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Maya mythology

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Myths

   Maya civilization

   Maya architecture
   Maya calendar
   Mayan languages
   Maya mythology
   Maya peoples
   Maya religion
   Maya society
   Maya history
   Spanish conquest of Yucatán

   Maya mythology refers to the pre-Columbian Maya civilization's
   extensive polytheistic religious beliefs. These beliefs had most likely
   been long-established by the time the earliest-known distinctively Maya
   monuments had been built and inscriptions depicting their deities
   recorded, considerably pre-dating the 1st millennium BC. Over the
   succeeding millennia this intricate and multi-faceted system of beliefs
   was extended, varying to a degree between regions and time periods, but
   maintaining also an inherited tradition and customary observances. The
   Maya shared many traditions and rituals with the other civilizations
   and cultures in the Mesoamerican region, both preceding and
   contemporary societies, and in general the entire region formed an
   interrelated mosaic of belief systems and conceptions on the nature of
   the world and human existence. However, the various Maya peoples over
   time developed a unique and continuous set of traditions which are
   particularly associated with their societies, and their achievements.

   Despite the ca. early 10th century "Terminal collapse", during which
   Maya monument construction and inscription recording effectively ceased
   over large areas and many centers were subsequently abandoned, the Maya
   peoples themselves endured and continued to maintain their assorted
   beliefs and traditions. The maintenance of these traditions can be seen
   in the relics and products of those centers which flourished during the
   Post-Classic phase, such as in the northern Yucatán Peninsula,
   occasionally combined with other influences more characteristic of the
   Gulf coast and central Mexican regions. Although the southern lowland
   and highland Maya regions of present-day Guatemala saw very little
   further monument building during this period, the maintenance of
   traditional beliefs among the local Maya is attested by the accounts
   and reports of the 16th and 17th century Spanish.

   During and after the Spanish conquest, the stories and traditions of
   the Maya continued to be handed down to succeeding generations, albeit
   much influenced and restricted by the influx of European practices and
   beliefs, Roman Catholicism in particular. Many Maya have experienced
   considerable persecution for their beliefs and political oppression
   over the centuries since the first European arrivals; although there
   can be no doubt that Maya society and tradition has undergone
   substantial change, many Maya people today maintain an identity which
   is very much informed by their collective history, traditions and
   beliefs– a heritage which is distinctively Maya even where
   substantially combined with the widespread adoption of Christianity.

   Apart from epigraphic inscriptions on monuments (which deal primarily
   with commemorations and dynastic successions), only three complete Maya
   texts and a fragment of a fourth have survived through the years. The
   majority of the Maya codices were burned by Europeans like Bishop Diego
   de Landa during their conquest of Mesoamerica and subsequent efforts to
   convert the Maya peoples to Christianity. Available knowledge of Maya
   mythology, as such, is rather limited. What is known is drawn largely
   from 16th - 17th century accounts of post-conquest Maya beliefs and
   traditions, which do not necessarily correspond with the traditions
   which were maintained in earlier times.

Overview

   In common with other Mesoamerican civilizations, each of the cardinal
   (or world-) directions were ascribed certain properties and
   associations. These attributes held a particular significance, and they
   provided one of the major frameworks which interlinked much of Maya
   religion and cosmology. The Maya world-view recognized the four primary
   compass directions, and each of these was consistently associated with
   a particular colour— east with red, north with white, west with black
   and south with yellow. These associations and their respective glyphs
   are attested from at least the Early Classic period, and also figure
   markedly in the Postclassic Maya codices.

   A fifth 'direction', the "center", also formed a part of this scheme.
   Associated with a blue-green colour, this was most frequently
   represented by a great ceiba tree, conceptualized as the " tree of
   life". In Maya cosmology this formed a kind of axis mundi which
   connected the Earth's center with the layers of both the underworld and
   the heavens. It is believed that living ceiba trees were maintained at
   the centre of many pre-Columbian Maya settlements in symbolic
   representation of this connection, and alternatively one was placed at
   each of the four cardinal directions as well.

