Welcome to AirNenky's Cabinet of Curiosity's, a production of I Heart Radio and Grimm

and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display,

just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosity's.

Animals have long been revered in mythology.

We've depicted them as everything from gods to evil spirits, and sometimes a little

of both.

So it wasn't unusual for a team of researchers to discover that in 300 BC, the Maya people,

indigenous to Central America, used jewel-fowl extensively in their drawings and artwork.

The ancient Maya had one of the most advanced civilizations in the world at the time, and

from the amount of artwork the researchers found, it was clear that they had a deep love

for one bird in particular.

In fact, researchers found that everywhere in Maya archaeology and iconography, and even

on ancient calendars.

It turns out that the Maya viewed this bird as a vessel of a gods and had celebrated

their featherly friend accordingly.

Much of the Maya imagery portrayed the animal as a godlike figure, immensely important

to their culture, the bird even stood in place of gods during their religious ceremonies.

Represented as elite, and gifted with power, it wasn't surprising that one Mayan ruler

included the bird as part of his royal nickname.

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