Every ancient culture has a system of dogmas, a conception of the universe and the world, a compendium of gods to worship and a mystical idea of the space occupied by humans on earth; this system is usually presented in stories, and that is why we will seek to know the thought of the Mayan mythology.
Mayan mythology
Mayan mythology, like other Mesoamerican cultures, is characterized by having quite extensive beliefs, a reason that justifies its polytheism. Their beliefs established thousands of years ago, specifically before the first millennium BC, something verified with the constructions of the first temples of this civilization, where various inscriptions were found where they exemplify their gods.
This civilization has always maintained the tradition of wrapping up and establishing its religious beliefs and affirmations in the new generations, looking for a way to make it last over time. However, their belief system suffered some variations, in part due to the existence of different cultures in the Mesoamerican territories, it was already very common that between cultures, despite being very different both in time and in society, they shared cults. , rituals, traditions and customs; being one of the most predominant dogmas the Maya.
However, this great people maintained for many years a unique and perennial aggregate of traditions, which were commonly very representative in each of their achievements as a society, and this is something to admire in their legacy built for the world.
Features
Despite the collapse of this civilization at the beginning of the XNUMXth century for reasons that have not yet been confirmed, where they abandoned their main cities, territories and buildings that still maintain their inscriptions and representations carved in stones of their history, gods, beliefs or other allusions to Mayan mythology; this civilization or the society that remained of it feverishly continued to maintain its traditions, customs and beliefs, despite the fact that they will not continue to leave a record of their history and mythology.
Regions marked by Mayan Mythology
The beliefs and traditions of the Mayans can be seen in the relics and constructions that still remain in the various cities that developed around the post-classic period, in the northern territories of Mexico, these are located in Yucatan, which have considerable influences from the coast of the Gulf and central regions of Mexico; while to the south specifically in Guatemala, during this time the constructions of this civilization were very few.
When the Spanish settlers made a presence in these territories, where they imposed religious practices linked to Christianity and Catholicism on the natives, the Mayan culture managed to cling to its history, traditions and religion, transmitting this information to the future, managing to maintain itself even in present times in Mexico. .
record of beliefs
Like all Mesoamerican cultures, the Mayan culture was persecuted and subjugated for a long time by the Spanish, simply for having its own unique belief system; The Mayan society that survived this oppression, once it adopted Christianity in a certain way, was able to preserve its identity very well substantiated by its cultural history and beliefs.
The Mayan legacy has remained over time, just as it has been known through the various epigraphic inscriptions that this civilization left in its constructions where they generally demonstrated themes related to dynastic commemorations and successions; as well as, in the only three Mayan texts and a part of a fourth that could be saved and preserved through the years.
There is no more physical information of this civilization as well as of other cultures, motivated by the fact that during the time of the colony, by orders of Bishop Diego de Landa in 1562, an attempt was made to eliminate by incinerating any cultural and religious record of the Mayans as well as of other civilizations. Mesoamerican, in order to fulfill their purpose of leading them towards the paths of Christianity.
The information and knowledge that we have about the Maya is considerably limited, apart from the little textual record and what their cities can show; the record, stories, beliefs and traditions shared orally by the natives after the colony, are what have forged the closest information for knowing and understanding this ancient culture.
Worldview of Mayan Mythology
The Mayan Worldview is a cultural treasure beyond our rational understanding; In it, the conception of the Mayans is made present through mythical stories about the origin of the universe, the world, its gods and human beings, providing pertinent information on how life unfolded through the connection with all these elements.
