Episodes

  • Maya Cosmic Calendars and the Madrid Codex

    Maya Cosmic Calendars and the Madrid Codex
    Jun 29 2026
    Ever wonder how the Maya actually read the stars? In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the surviving Maya books—the codices—and focus on the Madrid Codex, the longest but most battered of the four. They trace its journey from a Maya scribe in the Late Postclassic to a Spanish colonial collection in the 19th century, then to its current home in Madrid. Lucas explains how its almanacs tracked the rainy season, agricultural cycles, and the 260-day tzolk'in ritual calendar with astonishing precision. He reveals the codex's detailed instructions for beekeeping, deer hunting, and carving Chaak masks from copal incense. The conversation also touches on the burning of most Maya books by Diego de Landa in 1562, and the irony that his own writings helped decipher the glyphs. No warfare, no kings—this episode is about the everyday cosmic knowledge that kept Maya civilisation running for centuries. #MadridCodex #MayaCodices #MayaCalendars #Tzolk'in #Haab #DiegoDeLanda #MayaAstronomy #MayaAgriculture #Beekeeping #Chaak #Copal #Almanac #PostclassicMaya #MayaReligion #MayaWriting #History #FexingoHistory #Mesoamerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • Maya Writing: The Story of the Chilam Balam Books

    Maya Writing: The Story of the Chilam Balam Books
    Jun 28 2026
    In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Maya literary tradition through the Books of Chilam Balam, colonial-era manuscripts written in Yucatec Maya using Latin script. These books preserve centuries of Maya knowledge: prophecies, history, medicine, astronomy, and rituals. We discuss the destruction of Maya codices by Spanish friars, the survival of texts like the Chilam Balam of Chumayel, and the role of the jaguar priest or 'chilam' as a prophetic authority. We also examine how the books blend pre-Columbian calendars with Christian elements, and what they reveal about Maya resistance and adaptation under colonial rule. Specific books covered include those from Chumayel, Tizimín, and Maní. The episode also touches on the controversial 'prophecy of Katun 13 Ahau' and its interpretation. A must for anyone interested in Maya writing, colonial history, or indigenous resilience. #Maya #ChilamBalam #MayaWriting #ColonialMaya #YucatecMaya #Chumayel #Tizimin #Mani #MayaProphecy #MayaCalendar #SpanishColonization #DiegoDeLanda #MayaCodices #JaguarPriest #Katun13Ahau #MayaResistance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Jasaw Chan K'awiil's Great King List: Tikal's Resurrection

    Jasaw Chan K'awiil's Great King List: Tikal's Resurrection
    Jun 28 2026
    In 682 AD, a new king rose in Tikal, a city crushed by Calakmul. Jasaw Chan K'awiil I didn't just rebuild — he rewrote history. This episode dives into his most audacious project: the Great King List, a monumental text that revised the past to serve the future. We explore how Maya rulers used dynastic history as political weaponry, carving long genealogies on stelae to claim divine legitimacy. How did Jasaw select which kings to include, who got left out, and what does that tell us about Tikal's recovery after the devastating Star War? Featuring specific readings from Stela 5 and Stela 16, plus the priestly order's role in controlling the narrative. No prior deep dive into Maya political propaganda exists in our catalog — until now. #JasawChanKawiil #Tikal #Calakmul #MayaKings #GreatKingList #Stela5 #Stela16 #dynasticpropaganda #Mayaepigraphy #StarWar #Kaanul #Mutal #ClassicMaya #Peten #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory #MayaHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • Chacal: The Maya Storm God and the Politics of Rain

    Chacal: The Maya Storm God and the Politics of Rain
    Jun 27 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dual role of Chaak, the Maya rain god, as both a life-giving deity and a weapon of political control. Drawing on recent research from Palenque, Tikal, and the Yucatán, they discuss how Maya kings performed rain-making rituals, manipulated water access during droughts, and used Chaak's favor to legitimize their rule. The conversation covers the dramatic abandonment of the Puuc cities around AD 900, where elite overreach and failed rain ceremonies may have triggered revolt. They also examine the Chaak masks on the Codz Poop palace at Kabah, the function of chultuns (underground cisterns), and the sacred cenotes of Chichén Itzá. Evidence from the Madrid Codex shows how priests timed ceremonies to the start of the rainy season, while LiDAR surveys reveal that the Maya landscape was carefully engineered to capture every drop. The episode ends with a reflection on how climate and belief intertwined in the Maya collapse. #Chaak #MayaRainGod #Palenque #Tikal #Puuc #CodzPoop #Kabah #chultun #cenote #ChichénItzá #MadridCodex #MayaCollapse #LiDAR #TerminalClassic #rainmaking #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • Palenque's Temple of the Inscriptions: Pakal's Cosmic Tomb

