The Great Decapitation Game

Today's story is essentially made up. Historians don't know virtually anything about the great cities of the Maya (explicitly, Yaxha) during the period I talk about, nor precisely how the ball game operated and why it was played. But I wanted to tell a story about the unifying history of sports, and this is crafted out of the most up-to-date research. To put it simply, I just wanted to tell the story.

A bit of a filler episode, I know, but I still hope you like it as much as I liked filming it!

This video was made possible thanks to our incredible Patreon subscribers: &pointer, Adam Kaufman, adam lenk, AJ, Akasha Yi, Alan Camolinga, Alex boneck, Alex Garland, Alex Papageorgiou, Alex Pip, Alex Ross, Alex The Magical Cat, Alexander Lee, Alexander Reilly, Alf Einar Solberg, Alice LWatson, Almighty Bidoof, Alok Jaiswal, Amay Khara, Ammobunny, Andrew, Andrew Beals, Andrew Larson, Anina Shaorandra, Anthony Ascencio, Ari Walfish, Arne 'S Jegers, Arsalan N, Atsushi, Audrey Brown, Austin Cousineau, bajr, BattleGoat Studios, Ben Hewitson, Ben West, Benkei Paczek, Blacksun, BlobyTwo, Blue Penguin, Bob Dai, Boguslaw Smalec, Bradley Brown, Brenna and Peter, Brian Miller, Brian ONeel, Bruno Mikuš, Carl Bodnaruk, Catherine Berry, Chien Dat Nguyen Dinh, Chris Ferguson, Christoph Dietl, Christopher Perrin-Porzondek, Christopher Simpkins, Cody Schneider, Cole Skelton, Colin Miskowitz, CollapsingHrungDisaster, Colton Creasey, CompConf, Corey, Cullen McFater, Curtis Shimamoto, Dénes Berky, Daniel Sierra Matus, Daniel Tyler, David Badilotti, David James McConnell, Dorothy, Douglas Danger Manley, Edward Sykes, Einar Holmedal, Elsilan, Emma, Eric Downes, Eric Floehr, Eric J, Ervin Petrisevac, Evan, Evan Gennetten, f1r3w4rr10r, fabledire, fadingnebula, feo, Fred Stocking, Freya Northman, Gabe Monson, Gabe S, Ggamefreak22, Gilberto Hart, Giulian Fava, Graeme, Gregory Kintz, Hez, Hollis Davis, Ian Smith, Igor Stavchanskiy, Ismael Enciso, J Neko, Jack Fractal, Jake Capoun, Jakob Mynster Blüdnikow, Jakob Oesinghaus, Jakob Ruder, James Mari, James Mcc, James Moller, Jan Langguth, Jan Vilhuber, jannes Dirks, Jason, Jean, Jeff McGettigan, Jeff Mullins, Jeffery Konowal, Jeremy Impson, Jeremy Wheelis, Jesse Smith, Jessica Mayberry, Joël Gagnon, joanne kokol, Joe Brown, Johannes Wittmann, John Cline, John Goff, John Klear, Jonathan Gerry, Jonathan Lonowski, Josh Hoppes, Joshua Clarke, Juan Coronado, Julia, Julian Fiander, Julian Fong, Justin Thomson, Karol Pilat, Kenny Coulter, Kevin Pratt, Kristina, Kyle Hofer, L W, Lane & Kate Seppala, larry82, Lars Hjort Christensen, Lars Sturm, Laurent Saulnier, LegionaresCZ, Lexi, Liam Cooper, Liam Gilles, Lillian Mark, Logan Lyke, Lorentz, Louis Lenders, Lukas Jackowski, Mackenzie Milton, Mad Sumac, Marc Anderson, Martin Green, Marty Otzenberger, Matt, Matthew Barrett, matthew joseph klein, Matthew Roche, Max Poley, Maxwell Collins, Michael, Michael Abernathy, Michael Amesse, Michael Loken, Miguel Loera, Miika Hämynen, Mike Cherry, Mike Frysinger, Mike Perham, Mrburgerdon, Muncorn, MysticCobra, Nancy Reid, Natsumeg, Nekkowe!, Nicholas Kraabel, Niclas Andersson, NiordSir, NM, Noah Hawkes, Nuno Balbona Perez, Oliver Frommeier, Oliver 'Kannik' Bollmann, Ollie b, Omar A., Pablo Rodriguez, Patrick Holdsworth, Paul Bartholomew, Paul Estella, Peter Bjorvand, Peter Gravelle, Petr Doležal, Phyronnaz, Pjotr Bekkering, Pranav Maddula, R Brooks, Ricardo Machado, Rob Rose, Robert Velten, Roberto Larios, Rocky Yip, Roger Roca, Roger Wu, Ron Warris, Ronen Finegold, Ryan Breaker, Sabolc Jut, Sam Aryavong, Sam Collins, Sasha Mamzelev, Saul, Scott Pressman, Scotty From Marketing, Scrungii, Seán Dwyer, Sean Dennis, Sean McCool, Sergi Rincon, Shawn Wang Williams, Shikyo_The_Dragon, Shivan, SilliusSodus, Simen Thoresen, smaz ruby, Space_Chickun, Sriram Govindarajan, Steve Sick, Steve Williamson, Svein Ove Aas, Tedd, Theo Davis, Thomas Paris, Tianyu Ge, Tim Barrett, Timur Seipel, Tobias B, Tobias Gies, Toni Tienvieri, Traxys, Twisol, Ursus Canis, Varun Perumal, Viktor Lundell, Wes Mills, Whitefang, Will Mullins, William Williams VI, Wu Jim, Xellos, Zaratan, Zoltán Ulrich and ZZ. We love you guys!