   Maya deities each displayed different aspects based on these five
   directions as well as a number of other natural and symbolic cycles
   observed by the Maya.

   Maya deities also had dualistic natures associating them with day or
   night, life or death. There were thirteen gods of the thirteen heavens
   of the Maya religion and nine gods of the nine underworlds. Between the
   upperworlds of the heavens and the underworlds of the night and death
   was the earthly plane which is often shown in Maya art as a two-headed
   caiman or a turtle lying in a great lake. Natural elements, stars and
   planets, numbers, crops, days of the calendar and periods of time all
   had their own gods. The gods' characters, malevolence or benevolence,
   and associations changed according to the days in the Maya calendar or
   the positions of the sun, moon, Venus, and the stars.

   The Quiché Maya creation story is outlined in the Popol Vuh. This has
   the world created from nothing by the will of the Maya pantheon of
   gods. Man was made unsuccessfully out of mud and then wood before being
   made out of maize and being assigned tasks which praised the gods —
   silversmith, gem cutter, stone carver, potter, etc. Some argue this
   story adds credence to the belief that the Maya did not believe in art
   per se; all of their works were for the exaultation of the gods.

   After the creation story, the Popol Vuh tells of the struggles of the
   legendary hero twins, Hunahpu and Ixbalanque, in defeating the lords of
   Xibalba, the underworld. The twins descend into the underworld, perish,
   and are eventually miraculously reborn. This myth provides a metaphor
   for the agricultural cycle and the annual rebirth of the crops. These
   two stories are focal points of Maya mythology and often found depicted
   in Maya art.

The Creation Myth

   In Maya mythology, Tepeu and Gucumatz (also known as Kukulkan, and as
   the Aztec's Quetzalcoatl) are referred to as the Creators, the Makers,
   and the Forefathers. They were two of the first beings to exist and
   were said to be as wise as sages. Huracan, or the Heart of Heaven, also
   existed and is given less personification. He acts more like a storm,
   of which he is the god.

   Tepeu and Gucumatz hold a conference and decide that, in order to
   preserve their legacy, they must create a race of beings who can
   worship them. Huracan does the actual creating while Tepeu and Gucumatz
   guide the process. Earth is created, but the gods make several false
   starts in setting humanity upon the earth. Animals were created first;
   however, with all of their howling and squawking they did not worship
   their creators and were thus banished forever to the forest. Man is
   created first of mud, but they just crumbled and dissolved away. Other
   gods are summoned and man is next created of wood but has no soul, and
   they soon forgot their makers, so the gods turned all of their
   possessions against them and brought a black resinous rain down on
   their heads. Finally man is formed of masa or corn dough by even more
   gods and their work is complete. As such, the Maya believed that maize
   was not just the cornerstone of their diet, but they were also made of
   the same stuff.

Notable Gods

     * Ah Puch - God of Death
     * Chaac - God of Rain and Thunder
     * Camazotz - Bat god, tries to kill the Hero Twins in the Popol Vuh.
     * Gucumatz - Snake god and creator.
     * Hunahpu - One of the Maya Hero Twins.
     * Huracan - Storm and fire god, one of the creator deities.
     * Ixbalanque - One of the Maya Hero Twins.
     * Ixchel - Earth and Moon goddess.
     * Ixtab - Goddess of suicide.
     * Zipacna - Underworld demon.

Bacabs

   The Bacabs were four brothers, the sons of Itzamna and Ixchel. A
   creator god placed these skybearers at the four corners of the
   universe. Because each stands at one of the four cardinal directions,
   each is associated with a colour and with a specific segment in the
   Maya calendar.
     * Hobnil (later replaced by Chaac) - bacab of the east, is assigned
       the colour red and the Kan years.
     * Can Tzicnal - bacab of the north, is assigned the colour white, and
       the Muluc years.
     * Zac Cimi - bacab of the west, is assigned the colour black and the
       Ix years.
     * Hozanek - bacab of the south, is assigned the colour yellow and the
       Cauac years.

   References to the Bacabs are found in the writings of sixteenth-century
   historian Diego de Landa and the various Maya histories known as the
   Chilam Balams. At some point, the brothers became associated with the
   figure of Chac, a Maya rain god. In the Yucatán, the Maya of Chan Kom
   referred to the four skybearers as the four Chacs. They were also
   believed to be jaguar gods, and are associated with beekeeping. Like
   many other deities, the Bacabs were important in divination ceremonies,
   being approached with questions about crops, weather or the health of
   bees.

The First Humans

The Men

   B'alam Agab
          Meaning "night jaguar," he was the second of the men created
          from maize after the Great Flood sent by Hurakan. He married
          Choimha.

   B'alam Quitze
          Meaning "jaguar with the sweet smile," was the first of the men
          created from maize after the Great Flood sent by Hurakan. The
          gods created Caha-Paluma specifically for him to marry.
          Alternative names: Balam Quitze, Balam Quitzé

   Iqi B'alam
          Meaning "moon jaguar," he was the third of the men created from
          maize after the Great Flood sent by Hurakan. The gods created
          Cakixia specifically to be his wife.

   Mahucatah
          Meaning "distinguished name," he was the fourth of the men
          created from maize after the Great Flood sent by Hurakan. The
          woman Tzununiha was created just for him.

Their Wives

   Caha-Paluma
          Meaning "falling water," she was a woman created specifically to
          be the wife of Balam-Quitzé.

   Cakixia
          Meaning "water of parrots," she was a woman created specifically
          to be the wife of Iqi-Balam.

   Choimha
          Meaning "beautiful water", she was a woman created by the gods
          specifically to marry B'alam Agab.

   Tzununiha
          Meaning "house of the water," she was a woman created
          specifically to be the wife of one of the first men, Mahucatah.

Gods and Supernatural Beings

   Ac Yanto
          Considered responsible for the creation of European immigrants
          and their products. He appeared in the latter days of Maya
          civilization. His brother is the creator god Hachacyum and his
          name means 'our helper.'

   Acan
          The god of wine. His name means 'groan.'

   Acat
          The god of tattoo artists.

   Ah Bolom Tzacab
          Meaning "the lead-nosed god," he was a god of agriculture,
          thunder and rain. He was depicted with a leaf in his nose.
          Alternative names: Ah Bolon Dz'acab, God K

   Ah Cancum
          A god of hunting.

   Ah Chun Caan
          The patron deity of the city of T'ho, modern Mérida, Yucatán.

   Ah Chuy Kak
          A god of war.

   Ah Ciliz
          A god of solar eclipses.

   Ah Cun Can
          A god of war.

   Ah Cuxtal
          A god of childbirth.

   Ah Hulneb
          Associated with the island of Cozumel, he was a god of war. Ah
          Hulneb means "he the spear thrower."

   Ah Kin
          Meaning "he of the sun," he was a solar deity and controlled
          disease and drought.

   Ah Kumix Uinicob
          Minor water gods.

   Ah Mun
          A maize god.

   Ah Muzencab
          The gods of bees.

   Ah Patnar Uinicob
          Minor water gods.

   Ah Peku
          The god of thunder.

   Ah Tabai
          The god of the hunt.

   Ah Uincir Dz'acab
          A god of healing and medicine.

   Ah Uuc Ticab
          A chthonic god of the Earth.

   Ahau Chamahez
          A god of medicine and good health.

   Ahau-Kin
          Meaning "lord of the sun face," he was a sun god and moon god;
          he had two manifestations. At night, he became a jaguar god and
          lord of the underworld.

   Ahmakiq
          An agriculture god who protected crops from the wind.

   Ahulane
          A war god, also called the archer. The island Cozumel was the
          location of Ahulane's shrine.