Now, in order to have a clear image of how the Mayans conceived the structure of what the universe and the world would be, the images included in the postclassic codices, specifically Chilam Balam, as well as various colonial sources, the cosmogony of the Mayans where They considered that there were five cardinal directions:
- North
- Public chat
- This
- West
- Centro
And within each nucleus of these territories there was a sacred tree (a ceiba tree) with a celestial bird on top of it, where it was also assigned a specific color as follows:
- red east
- white north
- black west
- south yellow
The four corners that represent this universe in turn were supported by four Bacabob, which were actually 4 gods whose mission was to keep the sky above separated from the surface, so that it would not collapse at any time; these are identified as follows:
- Zac-cimi for the north
- Hosan-ek for the West
- hobnil to the south
- Cantzicnal to the east
It is important to point out that in the text that is established as a reference to these gods, it mentions a prophecy that indicates the following:
«The firmament will collapse and collapse on the surface of the earth, where the Bacabob are located, those who prevent the catastrophe of our planet»
On the part of the Mayans, there was a great veneration towards these gods, especially those who inhabited the territories of Yucatan; It is important to mention that there are some researchers who express their belief in the existence of a fifth bacab which was located in the center and was representative of the color green.
Additionally, this structure was segmented into three levels which were represented as follows:
- The land was the back of an alligator (Itzam Cab Ain)
- The upper world or heaven (Oxlahuntikú)
- The underworld (Xibalba)
These three levels were interconnected through the sacred ceiba tree (Yaxché). The upper world in turn is made up of thirteen levels governed by a group of deities called Oxlahuntikú "the thirteen gods", who were considered a single deity and at the same time thirteen different gods. Each of the thirteen heavenly planes has its own characteristics and together they form the upper spiritual worlds; the thirteen superior energies were invoked in the prayers in their aspect of gods.
In turn, the underworld (xibalbá) was structured through 9 segments, where each segment was directed by one of the nine chiefs of the underworld; the inhabitants of this place are considered enemies of humanity, since they usually bring diseases and death to other living beings.
Gods of Mayan Mythology
The Mayan pantheon of gods is an aggregate of embodied anthropomorphic omnipotences that were usually related to animistic mystical forces. As a society, the remotely covenanted city-states known as Maya political or power centers shared all of the gods, but certain deities were identified with specific Maya centers or the dynastic families of the rulers of those cities.
The gods were omnipotent, but not all praised. Various myths of this culture, contained in the XNUMXth century Popol Vuh, revealed how they could be brutal and inhuman, tricked, injured or even killed by intelligent humans or demigods like the Hero Twins.
According to colonial records, there was a hierarchy of gods, with Itzamná at the head. In this culture there are many gods who have multiple nicknames and a multiplicity of countenances, which makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many gods the Maya had: probably at least 200 or more. Among the gods that we can name from Mayan mythology we have:
Itzamná
He was appreciated for being the god of the entire firmament, he was entrusted with protecting the sciences, writing and especially astrology in which the Mayans excelled; He is also known as the god of wisdom, god of day and night, and the universal life spirit who uses chaos for creation. Furthermore, he was seen as the Mayan deity who symbolizes the energy that creates water.
hunab ku
He is the god who is said to be invisible, incorporeal and omnipresent; It is also said that he was the creator of the cosmos, the earth and man along with Itzamná.
Pawahtun
Also known as Bacab, he is a quadripartite deity found in the four corners of the world holding both heaven and earth, these are represented as elders who were called Zac-cimi, Hosan-ek, Hobnil and Cantzicnal.
yum kaax
It was a deity linked to agriculture, specifically corn; the design of this god is related to the various stages of maize growth.
kauil
This was the Mayan deity of lightning and, in the classic Mayan iconography, the rulers of this civilization often visualized him holding a scepter, he is also recognizable by a mirror on his forehead from which an ax blade protrudes, an upward snout and a snake as one of his legs.
Chaac
This god was revered for being the incarnation of lightning, thunder and by extension of rain and water, so it was very important for the benefit of agriculture.
ek chuah
He was a merchant deity and also the patron of cocoa, the Mayans represented him in black and white with his long nose and his lower lip drooping, which usually carries a bag of merchandise on his back.
yum kimil
This god represented death and the underworld among the Mayans, which was represented with a totally skeletal head.
ix chel
She was the goddess of fertility, childbirth and healing. The other manifestation of her was that of Chak Chel «Great Rainbow» which is represented as an old woman; she also is she was also considered the patron saint of weaving. According to some sources, she is the wife of Itzamná.
