[1] The modern character of Maximón is thought by analysts to be a blend of several historical, biblical, and Maya mythological figures.

During the Spanish Conquest, an elder named Ri Laj Mam, upset by the evils of the Spaniards, encouraged his people to start a rebellion.

He was eventually executed, but returned to life in the form of a judge named Don Ximon, who fought to give land back to the native people of Guatemala.

[3] In Santiago Atitlán, an alternative tale says that Maximón was never a man, but a wooden figure created by shamans to defend the village from witches.

[1] Guatemalan press has claimed that the worship of Maximón has declined in recent decades, but this is difficult to measure with much certainty.

[1] As many Guatemalans have migrated to areas such as Mexico, the United States, and Canada, the veneration of Maximón has traveled beyond the borders of Guatemala, where he is more commonly known as San Simón.