   Ajbit
          One of the thirteen creator gods who helped construct humanity
          from maize.

   Ajtzak
          One of the thirteen creator gods who helped construct humanity
          from maize.

   Akhushtal
          The goddess of childbirth.

   Akna
          Meaning "mother," she was a goddess of fertility and childbirth.

   Alaghom Naom
          A goddess of wisdom, consciousness, education and the intellect.
          Also known as Alaghom Naom Tzentel and the Mother of Mind.

   Alom
          A sky god and one of the creator deities who participated in the
          last two attempts at creating humanity.

   Backlum Chaam
          The god of masculine sexual prowess.

   Balam
          Any of a group of jaguar gods who protected people and
          communities against threats.

   Balam-Agab
          Meaning "night jaguar," he was the second of the men created
          from maize after the Great Flood sent by Hurakan. He married
          Choimha.

   Bitol
          A sky god and one of the creator deities who participated in the
          last two attempts at creating humanity.

   Bolontiku
          A group of underworld gods.

   Buluc Chabtan
          Sometimes referred to as "God F," he was a war god who received
          human sacrifices.

   Cabaguil
          A sky god.

   Cabrakan
          A god of mountains and earthquakes. He was a son of Vucub Caquix
          and Chimalmat. He had six children, though only the name of one
          survives: Chalybir.

   Cacoch
          A creator god.

   Cakulha
          A lightning god, an underling of Yaluk. His brother was Coyopa.

   Camaxtli
          A god of hunting, war, fate and fire (which he invented). He was
          one of the four creator gods, who made the Earth. The Chichimec
          considered him their tribal deity.

   Camulatz
          A bird that ate the heads of the first men.

   Cay
          A water deity.

   Chac Uayab Xoc
          A fish god and the patron deity of fishermen. He blessed their
          catches, yet also ate them if they drowned.

   Chalybir
          The son of Cabrakan. He is only mentioned once in the surviving
          literature, in the epic "On the Shores of the Dead".

   Chamer
          A god of death, particularly popular in Guatemala. He was
          married to Ixtab.

   Chaob
          The four wind gods.

   Chibirias
          A goddess of the earth.

   Chiccan
          A group of four rain gods who live in lakes and make rain clouds
          from the water in those lakes. Each of the rain gods was
          associated with a cardinal direction, similar to the Bacabs.
          Chiccan was also the name of a day in the Tzolkin cycle of the
          maya calendar.

   Chirakan
          A fertility goddess.

   Cit-Bolon-Tum
          A boar-headed god of medicine and healing.

   Chimalmat
          A giant who, by Vucub Caquix, was the mother of Cabrakan and
          Zipacna.

   Cizin
          A god of death who lived in Metnal.

   Colel Cab
          A mother and fertility goddess.

   Colop U Uichkin
          A god of the sky.

   Coyopa
          The god of thunder and brother of Cakulha.

   Cum Hau
          A god of death and the underworld.

   Ekchuah
          Also spelled Ek Chuah, the "black war chief" was the patron god
          of warriors and merchants, depicted carrying a bag over his
          shoulder. In art, he was a dark-skinned man with circles around
          his eyes, a scorpion tail and dangling lower lip. In early
          modern studies of Maya art and iconography, he was sometimes
          referred to as God M before his identity was firmly established.

   Ghanan
          An agricultural and fertility god.

   Hacha'kyum
          Worshipped by the Lacandon people, he was their patron deity.

   Hun Came
          A demonic lord of the underworld Xibalba who, along with Vucub
          Caquix, killed Hun Hunahpu. They were killed by his sons, the
          Maya Hero Twins.

   Hun Hunahpu
          The father of the Maya Hero Twins Ixbalanque and Hun-Apu by a
          virgin. He was beheaded in Xibalba, the underworld, by the
          rulers of Xibalba, Hun Came and Vucub Caquix. His sons avenged
          his death.