Ixbalanque and Hunahpu
The twin brothers, heroes of Mayan mythology, their myth begins with the story of their father and uncle, and the death of both in the underworld at the hands of the Lords of this place; where these brothers avenged the death of their father and uncle by defeating the Lords of darkness with a game of ball. The twins are depicted as handsome young men, usually wearing white headbands and the markings of gods. Hunahpú covered with black spots, while Ixbalanqué with patches of jaguar skin.
Kukulkan
This deity was associated with the rise of Chichen Itza during the Terminal Classic and Mayapan in the Postclassic. The worship of the Feathered Serpent by the Maya was strongly affected by the cult of Quetzalcoatl, which originated in central Mexico and spread throughout Mesoamerica.
Xtabay
It was a deity related to seduction, suicide. The Mayans used to personify her as a partially rotten corpse with closed eyes, tending from a tree.
Bulic Chabtan
He is the Mayan god of war, violence and sudden death (not to be confused with regular death as it had its own deity).
Chac Bolay
God incarnation of the jaguar, his body is covered with spots, his head is that of a jaguar, the incisor teeth protruding like fangs and a tuft of lateral hair, for the Mayans this animal symbolized strength and power in civilization.
Hun-Hunahpu
Known as one of the corn gods, he is the father of Ixbalanqué and Hunahpú who avenged his death and recovered his head as well as that of his brother Vucub Hunahpú, he was regenerated returning to life as corn, for which he is identified as a god figure that dies and revives.
ixquic
She is the deity of the blood moon and guardian of virgins; she is also the eldest daughter of Cuchumaquic, a dark being of the 12 of Xibalbá and mother of Hunahpú and Xbalanqué.
Ixmucane
It belongs to the thirteen gods that took part in the formation of man according to one version of the myth; she is also the grandmother of the famous brother heroes, who with her husband Xpiayoc gave rise to humans through corn; They are considered the oldest and wisest deities of the Mayan pantheon.
Ah kin
A deity with an aspect of the sun god (Kinich Ahau), this controls drought and disease (also known as Ah-Kinchil).
Hurricane
Distinguished as "Heart of Heaven" and "One Leg", Huracán is a storm god. In the Popol Vuh, he is the superior originator of the world who analyzes about existence, is part of the origin of men and sends the great flood to destroy his inferior creations. Furthermore, he is known as the Lord of the Whirlwind and is credited as one of the gods (sometimes the only god) to give fire to humans.
Tepeu
It is part of the set of originating gods, this was part along with Gucumatz and Huracán, in the creation of human beings.
Mayan mythology animals
Since the beginning of the world's important cultures, animals have always been present in the beliefs of humanity. These are inhabitants of this planet long before human beings; therefore, they used to control all the forests, jungles and seas.
Animals were seen as equal to humanity, with feelings and personality. With these beliefs, a relationship of respect and veneration towards some species was established for thousands of years. The Mayan culture lived surrounded by tropical forests with vast vegetation; For this reason, the environment favored its coexistence with all kinds of animals, lizards, big cats, thousands of birds and aquatic fauna.
No matter the large number of species, the Mayans relate most to their religious beliefs, astronomical knowledge, arts and trade; each specific task to connect heaven, earth, and the underworld was meant for a different animal.
- Macaw: The fire of the rising sun was related to the colors of the scarlet macaw's feathers.
- Jaguar: they dominated the darkness of the night in the jungle; This is one of the most symbolic animals of the Mayan world, a magnificent and beautiful being that also represented the best warriors and the highest classes of society. Balam means jaguar in the Mayan language and it is the same name that is used to refer to the most outstanding priests who read the message of the gods.
- Hummingbird : despite its size, it is highly valued in Mayan beliefs; Legend has it that they only carry good ideas among mankind.
- Butterflies: represent the strong and brave warriors killed in battle.
- Quetzal: (estimated and recognized as one of the most beautiful American birds) was the symbol of life and prosperity; The alienation for this bird was such that the Mayans have prohibited hunting it. Instead, the Mayans used to catch them for their colored feathers to make clothes and ornaments for the governors, they took them and sent them for free; the feathers of these birds grow back.
- Owls: they were the nocturnal guardians of the jungle; beliefs told that they knew the route to reach the "Xibalbá", the world of death. The God of death chose them as companions; therefore, wisdom and clairvoyance were characteristic of owls.
- Bats: they were the guardians of caves and cenotes; these animals were also related to death, sacrifices and darkness.
- Snake: represent the terrestrial world and the knowledge of humanity; in fact, they are considered the personification of the sun. It is a transcendent animal in all Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs. It is also one of the most important beliefs of these religions is the cult of Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcán, the feathered serpent that descended to earth.
- Dog: in their territories there is a native dog called Xoloitzcuintle; which his duty was to protect and lead the soul of his master along the route to Xibalbá.
There are some animals that were considered magical, for example the deer that could only be hunted by the upper classes, because its meat was supposed to have magical effects. Now it's time to go to the sea, where the turtles were the guardians of the oceans. Their shell represented the Earth. In fact, Pawahtún, the creator god of the universe appears in the Codex and in the murals wearing a turtle shell; longevity and thunder were meanings linked to turtles.
To conclude, each journey through the Mayan culture and mythology follows a destiny within the cycle of nature; where we are all part of a whole.
Symbols and symbols of Mayan mythology
The Mayans were one of the few ancient civilizations that created their own writing system; so its symbols or hieroglyphs are original to this Central American nation; most other civilizations borrowed from pre-existing writing systems.
An American John Lloyd Stephens and an Englishman Frederick Catherwood were the ones who discovered the first Mayan symbols in 1839; and it was not until 1973 that their meanings were deciphered. This discovery leads to the understanding that these symbols could be used individually to illustrate a word, or that the lowercase letter symbols could be used together to form a complete word.
Keep in mind that regardless of how much scholars, archaeologists and scientists have discovered about the Mayan culture, there is still much that is unknown; Mayan forms are largely mysterious. More than 3.000 years later, it has been possible to try to reconstruct and understand the meanings of these ancient peoples through their symbols, among them:
Jaguar
A badge of impetus, deity and universal authority, that is, above all things, a powerful figure of force for Mayan culture and mythology. At night, the jaguar god would command the Mayan underworld, in the day he would prowl the morning sky from east to west, returning to the underworld at dusk; the cosmic forces of day and night in the kingdom of the jaguar. A symbol of eminent domain in all things heavenly, as well as a supreme sign of trust and leadership.
Eagle
The eagle represents contemplative thought. When focused, this Mayan symbol helps access inner wisdom; Known for its power of clarity, this symbol facilitates clear mental focus. After a while, concentrating on the qualities of the eagle representative of the Mayan symbol will pave the way for higher or even telepathic acuity. Eagles are also a symbol of community and cooperative unity among a diverse group.
Bat
The Mayan word for bat is "zotz." The bat is representative of the guardian of the underworld. Also a dubious symbol, rich in dualities, worshiped for its command over darkness, and a powerful signal to mark against enemies; In Mayan mythology, a very fine line was drawn between the concept of good and evil.
That is, good and evil were seen in totality instead of a marked separation. As such, the bat was worshiped for its dark and light qualities; they generally showed the Central American long-nosed bat, which was common in the area and was highlighted in their Mayan glyphs.
Earth
It embodies the oscillation and natural modifications; this Mayan distinctive emphasizes to us that there are giant forces in action, and our metamorphoses (fundamentally in difficult times) must be carried out with patience. The earth symbol, when focused, will help you focus as you go deeper into the movements of your inner thoughts to make the conscious changes that you desire.
Evening
A symbol of balance and rest with the goal of peace. It represents setting problems aside and allowing them to sit until your spirit is ready to bring them out again for contemplation; it is also a sign of surrender. The night represents the cloak or shadow that is lowered so that the subconscious or the inner spirit can do its work, while physical actions must be silenced and subdued while this inner work is carried out.
SOL
A hallmark in Mayan mythology of elevation, enlightenment, and wisdom; concentrating on this emblem provides illumination. The sun was highly valued by the Mayan culture and mythology. This stimulated advantageous harvests and also this emerged during the time of greatest productivity. Internally, the sun produces philosophical productivity; Bringing the sun into our meditations warms our consciousness and allows our divinity to flourish.