    Palenque's Temple of the Inscriptions: Pakal's Cosmic Tomb
    Jun 27 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, the funerary pyramid of K'inich Janaab Pakal, who ruled for 68 years in the 7th century. They discuss the discovery of Pakal's tomb by Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1952, the nine levels of the pyramid representing the nine levels of Xibalba, the 620 glyphs on the temple walls that record Palenque's dynastic history, and the intricate stucco relief on the sarcophagus lid depicting Pakal's journey into the underworld. The conversation also covers how the temple's construction aligned with astronomical events and how Pakal's son, K'inich Kan B'alam II, completed the structure after his father's death. This episode ties together Maya architecture, writing, and cosmology through a single remarkable monument. #Palenque #TempleOfTheInscriptions #K'inichJanaabPakal #Pakal #MayaTomb #AlbertoRuzLhuillier #Xibalba #MayaUnderworld #SarcophagusLid #MayaGlyphs #MayaArchitecture #K'inichKanB'alamII #MayaCosmology #MayaAstronomy #Mesoamerica #MayaCivilization #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • Maya Medicine: Healers, Rituals, and the Curing Arts

    Maya Medicine: Healers, Rituals, and the Curing Arts
    Jun 26 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the sophisticated medical knowledge of the ancient Maya, from herbal remedies and surgical techniques to the spiritual role of healers. They discuss the use of plants like balché and cacao in treatments, the practice of trepanation, and the connection between medicine and astronomy. The episode also examines how Maya doctors diagnosed illnesses based on the tzolk'in calendar and the importance of rituals in healing. Specific sites and codices are referenced, including the Madrid Codex and the city of Tikal, where evidence of medical practices has been found. The conversation sheds light on a less-known aspect of Maya civilization, revealing a holistic approach to health that combined empirical knowledge with cosmological beliefs. #MayaMedicine #MayaHealers #HerbalRemedies #Trepanation #Balché #MadridCodex #Tikal #Tzolk'in #MayaRituals #Ethnobotany #Mesoamerica #AncientMedicine #MayaAstronomy #Cacao #ChilamBalam #PreColumbian #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Cacao: The Chocolate Currency of the Maya

    Cacao: The Chocolate Currency of the Maya
    Jun 26 2026
    Long before chocolate became a sugary treat, cacao was the lifeblood of Maya economy, religion, and daily life. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how cacao beans served as currency, a sacred offering, and a symbol of status across the Maya world. They trace the journey of cacao from the humid lowlands of the Petén to the markets of Chichén Itzá and beyond, examining how the Maya prepared it as a frothy, bitter drink spiced with chili and vanilla. The hosts unpack the archaeological evidence for cacao use, from ceramic vessels with glyphs for 'kakaw' to residues found in elite tombs. They also discuss the role of cacao in marriage ceremonies, royal feasts, and tribute demands that fueled conflicts between city-states like Tikal and Calakmul. Along the way, they confront a lingering mystery: why did the Maya not cultivate cacao in the Yucatán, despite its value? The episode blends trade routes, botanical constraints, and ritual significance into a single compelling narrative about a bean that shaped an empire. #Cacao #Maya #Chocolate #Kakaw #MayaEconomy #ChichénItzá #Tikal #Calakmul #MayaTrade #MayaCurrency #MayaRitual #MayaCuisine #Mesoamerica #Petén #Yucatán #MayaAgriculture #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • The Maya Village Revolt Against Tikal's Divine Lords

    The Maya Village Revolt Against Tikal's Divine Lords
    Jun 25 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but pivotal event in Maya history: the 6th-century revolt of the village of Dos Pilas against the great city of Tikal. We trace the roots of the rebellion to the oppressive demands of Tikal's divine lords, the k'uhul ajaw, who extracted tribute and labor from subject communities to fuel their monument-building and wars with Calakmul. The episode focuses on the archaeological evidence from Dos Pilas — including a rare stela that commemorates the village's successful defiance rather than a king's triumph. We discuss the role of the ajaw (local lords) as intermediaries, the economic strain of tribute in cacao, quetzal feathers, and salt, and the brutal aftermath when Tikal reasserted control. The story reveals the human cost of Maya imperial ambition and offers a ground-level view of resistance in the Classic period. Along the way, we touch on the bajos (seasonal swamps) as strategic resources, the sacbeob (white roads) as tools of control, and the chilling fate of Dos Pilas after its rebellion was crushed. #MayaRevolt #DosPilas #Tikal #KuhulAjaw #ClassicMaya #MayaHistory #MayaTribute #Ajaw #MayaArchaeology #Stela #Bajos #Sacbeob #Calakmul #Mesoamerica #AncientHistory #Resistance #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins