A Mayan hammock is one of the most popular hammock styles in the world. The art of weaving a Mayan hammock was known worldwide because each piece is hand-woven and natural fibers are used as raw materials. Historical researches reveal that Mayan hammocks have long existed thousands of years ago as part of the Maya civilization. The Mayans used hammocks to provide transport of goods for trade, comfort, and ventilation during dry season. The origin of the first Mayan hammock was not clearly known and people interchange it with Mexican hammock or Yucatan hammock.
A brief knowledge on ancient geography tells us that the land where the Maya civilization once flourished extended up to present-day location of the Yucatan Peninsula, Southern States of Mexico. It was during the Spanish colonization and the development of the post colonial state of Mexico that the Maya civilization vanished. This resulted in the absorption of arts, culture, and inventions of the Mayans by the Spanish-Mexican forces. The colonial state showed likings of the invented hammocks, and so they adapted and further developed the invention for their own use as well. The Mayan hammocks were made from Henequen fiber but during the Spanish colonial period, the Spaniards introduced cotton as an alternative to make hammocks. Since then, cotton was used by Mexicans and Yucatans in weaving hammocks, and their products have been extensively known throughout the world.
If you want to own an authentic Mayan hammock, make sure to get one in Mexico, particularly in the Yucatan peninsula, but if you intend to make one by yourself, you may do so. You must take note on the unique characteristics of a Mayan hammock to call it as such. Below are the simplified steps on how to make a Mayan hammock.
- Gather raw materials. A Mayan hammock is made of 100 percent cotton cord and nylon end strings for added potency.
- Create two vertical cylindrical looms and two horizontal cross bars, all parallel with each other. The space separating the looms and cross bars depend on how big and wide your hammock would look.
- Warp the looms to create crochet reinforcements on the edges of the hammock design.
- Interweave the remaining cotton cord on the shuttles.
- To enhance the pattern, you may switch cord colors and do a repetitive uniform tension weaving until you’ve reached the end point.
- The last step is to attach the end strings altogether, forming a triangular netting on each side which will be tied on two sturdy posts or trees where to place the hammock. This is a unique characteristic of a Mayan hammock—it doesn’t use spread bars.
It is entirely cotton and nylon, and is lightweight and comfortable to lie on. So, if you’ll be traveling in a tropical country for the next couple of months, you might consider bringing a Mayan hammock to enjoy the sun and cool breeze with comfort.