[news]Mexican president posts photo of what he claims is a Maya elf

[Julian-]

 

Mexico’s president posted a photo on his social media accounts on Saturday showing what he said appeared to be a mythological woodland spirit similar to an elf.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not seem to be joking when he posted the photo of an alux, a mischievous woodland spirit in Maya folklore.

 

López Obrador wrote that the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it appears to be an alux”, adding: “everything is mystical”.

andres manuel on twitter:Les comparto dos fotos de nuestra supervisión a las obras del Tren Maya: una, tomada por un ingeniero hace tres días, al parecer de un aluxe; otra, de Diego Prieto de una espléndida escultura prehispánica en Ek Balam. Todo es místico.

•andres manuel on twitter:

"Les comparto dos fotos de nuestra supervisión a las obras del Tren Maya: una, tomada por un ingeniero hace tres días, al parecer de un aluxe; otra, de Diego Prieto de una espléndida escultura prehispánica en Ek Balam. Todo es místico."

The night-time photo shows a tree with a branch forming what looks like a halo of hair, and what may be stars forming the figure’s eyes.

López Obrador has long expressed reverence for indigenous cultures and beliefs. Work is under way in in the Yucatán peninsula to construct a tourist train that is the president’s pet project.

According to traditional Maya belief, aluxes are small, mischievous creatures that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on people, such as hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease them.

The ancient Maya civilisation reached its height from AD300 to AD900 on the Yucatán peninsula and in adjacent parts of Central America, but the descendants of the Maya still live on the peninsula.