Headdress (bac bal)

This bold, red headdress is of the type often referred to as "coral snakes." Coral snakes are worn exclusively in the village of Tamahú. According to Mayan belief, snakes are harbingers of rain, often depicted in visual expression as long, zig-zag forms. In this way, snakes are equated with lightning, a symbol of life-giving rain and a link between the heavens and the earth. The color red is also synonymous with life. This headdress, worn close to a woman's head, signifies the east and the rising sun, blood, fire, and a woman's ability to create life.