   Hunab Ku
          The highest god. He rebuilt the world after three Great Floods,
          which came from the mouth of a sea monster. He is father of
          Itzamna and husband of Ixazalvoh.
          Was also known as Kinebahan.

   Hunahpu-Gutch
          One of the thirteen creator gods who helped construct humanity.

   Itzamna
          The founder of the Maya culture, he taught his people to grow
          maize and cacao, as well as writing, calendars and medicine.
          With Ixchel, he was the father of the Bacabs. He was associated
          with snakes and mussels. His father was Kinich Ahau or Hunab Ku.
          The city of Izamal was sacred to him.

   Itzananohk'u
          The patron god of the Lacandon people.

   Ixmucane
          One of the thirteen creator gods who helped construct humanity.

   Ixpiyacoc
          One of the thirteen creator gods who helped construct humanity.

   Ixzaluoh
          A goddess of water and weaving.

   Kan-u-Uayeyab
          A protector of cities.

   Kan-xib-yui
          A creator god.

   Kianto
          The god of foreign aliens, and the disease they brought with
          them.

   K'in
          Meaning "Sun" or day, he was a solar deity.

   Kinich Ahau
          A solar deity and father of Itzamna.

   Kinich Kakmo
          A solar deity represented by a macaw.

   Nacon
          A god of war.

   Naum
          The god who invented the mind and consciousness.

   Nohochacyum
          A creator god, he is the most important deity of the Lacandon.
          His name means "Our True Lord".

   Qaholom
          one of the second set of creator gods.

   Tecumbalam
          A bird that dearly injured the first men.

   Tepeu
          A sky god and one of the creator deities who participated in all
          three attempts at creating humanity.

   Tlacolotl
          A god of evildoers and villains.

   Tohil
          Tohil is the Quiché name for Huracan and was their patron deity.
          There was a great temple to him at their ancient capital of
          Rotten Cane (Q'umaraq aj or Gumarcaj).

   Voltan
          An earth and drum god (originally a human hero who was deified),
          married to Ixchel.

   Vucub Caquix
          A powerful ruling demon in the underworld, Xibalba, and, by
          Chimalmat, the father of the demonic giants Cabrakan and
          Zipacna. He and his children were arrogant and the divine twins
          Hunahpu and Ixbalangue killed Vucub Caquix and Zipacna, along
          with Vucub Caquix's co-regent in the underworld, Hun Came, as
          revenge for the beheading of their father Hun Hunahpu.

   Xaman Ek
          A god of travelers and merchants, who gave offerings to him on
          the side of roads while traveling.

   Xecotcovach
          A bird which tore the eyes out of the first men.

   Xmucane and Xpiayoc
          A deific creator god couple who helped creat the first humans.
          They are also the parents of Hun Hunahpu (one hunahpu) and Vucub
          Hunahpu (seven hunahpu). They were called Grandmother of Day,
          Grandmother of Light and Bearer twice over, begetter twice over
          and given the titles midwife and matchmaker.

   Yaluk
          The chief lightning god, and ruled over the lesser ones, such as
          Cakulha.

   Yum Caax
          The personification of maize and a god of agriculture and
          nature. Alternative names: Yum Kaax, God E

   Zotz
          The god of bats, caves and the patron of the Tzotzil people.
          Zotz was also the name of one of the months of the Maya
          calendar. Alternative name: Zotzilaha, Sotz'

Locations

   Metnal
          The lowest and most horrible of the nine hells of the
          underworld. It was ruled by Ah Puch. Ritual healers would intone
          healing prayers banishing diseases to Metnal.

   Xibalba
          Also known as Xibalbá or Xibalbay, is a dangerous underworld
          ruled by the demons Vucub Caquix and Hun Came. The road to it is
          said to be steep, thorny and very forbidding. Much of the Popol
          Vuh describes the adventures of the Maya Hero Twins in their
          struggle with the evil lords of Xibalba.

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