Editing Maya mythology (section)

====Abduction Episode====
A number of codical vases show antlered young men together with young women and amazons mounting a deer, all of them surrounding a wounded or dying old man who is the patron deity of the deer (Sip).<ref>E.g., K1182, K2794</ref> Additional scenes have the upper god, Itzamna, riding a deer and the hero brothers hunting a boar with [[Itzamna|the upper god]] clinging to it.<ref>K1991</ref> The group with the wounded old man has been explained by concepts and tales relating to the hunt,<ref>Braakhuis 2001; 2010: 172-174</ref> but also by the abduction episode of Hummingbird myth, in a reconstructed Classic version. One such version runs like this:<ref>Beliaev and Davletshin 2006: 32</ref>  

“The aged god Huk Siʼp [the Lord of the Deer] fell ill. One of the Twins changes to a deer in order to abduct his wife. The wife of Huk Siʼp flees with the Twins. The aged god asks [[Itzamna]]aj that he brings back his wife. Riding on a deer Itzamnaaj pursues the Twins. The Twins attack Itzamnaaj and wound him. Itzamnaaj saves himself from them by riding a peccary [wild boar]. The Twins reconcile with Itzamnaaj and bring him gifts.”

Another reconstruction,<ref>Looper 2019: 73-88</ref> however, casts an antlered maize deity ('Maize-Deer God') in the role of the presumed abductor. Much is still speculative here.