The Mayan Religion

So who are the Mayans?
The Maya are an indigenous people of
Mexico and Central America who have
continuously inhabited the lands
comprising modern-day Yucatan,
Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and
Chiapas in Mexico and southward
through Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador
and Honduras. Geographically, the
Mayan civilization covered what is now
Belize, Guatemala, Honduras,
El Salvador, and part of Mexico
Outline of Mayan Borders

In its ancient days, the Mayan civilization
spread all over Southeastern Mexico,
Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, and had
influences in many other South American
countries. The Maya never disappeared,
even with the arrival of the Spanish
conquistadores and the subsequent
Spanish colonization of the Americas. At
its peak, it was one of the most densely
populated and culturally dynamic
societies in the world.

Conquistadores

Today, the Maya and their Descendants
form sizable populations throughout the
Maya area and maintain a distinctive set
of traditions and beliefs. the descendants
of the people who built the great cities of
Chichen Itza, Bonampak, Uxmal and
Altun Ha still exist on the same lands
their ancestors did and continue to
practice, sometimes in a modified form,
the same rituals which would be
recognized by a native of the land one
thousand years ago

To begin with, religion to Mayans had been extremely
important. Their centers of dense population were not cities,
but the sites of temple-crowned pyramids, where sacred rites
were performed. Their chief deities were spirits of the forest and
sky, and the rain god whom were all vital to the securing of
crops.
The Maya believed deeply in the cyclical nature of life – nothing
was ever `born’ and nothing ever `died’ – and this belief inspired
their view of the gods and the cosmos. Their cosmological views,
in turn, encouraged their imaginative efforts in architecture,
mathematics, and astronomy.
It was because of this cyclical view that the Maya did not believe
there was anything wrong with human sacrifice (the most
recognizable form of Mayans in pop culture) Those people who
were offered to the gods did not `die' but simply moved on. This
cosmological belief influenced every aspect of the Mayan
civilization and rituals were performed regularly.

The Mayans believes that beneath the earth was the dark realm of
Xibalba (pronounced `shee-Bal-ba’ and translated as `place of fear’)
from whence grew the great Tree of Life which came up through the
earth and towered into the heavens, through thirteen levels, to
reach the paradise of “Tamoanchan” (`place of the misty sky’) .
In Mayan belief, one did not die and go to a `heaven’ or a `hell’ but,
rather, embarked on a journey toward Tamoanchan. This journey
began in the underworld of Xibalba where the Xibalbans who lived
there were more apt to trick and destroy a soul than help one.
In Mayan creation myths thirteen gods were involved in creating
human beings from corn. The gods struggled to create human
beings just as humans struggle with their own attempts at creation
and survival and, also, that life comes from the earth (here, in the
form of corn, the staple of the Mayan diet) and so the earth must be
honored and respected.

The people of ancient Maya believed in the concept of
'afterlife'. They considered it to be a dangerous journey
of the soul through the Underworld, the most
unpredictable place in the universe.
It was believed that everybody who died, went to the
Underworld, except the individuals who were
sacrificed, and the women who died during childbirth.
The Mayan rulers enjoyed a semi-divine status, and
were considered to be venerable after the gods
themselves. This seems to have been the very reason
why they were buried under the colossal Mayan
pyramids after their deaths, just like the gods had their
shrines built on top of these edifices

For the Mayans, religion and science were one and
the same. The famous Maya calendar, through
which they attempted to predict the cycles of time,
was based on this same belief. They also believed
that the world was created five times, and destroyed
four times.
The principal reason behind their practice of ritual
sacrifices was to bring fertility to the land. They
believed that if the ritual was discontinued, the
entire universe would in chaos.
One of the important beliefs of the ancient Mayans
pertains to the human soul. They believed that
within every individual, there exists more than one
soul. Moreover, when a person falls ill, one or more
of his souls are lost

In ancient Maya, the landscape that was given sacred
connotations, played a crucial role. The entire
topography of the earth was considered to be alive and
animate. The topographic features, especially the caves,
the mountains, and the water bodies were believed to be
living entities participating in the day-to-day affairs of
the human beings.
The people of ancient Maya assigned the various
topographical features of their landscape with specific
functions. They regarded physical features such as
mountains, valleys, caves, water bodies, etc. as divine
entities and sometimes, also as their ancestors.

Human skeletal remains

One such sacred cenote is located at the Mayan
pilgrimage site of Chichén Itzá, where solid evidences
have been found of ritualistic human sacrifices in the
form of skeletal remains.
Chichén Itzá

Sacrifices, both animal and human, were central to the ancient
Mayan religion. This does not mean that the religion was
completely sacrificial in nature, but sacrifices seem to have
been made in large numbers, in order to please the gods and to
get a good harvest.
Sacrifices, in the Mayan religion, were special rituals that were
presided over by the Mayan priests. While the instances of
animal sacrifices seem to have been more common than those
of human sacrifices, there are clear evidences of the practice of
ritualistic blood-letting by the humans. Blood meant life to
the ancient Mayans and so, it was the most precious thing that
they could offer to their gods.
Generally, whenever the humans had to be sacrificed, it was the
prisoners of war, children or devoted volunteers, who
would be chosen. A recent study by the University of Yucatán
shows that, contrary to popular belief, the sacrificed
individuals were mostly young boys, and not virgin girls.

According to ancient sources such as the Popul Vuh and the
Mayan Pantheon, a stone altar was prepared with a black
polish applied to it. The person to be sacrificed, would be
covered in blue paint and then, made to lie on his back on
the altar. His ankles and wrists would be tightly clasped, so
that he would not be able to move.
In the sound of drums covered with deerskin, the high
priest, dressed in a black robe, would strike the chest of the
victim with a sharp, obsidian knife. The heart of the
sacrificed individual, which would be still beating
immediately after his death, would then be pulled out of his
chest, and gifted to the gods

Bloodletting was the ritualized selfcutting or piercing of an individual's
body that served a number of ideological
and cultural functions within ancient
Mesoamerican societies, in particular the
Maya. When performed by ruling elites,
the act of bloodletting was crucial to the
maintenance of sociocultural and
political structure.
Mayan Kings themselves were expected
to participate in bloodletting. Their
tongues were pierced with cords barbed
with thorns. Their blood was offered to
the god, who were thought to have
yndergone ritualistic sacrifices
themselves in order to sustain the human
race.

Bloodletting Ritual of Lady Yok
– British Museum

The traditional Maya have their own religious functionaries,
often hierarchically organized, and charged with the duties of
praying and sacrificing on behalf of lineages, local groups, or
the entire community.
They not only performed sacrifices and other sacred rituals,
but they were also well-versed in the science of astrology, and
made prophecies.
Their main function was to keep and preserve detailed
knowledge and records about the various gods and their
cults. They were also required to be extremely wellacquainted with ancient historiography and lineages,
especially of the ruling class.
Mayan priests were usually male, except some rare instances
of female priesthood, where the chief would be a princess
from the royal bloodline.
While the position of the high priest was governed strictly by
heredity, the lower orders were not, and would be appointed
by the high priest himself.

Mayan Deities were those natural entities on whom they most
depended upon. For instance, they worshiped Itzamna, the God
of bountiful harvest. He was considered as the 'creator' in the
Mayan mythology, and was associated with corn, their major
crop.
At the same time, the ancient Mayans also had personifications
of sun, rain, moon, lightening, medicine, death and so on.

Huracan - God of wind,
storm, fire

Ixchel – Goddess of
Medicine and Midwifery

A – God of Death

Buluc Chabtan –
God of War

Kinich Au – God of the Sun

Chicchan – God of Rain

Itzamna – God of Harvest

Ancestor worship was widely prevalent in
ancient Maya. They believed in the eternal
existence of ancestors, whose descendants
they considered themselves to be. These
ancestors were usually unknown individuals,
having continuous residences in mountains
and caves. Hence, not only the ancestors, but
the topographic features were also venerated.
The surviving lineage members would often
revisit the houses of their ancestors in order to
deposit offerings and communicate with their
ancestors. Mortal heroes, who were
considered their ancestors were worshipped as
well.

Within the group of the ancestors, a special category is
constituted by the heroes, best known through the
sixteenth-century Quichean epic of the Maya hero
twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. In the Classic period,
the adventures of these two heroes were known all over
the Mayan area. Specific ancestral heroes occur among
various traditional Maya groups, such as the
dwarfish Ez among the Yucatec Mayas, Juan K'anil
among the Jacaltecs of the northwestern
highlands, Ohoroxtotil, the jaguar slayer, among the
Tzotziles of Chiapas and Kumix among the Ch'orti'
Mayas. The heroes' actions can belong to a relatively
recent past, and be semi-historical, or have occurred in
the deep past, and be primeval; but in principle, the
heroes can be addressed in prayer, and receive some
form of worship. Sometimes, they are merged with
specific military saints

The animal persons were the various 'sacred'
animals, birds, and insects, who were
represented with human attributes. They
performed various humanly tasks. For
instance, the Owl was the Messenger of the
Lord of the Underworld, the Howler Monkey
was a writer and a sculptor, the Jaguar was
depicted as a high priest, etc.

The goblins and the dwarfs, were often portrayed alongside
the deities. These lesser beings, were both, benevolent as well
as malevolent. However, in order to achieve their
benevolence, they needed to be appeased. According to
belief, the indigenous priests can create goblins who, if
properly attended, will assist the farmer in his work by
protecting his field, having the rain deities visit it, and thus
making the maize grow. In the same area, dwarfs, and also
hunchbacks, perished in the flood when their stone boats
sank. The childlike dwarfs and hunchbacks of Classic
iconography often accompany the king and the Tonsured
Maize God. They repeatedly show aquatic features .

Tzotzil and the Tzeltal

The sacred spaces of the ancient Mayans are characterized by three
peculiar kinds of architecture. These include, ceremonial platforms,
pyramids, and temples.

Chichen Itza - Mexico

The ceremonial platforms were specifically designed for public rituals.
They were low, square-shaped platforms, constructed out of limestone.
Often, they had altars on them, and were embellished with beautifully
sculpted figures.

The mighty Mayan pyramids are famous the world over. These are
colossal, towering structures, some over 200 feet high. Some of them
are tombs of the Mayan kings, while the others bear temples on top of
them.

Tikal - Guatemala

Pilgrimage played a very important part in Mayan religion. Some of the
major Mayan pilgrimage centers included Caracol (Belize), Tikal
(Guatemala), Uxmal (Yucatán, Mexico), Palenque (Chiapas, Mexico),
Chichén Itzá (Yucatán, Mexico), and Coba (Yucatán, Mexico).

Ceremonial Platform in
Chichen Itza - Mexico

Mayan observatories also occupy a prominent place as far as the Mayan
sacred spaces are concerned. Sometimes, circular shrines, dedicated to
the Mayan deity, Kukulcan, are described as observatories. But again,
there is no solid evidence to prove this. What we do know, however, is the
fact that many features of the Mayan temples have been placed in such a
way that they align with major celestial events. This also sheds light on
their astronomical expertise.

A ritual ballgame was played by the ancient Mayans during festivals and
other religious events. Several ballcourts, where this game was played,
have been found along the ancient Mayan landscape. These comprise
narrow playing alleys located amidst two long, sloping walls, running
parallelly. The usual custom was to sacrifice the individuals, who lost the
game.
Apart from the ones mentioned above, topographic features such as
mountains, valleys, caves, wells, etc. also comprised Mayan sacred spaces.
In the recent past, attempts have been made to revive the ancient Mayan
religion through a movement known as the Pan-Mayan movement,
wherein they sought to reinvent the ancient Mayan traditions. Today, the
mighty civilization that thrived in the rainforest of North America, still
remains with us despite its downfall. Their awe-inspiring structures and
other remnants continue to stand testimony for their unparalleled
knowledge and prowess.

Kukulcan Observatory

The Mayan calendar, connected to networks of sacrificial shrines, is
fundamental for ritual life. Among the highland Maya, the calendrical
rites of the community as a whole relate to the succession of the 365-day
years, and to the so-called 'Year Bearers' in particular, the four named
days that can serve as new year days. Conceived as divine lords, these Year
Bearers were welcomed on the mountain (one of four) which was to be
their seat of power, and worshipped at each recurrence of their day in the
course of the year.

The calendrical rites include the five-day marginal period at the end of
the year. Through annually shifting procession routes, the calendrical
model of the four 'Year Bearers' (New Year days) was projected onto the
four quarters of the town. Landa, a Spanish Conquistadores detailed
treatment of the New Year rites - the most important description of a preHispanic Maya ritual complex to have come down to us - corresponds on
essential points to the schematic depiction of these rites in the much
earlier Dresden Codex.
Like the Year Bearers, the thirteen twenty-year periods (Katuns) of
the Short Count were viewed as divine lords in their own right and
worshipped accordingly. The katuns had specific divine patrons (as
mentioned in the Chilam Balam books) and their own priests.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Maya civilization was
the religion that they practiced. The sources that tell us about the
ancient Mayan religion are diverse and varied.
Some of the sources include:
• The three Maya codices that have managed to withstand the
ravages of times. These are nothing but hieroglyphic texts, which
were written by the Mayans themselves.
• Early colonial Mayan treatises such as Popol Vuh and the Ritual
of the Bacabs, which provide us with historical accounts and
mythological narratives, with respect to the various religious
practices of the ancient Mayans.

The Dresden Codex

Popol Vuh

• The large number of scattered archaeological remnants of the
mighty civilization, which include, not only their magnificent
edifices, but also their epigraphs, their sculptures, and small
artifacts such as pottery and terracotta figurines.
Terracotta figures

 Marc Zender, A Study of Classic Maya Priesthood.
 Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia
 Joshua J. Mark – Co-Writer of Ancient History Encyclopedia
 Encyclopedia of World History

 World Book – M
 World Civilizations Encyclopedia
 J.E.S. Thompson - Maya History and Religion, Commentary on the Dresden Codex
 Edwin L. Barnhart - Palenque: Recent Investigations at the Classic Maya Center
 http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp264-ss13/2013/04/24/mayans-religion-gods-animal-

spirits-and-pyramids/
 http://www.religionfacts.com/mayan_religion/index.htm
 http://www.mayaexploration.org/pdf/Residential%20Burials%20and%20Ances
tor%20Worship_Barnhart1999.pdf
 http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/mystery-of-the-maya/

The Mayan Religion

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