Maya Religion | Practices, Beliefs, & Gods

The gods of nature and the Maya’s religion were central to their culture. Many facets of their daily existence were influenced by religion.

Maya Gods

The Maya had a wide variety of gods of nature. It was believed that some gods were more significant and potent than others.

The Itzamna

Itzamna was the most significant Maya deity. The Earth was formed by the fire god Itzamna. He was in charge of day, night, and heaven. The Maya thought he gave them the writing and calendar. His name is said to imply “lizard house.”

The Kukulkan

Kukulkan, which means “feathered serpent” in Arabic, was a strong snake god. In the final stages of Maya civilisation, he served as the main deity of the Itza people. He frequently appears to be a dragon.

Tzacab Bolon

Bolon Tzacab, also known as Huracan—a name that sounds a lot like our word for a hurricane—was the god of winds, fire, and storms. According to Maya legend, he brought about a massive flood when the Maya enraged the gods. His name translates to “one leg”.

Chaac –

The god of rain and lightning was Chaac. He used a lightning axe to smack the skies, causing rain and storms.

Divine Kings

The Maya kings acted as a bridge between the people and the gods. The monarchs were rvered as gods in their own right.

Priests

The priests were in charge of carrying out the rites necessary to keep the populace in the good graces of the gods. They had a lot of strength. The responsibilities of the priests are fully defined in the Book of the Jaguar Priest. Some of the responsibilities were:

to pretend to be the gods
to make future predictions
to do wonders
to create eclipse tables
to prevent earthquakes, starvation, pestilence, and dry spells
to guarantee sufficient rainfall

Afterlife

The Maya had a terrifying afterlife that required the majority of people to pass through a sinister underworld where cruel gods would torture them. Women who passed away during delivery and those who had been offered as sacrifices to the gods were the only ones who began the afterlife in heaven.

Maya Calendar

The stars and the Maya calendar played a significant role in Maya religion. Some days were thought to be lucky, while other days were thought to be unlucky. The stars’ positions and their calendar’s days were used to determine the timing of their religious rituals and festivals.

Pyramids

Large pyramids were erected by the Maya as tributes to their deities. There was a level region where a temple was constructed at the pyramid’s summit. The sides of the pyramids had staircases that the priests would use to ascend to the top. At the temple on top, they’d conduct sacrifices and rites.

How did the Maya religion come to be known?

Mayan texts that explain Maya religious rituals and beliefs are the primary source of information for archaeologists concerning the Maya religion. They are known as codices. The Madrid Codex, Paris Codex, Dresden Codex, as well as a work known as the Popol Vuh, are the main books that have survived.

Maya Mythology and Religion Interesting Facts

They held that 3114 BC was the year of the world’s creation. In their calendar, this was the first day.

The Maya religion is being practiced in some forms today.

According to Maya mythology, maize was used to create man.

One well-known myth explained how the gods unlocked Maize Mountain, where the first maize seeds were discovered.

In Maya mythology, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, the Hero Twins, were two well-known characters. In addition to the lords of the underworld, they battled demons.

The Maya believed that the end of the world would occur on December 21, 2012.