The Ways of the Ancient Mayans
Agriculture
The most common jobs for a Mayan man was either to hunt or work in the fields, as Mayans were expert farmers. Corn (maize) was the most common staple crop for this early civilization. The Mayan empire was also the first to cultivate cacao and process chocolate and make chocolate drinks. Corn was grown year round through different methods such as raised fields, forest gardens, terracing, wild harvesting, and slash and burn.
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Women
Women were integral in the functioning of the Mayan civilization, they were respected and valued by men. They took care of the household, did the chores, and other responsibilities of a housewife. Women could also help in the agricultural business as they could harvest crops. They would have had the same long arduous work day as a male farmer. The most important responsibility for a Mayan married woman was giving birth and raising the children.
Ancient Mayan Ring Ball
The Mayans were amazing sports lovers and athletes. They built massive ballcourts to host their games and tournaments, The Great Ballcourt of Chichén Itzá is 545 feet long and 225 feet wide overall. It has no vault, no discontinuity between the walls and is totally open to the sky. The ballgame played by the Mayans was one of the most important spectacles for the citizens. These games held religious significance and allusions to their beliefs, as well as serving as the primary form of entertainment
The goal of the ballgame was to get the ball through the serpant ring or hoop mounted vertically on the wall. The ball can not be picked up, but instead bounced around form player to player with leather shield (like modern day guards or pads) attached to the players arms, legs, and chest. The size of the ball varied between softball and beach ball size. It weighed 8 pounds, at about the size of a watermelon. Rubber strips were wound around a smaller object to form a large hollow ball. Because it was hollow, it bounced better and higher than a solid ball. One story behind the creation of ring ball was that the game was invented by two twin gods named as a form of battle between day and night, the lords of the underworld (nights symbolically) attempted to kill the two twin gods out of jealously for their skill in ring ball. One was killed, but the other survived. The living brother revived his sibling and together banished the demon lords back to the underworld. Because ring ball was a game of the gods, the losing team would sometimes be sacrificed to appease the gods for their failure at attempting the work of gods, other times the winners to send the glorious victors to the gods to be among fell ring ball champions |
Gods Names and Their Meaning
The bacabs are the canopic gods, thought to be brothers, who, with upraised arms, supported the multilayered sky from their assigned positions at the four cardinal points of the compass.
Quatzequatel: Winged God ; Mayan god Thoth and Quetzacotal were the same person, Thoth was identified to Atlantis, Egypt, Sumer, then later was identified to Meso America and Peru as Quetzacoatal.
Cizin - Death god (an ancient god of violent sacrifice, such as decapitation)
Ancient Mayan Rain God Chac - Rain god, rain & lightning
Hunab Ku - The supreme diety ; the creator god
Itzamma - Aged God; Priestly knowledge, divination, writing
Hun hunahpu - Maize God (one of the hero twins)
Ahau Chamahez - In Maya mythology, Ahau Chamahez was one of two gods of medicine.
Ahmakiq - In Maya mythology, Ahmakiq is a god of agriculture. He locks up the wind when it threatens to destroy the crops.
Ancient Mayan God Akhushtal - In Maya mythology, Akhushtal is the goddess of childbirth.
Cama-zotz - Naturalists and Godologists believe him to be a leaf-nosed vampire bat.
Ancient Mayan God Chacmool - Mysterious laid-back God of Handouts.
Ixchel - Aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine, also known as Ix Chel; she is associated with the Moon (L) water, fertility and childbirth. The patron of healers and J-Men and Ix'Men as well as those that work in the sacred healing arts.
Ixtab - Goddess of Honorable Suicide (L). depicted as the "rope woman" for hanging was to the Maya an honorable way to die; she will take the brave soul to paradise, Ixtab is depicted in the Desdren Codex as a symbol of Lunar and Sun Eclipses.
K'awiil (God K) - a God of Lighting; he is characterized by a snake foot often seem on kings' scepters. The is also the Jaguar God of the underworld.
Moon Goddess in Ancient Maya- depicted as a woman sitting in the edged of a crescent moon holding a rabbit. In Maya mythology, the moon phases symbolize women's life cycles. She is associated with water, rainfall, rainy season and deep fresh cenote water (underworld version of the goddess).
Xbalanque - One of the mythological Mayan Hero Twins (PV) a ballplayer deity whose name means Jaguar Son or Hidden Sun.
Cizin - Death god (an ancient god of violent sacrifice, such as decapitation)
Ancient Mayan Rain God Chac - Rain god, rain & lightning
Hunab Ku - The supreme diety ; the creator god
Itzamma - Aged God; Priestly knowledge, divination, writing
Hun hunahpu - Maize God (one of the hero twins)
Ahau Chamahez - In Maya mythology, Ahau Chamahez was one of two gods of medicine.