This symbol is known as Ahau and can also be interpreted as "master". It makes sense how consciousness compares to light; in this case, the light of knowledge (awareness) is shed by an enlightened teacher or mentor.
Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh is an XNUMXth-century translation of the creation narrative of the K'iche Maya by Dominican friar Francisco Ximénez. Initially preserved through oral tradition, the Popol Vuh, which translates as "Book of Council," was written in the XNUMXth century. The Popol Vuh is made up of five parts:
- The preamble that explains the purpose of the book.
- Part 1, the is an account of the creation of the world and all living things, mainly the many tests of the gods to create human beings.
- Part 2, recounts how the Hero Twins killed the bird demon Vucub Caquix and his children.
- Part 3, is the story of the father and uncle of the Hero Twins Hun Hunahpú and Xbalanqué: how they were deceived by the gods of the underworld and how they were finally killed. This is followed by the account of the early lives of the Hero Twins and their quest to avenge their father.
- Part 4, focuses on humans.
Religious traditions of Mayan mythology
The Mayans are well known for their huge religious ceremonies; religion played a very important role in Mayan existence. The Mayans believed in blood sacrifice for this reason the kings performed blood rites for each stage of life, each significant political or religious event and the important endings of the calendar cycle; For the ancient Maya, beginnings and endings were an occasion for a ceremony.
The most sacred blood comes from the ear and the tongue, by piercing their ears the Mayans opened them to listen to the revelations of the gods; by cutting out their tongues, it is said that they could say what they had heard.
The Mayan religion also practiced human sacrifice; These rituals were performed in order to satisfy the gods and guarantee some order in the world according to what is embodied in Mayan mythology. In addition, there were also different rituals and ceremonies that corresponded to different practices such as marriage, divination, and baptism; which are rites related to the cycles of the year, the cycles of time and the sacrificial ceremonies for the gods.
A variety of drugs and alcoholic beverages were used in these ceremonies; drunkenness was related to the widespread practice of divination, a ritual act designed to allow direct communication with certain supernatural forces, such as those an individual might see in the future. A drunken state was supposed to give one the insight to interpret the reasons for illness, misfortune, and adverse weather, among others.
Creation of the world according to the Mayans
In the Popol Vuh, the creation myth plays a prominent role; In this, the Mayans specified how the world and life in it were created, as follows:
The gods initially gave rise to the earth and the sky, to later continue with the animals and other living beings, as well as the birds and other flying representations of life. The gods wanted to be demanded, venerated and remembered, but the animals could not speak. Thus, the gods failed in their first effort. How else can we be invoked and remembered on the face of the earth? We already made our first attempt at our work and design, but it turned out that they did not meet our days, nor did they glorify us.
As a result, they developed the human experiment, they worked with earth and mud to make a body. Once again, his first efforts failed as the body would simply dissolve and disintegrate. His next effort incorporated wood, and although the previous two failed, this one succeeded; thus was the first man created.
They were born, they multiplied, they had daughters and sons, these carved wooden dummies. But there was nothing in their hearts and nothing in their minds, no memory of their mason and builder, they just went and walked where they wanted; now they did not remember the Heart of Heaven.
The gods were still dissatisfied because they wanted to be idolized, so they destroyed humanity with a great flood; in the Popol Vuh a very crude representation of the destruction is shown. Another suggestive point alluded to in the book is that the apes are the only descendants of this third effort to create men.
The fourth and final effort gets even more interesting; This recorded that corn mixed with water are the ingredients used to create human flesh. The first four people are the first four men of this fourth age of creation. This time the beings shaped by the gods are everything they hoped for and more: not only do the first four men pray to their creators, but they have perfect vision and therefore perfect knowledge.
This perfection alarmed the gods. It is obvious from the Popol Vuh writings that the gods did not want these creations to have the ability to become gods themselves, but simply wanted to limit the ability of humans to mere worship. According to the Popol Vuh, that is what they achieved in that fourth and final man-making experiment.
