On the road again - this time to London. I had a meeting with my agent and then staying overnight before a day at a school near Abbey Wood. Between the two, I popped into the British Museum to look around their Mayan section - as I'm now starting to plot Book 3 of Secrets of the Tombs. I was particularly keen to see this magnifient series of carved stone lintels from Yazchilan as I'd been reading about them. In this one, the queen is pulling a rope of thorns through her tongue in a blood-letting ritual (even thinking about it makes me feel dizzy) while the king helpfully holds a flaming torch above her head. The carving was so precise and delicate it looked as if it had just been done - even though it's over 1200 years old. I was delighted that photographs were allowed - even though there was an infrared beam that sounded an alarm if you got too close - the lady standing next to me admiring the next lintel kept leaning close to examine the details and then jumping out of her skin when the alarm went off. She had no idea she was causing it herself!
Those lintels are amazing. You can see the texture of the cloth her robes are made of. The one where she is consulting with the spirit of her ancestor is just as impressive. I've not tried the books. Any good?
I would never have guessed this was a blood-letting ritual or that he was holding a flaming torch if you hadn't told me. I do love those little tassels on his legs though.
March 24th, 2015
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