Ahmakiq - In Maya mythology, Ahmakiq is a god of agriculture. He locks up the wind when it threatens to destroy the crops.
Ancient Mayan God Akhushtal - In Maya mythology, Akhushtal is the goddess of childbirth.
Cama-zotz - Naturalists and Godologists believe him to be a leaf-nosed vampire bat.
Ancient Mayan God Chacmool - Mysterious laid-back God of Handouts.
Ixchel - Aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine, also known as Ix Chel; she is associated with the Moon (L) water, fertility and childbirth. The patron of healers and J-Men and Ix'Men as well as those that work in the sacred healing arts.
Ixtab - Goddess of Honorable Suicide (L). depicted as the "rope woman" for hanging was to the Maya an honorable way to die; she will take the brave soul to paradise, Ixtab is depicted in the Desdren Codex as a symbol of Lunar and Sun Eclipses.
K'awiil (God K) - a God of Lighting; he is characterized by a snake foot often seem on kings' scepters. The is also the Jaguar God of the underworld.
Moon Goddess in Ancient Maya- depicted as a woman sitting in the edged of a crescent moon holding a rabbit. In Maya mythology, the moon phases symbolize women's life cycles. She is associated with water, rainfall, rainy season and deep fresh cenote water (underworld version of the goddess).
Xbalanque - One of the mythological Mayan Hero Twins (PV) a ballplayer deity whose name means Jaguar Son or Hidden Sun.
Ancient Mayan Religious Beliefs and Rituals
Maya religion was far more complicated than the simple worship of gods of nature. The Maya world was composed of 3 layers - the Heavens, the Earth, and the Underworld.
The village chief acted as the leader of political life, as well as the priest. He was responsible for standing between his people, and the otherworld. He performed important religious ceremonies, that the Mayans believed would earn the favor of those in the otherworld, and bring about their blessings. The worshippers strongly believed in a relationship between the supernatural and human beings, which they nurtured and developed. The early Mayans believed in the religious sacrifice of humans, particularly practiced by the elder priests in the religious hierarchy. The Mayan religious calendar tzolkin comprised of only 260 days and two cycles each comprises of weeks spanning 30 days and 20 days. Another calendar called tun comprised of 360 days and five added unlucky days. As per the beliefs of Mayan religion, agricultural produce was the gift of gods; hence, they paid great attention to the cycles of rain and harvest. The Mayans appeased their gods with the human blood collected from the human sacrifice. During the festival time, the Mayans organized music, dances and prayers to please the Mayan gods. The gods were worshipped with a variety of practices: preparing food without salt and chilli, periods of celibacy, abstaining from meat, fasting, praying and burning incense, offerings of flowers and fragrant herbs. |
The Kings were not only the rulers of the people but also Priests and provided the way that the people communicated to the Gods. The Kings would perform many of the rituals for the people so that the Gods would be happy with them. The King was often seen as the World Tree that connected the people to the Gods.
The rituals were performed in order to satisfy the gods and guarantee some order to the world. Different rituals and ceremonies corresponded to different practices such as divination, baptism, rites related to the cycles of the year, cycles of time and ceremonies of sacrifices for the gods. The ceremonies generally began with preparation and purification through fasting and abstinence .
The Maya believed in blood sacrifice to keep the cosmos in balance and a sacred ceiba or "tree of life." The cosmos according to the Maya Popol Vuh creation myth, and the Dresden Codex, had been through several cycles of birth and then destruction by deluge. Hunab Ku was the creator god and the Old Woman Goddess, the patron god of death and destruction, held the bowl from which the deluges occurred.
The rituals were performed in order to satisfy the gods and guarantee some order to the world. Different rituals and ceremonies corresponded to different practices such as divination, baptism, rites related to the cycles of the year, cycles of time and ceremonies of sacrifices for the gods. The ceremonies generally began with preparation and purification through fasting and abstinence .
The Maya believed in blood sacrifice to keep the cosmos in balance and a sacred ceiba or "tree of life." The cosmos according to the Maya Popol Vuh creation myth, and the Dresden Codex, had been through several cycles of birth and then destruction by deluge. Hunab Ku was the creator god and the Old Woman Goddess, the patron god of death and destruction, held the bowl from which the deluges occurred.
Mayan Rituals
Rituals were an integral part of the Mayan culture. Bloodletting and animal sacrifice were important and commonly practiced rituals. These rituals were performed to please the gods and bring fertility and happiness. Some rituals were performed privately, while the others were public. Prayers were an important part of any rituals.
