Mayan Religious Beliefs

Mayan Religious Beliefs

The Mayans were simple hunters and gatherers that managed to turn their cultivation of Maize into the highly advanced civilization that we associate with them today.

In the beginning, the Mayans believed that their makers Tepew and Q'uk'umatz met together in the darkness to think and reflect. They had to decide as to what would be the proper material for the creation of man, or the first mother and father. In their wisdom, they decide that the flesh would be made from white and yellow corn. (www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-religion-popol-vuh.html)

This story of creation is told in the Mayan sacred book named the 'Popol Vuh'. The book accounts previous unsuccessful attempts to make human beings also. Apparently, it took the gods several tries before the found the correct ingredient to create the first human beings. (www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-religion-popol-vuh.html)

Mayan religious ritual was very elaborate. Festivals were frequently thrown in the honor of their gods. They worshipped the gods of the cardinal points, the harvest and of birth and death. There was also the god of wind, the god of rain, and the god of war. Specific national heroes were also deified and worshipped like Itzamn and Kukulcan. There was also a special "feast of all the gods", where homage was paid to all the gods at once. It was a very elaborate setup that could go on for days. (www.pantheon.org/mythica.html)

At one time in its history, it is believed that there were temples of worship across the whole country. Massive stone pyramids were erected in honor of specific gods. Pilgrimage to certain temples was required at specific times of the year and the sacred cities of Izamal and the island of Cozumel were of particular importance.

Human sacrifice was forbidden by Mayans for much of their history and even when it was used, it was never a prominent feature, except during a ceremony named Chichen-Itza. During times of national crisis hundreds of voluntary citizens of their own race (frequently virgins) were drowned. Their bodies were then drawn out of the water and buried. (www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-religion-popol-vuh.html)

Like many ancient scriptures, a problem with the Popol Vuh is that the original text was hard to decipher. Only a few translations for adults have been published since