Acan, also known as Akan, is the Mayan god of wine. His name means 'belch'. He is identified with the local brew, balche, made from fermented honey and the bark of the "Blache" tree, indicating where his name, 'belch' originated from.
Characteristic[]
The ancient Mayans saw Acan as a boisterous and exciting god, who enjoyed partying and being the clown of the group. It is also portrayed that Acan and Cacoch, the Mayan god creativity, are drinking buddies.
Worship[]
It is believed that to be able to come closer to the god, the Mayans would drink till they are completely intoxicated in hopes of seeing even a glimpse of their god, some would even take certain substances to get high, like mushrooms and tobacco. In fact this is still a common practice today, where people would gather to drink together.
Trivia[]
- Although Acan is called the god of wine, wine was only first introduced to the natives of South America after the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors.