Maya Civilization Religion and Mythology The lives of the ancient Maya centred on their religion and gods of nature. Religion touched many aspects of their everyday lives.
The rain god Chaac Maya Gods The Maya believed in a large number of nature gods. Some gods were considered more important and powerful than others. Itzamna - The most important Maya god was Itzamna. Itzamna was the god of fire who created the Earth. He was ruler of heaven as well as day and night. The Maya believed that he gave them the calendar and writing. It is thought that his name means "lizard house". Kukulcan - Kukulkan was a powerful snake god whose name means "feathered serpent". He was the primary god of the Itza people in the latter part of the Maya civilization. He is often drawn to look like a dragon. Bolon Tzacab - Also known by the name Huracan (similar to our word for hurricane), Bolon Tzacab was the god of storms, wind, and fire. Maya mythology said that he caused a great flood to come when the Maya angered the gods. His name means "one leg". Chaac - Chaac was the god of rain and lightning. He had a lighting axe that he used to strike the clouds and produce rain and storms. Divine Kings The kings of the Maya served as intermediaries between the people and the gods. In some ways the kings were thought to be gods themselves. Priests The priests were responsible for performing rituals to keep the people in the favor of the gods. They were very powerful. In the Book of the Jaguar Priest, the duties of the priests are described in detail. Some of the duties included: • To impersonate the gods
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To predict the future To work miracles To build tables of eclipses To avert famine, drought, plagues, and earthquakes To insure adequate rainfall Afterlife The Maya believed in a scary afterlife where most people had to travel through a dark underworld where mean gods would torment them. The only people who started out the afterlife in heaven were women who died in childbirth and people who had been sacrificed to the gods. Maya Calendar A big part of the Maya religion included the stars and the Maya calendar. Some days were considered lucky days, while other days were considered unlucky. They set their religious ceremonies and festivals according to the position of the stars and the days of their calendar. Pyramids The Maya built large pyramids as monuments to their gods. At the top of the pyramid was a flat area where a temple was built. The priests would get to the top of the pyramids using staircases built into the sides. They would perform rituals and sacrifices at the temple on the top. How do we know about the Maya religion? The main way archeologists know about the Maya religion is through Mayan texts which describe the religious ceremonies and beliefs of the Maya. These books are called codices. The primary surviving books are the Madrid Codex, the Paris Codex, and Dresden Codex as well as a writing called thePopol Vuh. Interesting Facts about Maya Religion and Mythology • They believed that the world was created in 3114 BC. This was the zero date in their calendar. • Some aspects of the Maya religion are still practiced today. • Maya mythology tells the story of how man was created from maize. • One popular tale told how the gods opened Maize Mountain where the first seeds to plant maize were found. • Two popular figures in Maya mythology were the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. They fought demons as well as the lords of the underworld. • The Maya predicted that the world would come to an end on December 21, 2012. Source www.ducksters.com
FEATHERED SERPENTS AND MORE Ometochtli Two-Rabbit is a god and also the name of a sacred drink created by the gods. His festival was celebrated on the second day of the third trecena of the year, called Izquitecatl and during the eighth trecena. If someone was born on the day "Two-Rabbit," it was believed they would be inclined to drink alcoholic beverages. Among the Mexicans, pulque was called "four hundred rabbits," because there are many types of drunkenness. He is one of several intoxication deities. On his chest he bears the emblem of a rabbit's face with two dots, signifying the day-sign of his birth. Tlaloque Helpers who collected water that the god stored in hills and mountains. During the rainy season, the tlaloque went to the sky carrying their jugs full of water, which they struck with their staffs, to spill the liquid on the face of
the earth. Whenever a jar broke, he sound was translated into thunder. They had small bodies and always carried their staffs and jugs bearing the image of the rain god. Chac -- the Rain God and Cosmic Monster Chac is a dragon-like monster with a crocodile head and ears like a deer. Since he exists on the edge of the sky, this cosmic monster marks the path between the natural and supernatural worlds. In the story of creation, Chacs were placed at the four corners of the world. They bring the rains by shedding their blood and create thunderbolts by hurling down their stone axes. Chac was also the name given to Maya elders who assisted at ceremonies and sacrifices. Kukulcán was the Mayan version of the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Feathered rattlesnake images are everywhere at Chichén Itzá. h Puch The Maya god of death, also known as Hunhau, he ruled over Mitnal, the land of death, the lowest and worst of the nine hells. He was normally shown with the head of an owl on a human body. To this day, the Indians of Central America and Mexico believe that someone will die when the owl screeches. In other representations Ah Puch is shown as a skeleton or a swollen corpse, wearing bells. K’awil The god of sustenance. K’awil is associated with royal power, which originates with the gods. The founder of the Maya culture. He brought maize and cacao and taught writing, healing, and the use of calendars. As the bringer of culture he became the state-god of the Mayan empire. As the moon-god he rules over the night. Also called 'God D' his title is 'lord of knowledge'. He is a son of Hunab Ku and with Ixchel he is the father of the Bacabs. He is related to the snake and the mussel. Most of the Mayan gods were reptilian (like a reptile) and all had dual aspects. That is-- each god had a good aspect and a evil aspect. The Mayas believed in an elaborate afterlife. Heaven was reserved for those who had been hanged, sacrificed, or died in childbirth. Everyone else went to xibal, or hell, which was ruled over by the Lords of Death.