NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — In the world of comics and superheroes, every character has their own origin and history. However, they are not always completely original creations of the authors. Sometimes, ancient legends and myths are hidden behind the idea of a new hero. This happened with the most famous Man-Bat – Batman.
Batman’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Mayans, a civilization that existed in what is now Mexico about 2,500 years ago. At that time, the ancient Mayans worshiped the god Camazotz – a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bat. He had pointed ears and his description is remarkably similar to Batman.
Camazotz was a symbol of night, death and sacrifice. His images can be found in the Copán Museum in Honduras, as well as in several Mayan codices. He was considered the lord of secrets, life and death. Camazotz’s name comes from the ancient Mayan words “kame”, which means “death”, and “sotz”, which translates to “bat”.
The worship of Camazotz can be traced back to 200 BC and is believed to have originated among the Zapotecs of Mexico. The ancient Mayans identified the bat god with their god Zotzilah Chamalkan, the god of fire.
Some scientists believe that the myth of Camazotz spread far beyond the lands of the ancient Mayans and became known in other regions of Central America. Stories of similar creatures were spread throughout Guatemala and even as far as Brazil.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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