Mayans performed the rituals on specific days of the year and as such the rituals were closely related with celestial and terrestrial cycles. In almost every ritual, bloodletting by the humans was practiced. Bloodletting was practiced to appease the Maize God. It was a public ritual and normally performed by religious or political leaders. In the ritual sharp objects like stingray spine were pierced into the tongue, ear or foreskin of the person. The blood was poured over the idol of the god or was collected in a paper and burned. There have been instances of self-mutilation where people have sacrificed their own blood or a portion of their flesh to the gods.
Human sacrifice was also commonly practiced by the Mayans. It was a belief that the blood of the victim will bring fertility and prosperity to the society. The Mayans felt that if they ignored the sacrifice ritual, it would anger the gods. In some ceremonies, the heart of the victim was burned. This act was thought to have appeased the gods. During the sacrifice ceremony, the victim was painted with blue dye.
Animals like dog, deer, turkey, jaguars, owls and quail were also used for sacrificing. Objects like feathers, flowers, seeds, maize and rubber were also used. Sacrifice was prohibited during the reign of Kukucan but, emerged afterwards. The sacrifice victims were kept in the Well of Sacrifice as an offering to the rain god. War prisoners or slaves were also sacrificed on a large scale.
Child sacrifice was another ritual practiced by the Mayans. It is believed that illegitimate or orphans were sacrificed in a temple on certain days of the year. The heart of these children was removed and the blood was collected in a bowl. The blood was then scattered within the temple.
Mayans performed the rituals on specific days of the year and as such the rituals were closely related with celestial and terrestrial cycles. In almost every ritual, bloodletting by the humans was practiced. Bloodletting was practiced to appease the Maize God. It was a public ritual and normally performed by religious or political leaders. In the ritual sharp objects like stingray spine were pierced into the tongue, ear or foreskin of the person. The blood was poured over the idol of the god or was collected in a paper and burned. There have been instances of self-mutilation where people have sacrificed their own blood or a portion of their flesh to the gods.
Human sacrifice was also commonly practiced by the Mayans. It was a belief that the blood of the victim will bring fertility and prosperity to the society. The Mayans felt that if they ignored the sacrifice ritual, it would anger the gods. In some ceremonies, the heart of the victim was burned. This act was thought to have appeased the gods. During the sacrifice ceremony, the victim was painted with blue dye.
Animals like dog, deer, turkey, jaguars, owls and quail were also used for sacrificing. Objects like feathers, flowers, seeds, maize and rubber were also used. Sacrifice was prohibited during the reign of Kukucan but, emerged afterwards. The sacrifice victims were kept in the Well of Sacrifice as an offering to the rain god. War prisoners or slaves were also sacrificed on a large scale.
Child sacrifice was another ritual practiced by the Mayans. It is believed that illegitimate or orphans were sacrificed in a temple on certain days of the year. The heart of these children was removed and the blood was collected in a bowl. The blood was then scattered within the temple.
Purification was one of the rituals practiced by the Mayans. It included fasting, bathing, sexual abstinence and confession. One of the Mayan rituals was the grooming of young boys and girls for marriage. Other rituals performed included healing rituals, rituals for good rains and war rituals. Kingship rituals performed by the king were extremely important rituals.
Death rituals formed a significant part of the Mayan religion. Mayan people deeply honored and respected the dead. It was a belief that when a person died because of reasons like sacrifice, war or childbirth, the deceased directly sent to heaven. Commoners buried their dead under the floors of their houses with a tool or some object used by them. |
A piece of maize was placed in the mouth of the deceased as it symbolized rebirth. Also, a jade or stone was kept in the mouth. At times, whistles made from rocks in the shape of animals or gods were kept next to the dead in his grave. Cinnabar was used to cover the grave as the red color symbolized death and re-birth. Cotton mantles were wrapped around the bodies of the deceased.
The graves were prepared in a manner according to the Mayan calendar cycles. Burial rituals for the kings comprised of necklace around the neck of the king. This necklace was made from jade and other objects like pottery, exotic shells, precious stones and many such things. Aristocrats and other wealthy people were also burried along with expensive objects.
Some other publicly performed rituals were dancing, theaterical performances, singing, ball games, offering prayer to gods and ritual humor. The Mayans celebrated dance festival with great enthusiasm. The festival was celebrated to honor Ixchel, the Moon goddess. In the festival a young woman was chosen to be sacrificed by the priests. This was followed by bloodletting and a ritual bath. In the public oriented rituals like dancing and dramas, the kings and other nobles were depicted as gods.
Some other publicly performed rituals were dancing, theaterical performances, singing, ball games, offering prayer to gods and ritual humor. The Mayans celebrated dance festival with great enthusiasm. The festival was celebrated to honor Ixchel, the Moon goddess. In the festival a young woman was chosen to be sacrificed by the priests. This was followed by bloodletting and a ritual bath. In the public oriented rituals like dancing and dramas, the kings and other nobles were depicted as gods.