The gods are alarmed that beings that were simply made by them have godlike powers, so they decide, after their usual dialogue, to mist human eyes. They then make four wives for the four men, and from these couples come the main Quiche lineages.
The end of the world according to the Mayans
Since time immemorial, man has predicted how, when and where the total debacle of the world as we know it today will take place, but the prophecies about the Mayan culture and mythology have been the most accurate. The following prophecies tell of a series of events that will unfold before the last day comes and ends humanity.
first prophecy
He highlighted that in the 13 years between 1999 and 2012, the luminescence emitted by the galaxy would be synchronized with all living beings and would allow them to voluntarily access an internal metamorphosis oriented to new realities.
second prophecy
After the above, the behavior of humanity will change drastically after a solar eclipse. According to the Mayans, we are currently experiencing a period of change to build a new era in the history of mankind.
third prophecy
This suggests that as a result of rising temperatures and unecological human behavior, the poles will begin to melt, more solar wind will be generated, massive coronal eruptions will occur, and the planet will lose life.
fourth prophecy
Climatic, geological and social changes will occur that will destroy the harmony between man and nature; this will make mother nature inconsiderate of humans.
fifth prophecy
The Mayans emphasized that the human being will stop acting as a predator and face himself, he will have to reorganize society based on harmonic evolution.
sixth prophecy
The world of resentment and materialism will end and with the conclusion of the panic, since humanity had 13 years from 22/12/2012 to modify its consciousness and way of being, but it still does not maintain its harmony with the planet. Proxy wars are now over food and water and nations seem depopulated.
seventh prophecy
On the thirteenth anniversary of December 22, 2012, the solar system leaves the light to enter a night period in the galaxy. Man will be exhausted along with the plants and the population will grow from thousands to a few hundred.
Sacred places of Mayan mythology
The mystery of the Mayan civilization and mythology has made its study more and more diligent; this civilization sought high places to worship their deities, which are called sacred and mystical places. Among those that stand out:
Palenque
Today it is considered a place of greater mysterious confluence than in all the sacred places; It is a sacred place because it is called the tomb of one of the most important and famous governors of the Mayan civilization, Lord Pakal, who is said to have lived between 615 and 683 AD. This stands out for its importance because it is found in a sarcophagus. where his name is hand inscribed on the headstone.
Xel Ha
In the Caribbean, right on its shores, is the famous Mayan Rivera that annually attracts thousands and thousands of tourists to Mexico, especially to the Yucatan Peninsula. Xel Há is called “water inlet”.
Chichén Itzá
Another sacred site that has acquired great importance, where archaeologists determine its singular beauty and a very well sculpted and worked aesthetic appearance.
Kabah
It is important to point out that all the sacred places of the Mayan civilization are truly an enigma since each place is closely related to each other, despite being far from each other. It is worth noting that in this area you can see several archaeological sites that cover large complex buildings such as the Codz Pop temple.
quelepa
In this archaeological zone that can be seen in El Salvador, there are approximately 40 buildings that reflect what the Mayan culture was. Its discovery is practically new, it has been hidden since it was rediscovered.
Tulum
Another jewel of the Mayan civilization, it first bore the name of Zamá, which means (dawn), while Tulum means (wall), more given by its walled part since various studies determine it as an astronomical research center.
Jewel of Cerén
The Mayan civilization has lasted so long over the centuries that the jewel of Cerén was found involuntarily in 1976 (Pompeii in Central America), due to the fact that a volcano erupted in El Salvador in 600 AD Declared a World Heritage Site since 1993 .
Bonampak
Architecturally it is one of the largest buildings or enclosures, it is modern, original, innovative as well as having some finely painted and decorated statues hence its name (painted walls), this is what attracts the most attention of all those visitors who come day by day for your enjoyment.
Lacandon jungle
It can be found in Chiapas in Mexico, another of its name is (Desierto de la Soledad). The Lacandones live in these territories and from them the name of the jungle is derived; these are descendants of the Mayans. This region is jungle and there is a ceremonial center called Lacan-Tun. Each part of the Mayan culture has its part in the history of humanity, its archaeological beauties, its sacrifices for its deities, its lifestyle, its way of working among others.
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