Unusual travelers
The sanctuary of the Three Kings in Tizimín church is the second most important in the world, after Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and their statues are among the best-beloved in Yucatan.
Tizimín means “place of the tapir”, from ti, a prefix of place, and tzimin, a tapir, and is located 167 kilometers (104 miles) northeast of Merida.
It is thought that these wooden sculptures were carved in the 16th century in Guatemala, and brought to this church soon afterwards, although we do not know who made them, when exactly they arrived in Yucatan, nor who commissioned them.
The images are of great religious significance, manifested in the many forms their cult takes; but they are also a major element in local culture, as evidenced by the various legends surrounding their origin. For example, a story recorded in the Diario de Yucatán on the 5th of January 2023 tells of three travelers who wished to visit Tizimín, but found themselves very far off, with no-one willing to transport them.
They decided to stow away on a ship, which duly arrived on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. To people’s surprise, they found no passengers or crew on board, just three wooden statues, measuring about a meter (3 ft 3 in) in height, and bearing a resemblance to the Three Kings. They were taken to the town of Tizimín, because they always seemed to be looking in that direction, however they were positioned.
The sculptures were extremely heavy, but the closer they got to their destination, the less they weighed. They became a fixture in the town, and have been celebrated every 6th of January every since.
Some interesting features of these statues are that the costumes they are wearing are different in design, pattern and colors. Another detail is that popular tradition always identifies Balthazar as the black Magus, but in this case it is Melchior.
The Three Kings of Tizimín are on display in a altarpiece on the left side of the church, and can be visited during church hours.
Their festivities include religious, cultural and popular activities, and last from the 28th of December to the 15th of January, with the 6th being the most important day.
In the Mexican movie “Raíces” directed by Benito Alazraki in 1953, which is an adaptation of four stories from El diosero by Francisco Rojas González, the third tale, “The One-Eyed Man”, involves the Three Kings of Tizimín.
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