Thread by @DreamDarknessVG

As new media brings to light the life and mythology of Mesoamerican cultures, we thought that it would be fun to share our perspective on one of Netflix’s new shows: #MayaAndTheThree, based on ancient cultures from all over Latin America. A thread:
#GameDev #Indiegame #History

As a Mexican, there was a time when it was hard to find entertainment that made us proud of our Mesoamerican heritage. It’s so cool to find Maya and the Three: It's visually striking and portrays how women could hold the highest positions of leadership.

Given the name, I thought the show would take place in a Maya city. Two episodes in, I was surprised when it showed a mix of Mexica, Maya, and even Mexican Spanish motifs.
📸: Copan, Chichen-Itza, and Santa Cecilia Acatitlan

However, what I liked the most was how the show’s mother was the city’s ruler. She does have a funny husband who is a warrior, but she calls the shots and she was also a great warrior herself before becoming a ruler. But did we ever have leaders like this?

The real Maya societies had Hun K'Anleum (Spiderweb Lady, awesome name), or usually called in Mexico the Red Queen. On the side of the Mexica, our pantheon had goddesses who were warrior-leaders like Coyolxauhqui. Women could defend themselves, own property, and become leaders.

With the coming of Catholicism, there was a severe constraint in the roles available to women in Mexico. One way to challenge this is to see how the show’s protagonist Maya struggles between her desire to fight for fun, and on the other hand, defend her society.

Congrats to @mexopolis and @NetflixLAT ! Today we can be proud of who we are, what we can become, and delightfully in a colorful fashion with awesome jaguar pets.
#GameDev #IndieGame #Aztec #History #MayaAndTheThree