Mayan Stories
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The Popol Vuh tells the story of the four creations of the world and the gods and heroes that were involved. In each creation, an event triggers the destruction of that world and transformation of it's creatures into the new world.
The Popol Vuh records one branch of the ancient Central American heritage. Written shortly after the Spanish conquest by a Quiche Indian in his native language but using the Roman alphabet, it was transcribed and translated into Spanish by a Dominican priest in Guatemala at the end of the 17th century.
His manuscript, housed in the library of the University of San Carlos, Guatemala City, was brought to the attention of European scholars in 1854, making Maya cosmogony and history available outside Central America. Today researchers can also draw on other documents, inscriptions, and the traditions kept alive by the Maya's descendants.
The legend of Sac-Nicte and Canek Sac-Nicte means white flower. She was born in Mayapan. The legend says that a young adviser to the princess told Canek that Sac-Nicte would be waiting among green flowers and that it would be necessary to fight for her, before destiny fought against them.
The day of the wedding, Canek arrived with 60 of his best warriors and climbed to the altar screaming Itzalan! Itzalan! As if he was in the battlefield and stole the princess from the altar. Ulil, enraged, launched a war: Mayapan and Uxmal against Izta.
The itzaes abandoned their homes and temples in Chichen Itza. Leading the way was King Canek, hand-in-hand with his beloved Sac-Nicte. The Uxmal and Mayapan armies found an empty Chichen Itza, left dead, abandoned by its citizens.
A MAYAN LIFE is the first novel ever by a Mayan writer, and thus the first in which the Maya themselves tell their own story. Through the eyes of Lwin, living in the hamlet of Jolomk'u, in the municipio of San Pedro Soloma, high up in the isolated Cuchumat n Mountains of Guatemala (about six hours by dirt road from the nearest town), we live the drama of an oppressed people struggling to survive and maintain their dignity five centuries after the Spanish invasion. Rich in personal and ethnological detail, the reader comes away knowing better just what it means to be a contemporary Maya.
Rabbit stories :- Rabbit is called the Mayor (Alcade); no one knows why, but perhaps these stories do explain it. Some of the rabbit stories are :-
Rabbit and the Cap of Antlers
Rabbit Throws out his Sandal
Rabbit Tricks Coyote Twice
Rabbit as Cowherd Tricks the Boss
Rabbit as Swineherd Tricks the Boss
Rabbit Helps Ram Escape Enemies
The Popol Vuh records one branch of the ancient Central American heritage. Written shortly after the Spanish conquest by a Quiche Indian in his native language but using the Roman alphabet, it was transcribed and translated into Spanish by a Dominican priest in Guatemala at the end of the 17th century.
His manuscript, housed in the library of the University of San Carlos, Guatemala City, was brought to the attention of European scholars in 1854, making Maya cosmogony and history available outside Central America. Today researchers can also draw on other documents, inscriptions, and the traditions kept alive by the Maya's descendants.
The legend of Sac-Nicte and Canek Sac-Nicte means white flower. She was born in Mayapan. The legend says that a young adviser to the princess told Canek that Sac-Nicte would be waiting among green flowers and that it would be necessary to fight for her, before destiny fought against them.
The day of the wedding, Canek arrived with 60 of his best warriors and climbed to the altar screaming Itzalan! Itzalan! As if he was in the battlefield and stole the princess from the altar. Ulil, enraged, launched a war: Mayapan and Uxmal against Izta.
The itzaes abandoned their homes and temples in Chichen Itza. Leading the way was King Canek, hand-in-hand with his beloved Sac-Nicte. The Uxmal and Mayapan armies found an empty Chichen Itza, left dead, abandoned by its citizens.
A MAYAN LIFE is the first novel ever by a Mayan writer, and thus the first in which the Maya themselves tell their own story. Through the eyes of Lwin, living in the hamlet of Jolomk'u, in the municipio of San Pedro Soloma, high up in the isolated Cuchumat n Mountains of Guatemala (about six hours by dirt road from the nearest town), we live the drama of an oppressed people struggling to survive and maintain their dignity five centuries after the Spanish invasion. Rich in personal and ethnological detail, the reader comes away knowing better just what it means to be a contemporary Maya.
Rabbit stories :- Rabbit is called the Mayor (Alcade); no one knows why, but perhaps these stories do explain it. Some of the rabbit stories are :-
Rabbit and the Cap of Antlers
Rabbit Throws out his Sandal
Rabbit Tricks Coyote Twice
Rabbit as Cowherd Tricks the Boss
Rabbit as Swineherd Tricks the Boss
Rabbit Helps Ram Escape Enemies