Thanks for watching! You're clearly one of the good ones.

[thekupus]

Man, I just can't get enough of these videos. The topics, the narration, the imagery... Watching Rare Earth videos gives me the same feeling as reading a good book. Definitely my favorite youtube channel.

[Dev._.]

Evan could narrate grass growing and I’d listen for hours

[TheBrainSpecialist]

For some reason I thought your POV character was going to be sacrificed along with them.

Might just be how your stories generally go

[grimaffiliations]

Never stop making these man. Fell into a black abyss when you were gone for a while

[Frommerman]

Something occurred to me. In most places with tales of the underworld, there's not much to base them on. A few caves, here and there, and maybe a specific one is said to be the gate to the land of death. But there's no world under there, and everyone knows it.

But not on the Yucatan Peninsula. Every single river in that region flows underground. The entire area is riddled with caves, sinkholes, cenotés...gates to the world below which everyone knows to be real. It's not hard to imagine gods living down there. What else could have carved such a network of passages?

[andrea.pernicova]

“The Great Ball Court is also very impressive. I would like to have seen them play a game, although it sounds like the end was pretty violent. I think it was safer to be a spectator.”

– IslaDeb, used by Civilization VI for Chichen Itza

[stevejohnson]

It is a very rare talent to be able to take the listener into the mind of a character. Many things happened in the past that would horrify us and a lot of narrators would not go there. There may be things we do that would horrify people 1000 years in the future.

[selectionn]

the fact that you call this a filler episode is crazy, your storytelling skills are top notch, this was amazing to listen to

[fabianthegreat]

As a writer--loved it. Perfect second-perspective story with all the right imagery.

[ArchFundy]

So glad to see you posting new vids again. Welcome back Evan and Rare Earth team.

[Syanlii]

Not having your filmmaking for awhile made me realise how much I value it. Thank you Rare Earth.

[Pelthail]

Another excellent upload!

I remember when I learned that the Spanish burned all the records of the natives when they arrived. It was heartbreaking. All of that history gone in a flash, just so they could prove the natives were “savage” and “uncivilized.” What a tragedy.

[TheRealNormanBates]

And here I thought this was going to end like a 70's movie:

King: "It is time to sacrifice the losers!"
Kid and his team: _"YEAH!"_
King: "And now.. it's time to sacrifice the winners."
Kid and his team: "Ye... um, wait a minute... what was that last part?"

[PaulTheadra]

I can't help but feel a connection to this episode, comparing it to my days in the army, where we threatened life, talked about spilling blood, bombs bigger than anything we could imagine blowing up villages and how much we would be viewed as "heroes" when we returned home. Only to become a vegan, pacifist, socialist and volunteer nurse 20 years later, hoping it may bring me some closure to the things I did, and was a part of.

How do you do you come up with these themes? <3

[elk]

You're an amazing storyteller, Evan. This channel is so underrated.

[jameskissane]

hes back! I absolutely love your channel!

[than]

PERFECT TIMING for this video. Just in the last few days I've been planning out a trip to the Mayan ruins for late this year. So glad you made this.

[GrimmDelightsDice]

Evan, I appreciate your work so much. I've been here for years and I've watched every video here so many times. Loved your dad's videos and now I love yours. I come back to every video in its own times. When I need to write, when I need to sleep, when the morning late autumn mist hasnt burned off just yet and I've been up all night. I think you're one of the few creators I have no parasocial relationship with beyond a vague respect, but whose work feels so profound I cannot help but return to it like a friend or an old favorite book. It's like the books I read as a kid before I cared who the author was. You just make... good work. Thank you.

[SiddharthJhakaas]

6:57 Yesterday was the day to fight like enemies
Today is the day to play like friends

❤️❤️

[daveellis]

Immersion. Few documentaries know how or why this is so important. David Attenborough speaks, I listen. Morgan Freeman speaks, I listen. You speak, I listen. For each the immersion is complete. I witnessed a game I know nothing about. Thank you.