporated in their attire? This deity was important for the harvest because they represented the healthy corn or maize crop. They were also associated with luck, gambling, and games. Any farmer knows that every time a seed is planted it’s a game of chance as to what the year will hold and whether the crops will succeed. Before playing the game of Patolli, the Aztecs would often beseech this figure for luck and prosperity. They were believed to act as an invisible, but very present third player in each game. Note their presence in the illustration below. The Aztecs believed this deity could change the luck of a player and cause him to win or to lose. So don’t dishonor or upset them because you’re gonna want ‘em on your side!
When Spanish priests arrived with the conquistadors they forbade the game of Patolli. Possibly due to the connection with what they believed to be a “false deity” or may it was because some people were actually selling themselves or their families into slavery over it. The priests were even known to have burned the hands of people caught playing the outlawed game.
Today at OJAC, we use this game as a teaching tool and a window into the everyday lives of the Aztec people when teaching Spanish students in our outreach programs. Even the most reluctant student can’t help but get caught up in the aspects of risk and chance and we even have a good time with jokes about betting one’s younger siblings in order to get them out of our hair.
I hope you’ll enjoy the harvest season and maybe give Patolli a try when the family visits over the holidays! Just don’t bet the farm!
Molly Gore Merck, Education Director