Mayan mythology centers around corn and the belief that humans originated from a single grain brought from the underworld by the First Father. The civilization declined in the 10th century, but tales of Mayan mythology continued to be passed down as oral history. The creation myth, set in “Popul Vuh,” features the First Father, who becomes the Corn God. Maize remains important in Mayan mythology, and agriculture and seasonal cycles are significant in their beliefs and rituals. The Mayans believed in a duality of the soul and a guardian animal companion. Xibalba is the Mayan underworld ruled by death gods and other creatures. Gods and supernatural beings form the basis of storytelling, rituals, and cautionary tales.
The main elements of Mayan mythology revolve around corn. Mayan creation myths hold that mankind originated from a single grain of corn brought into the world from the underworld by the first father. Maya mythology beyond this central concept is as diverse as many other polytheistic religions and includes a myriad of deities, supernatural creatures, rituals and festivals.
The Mayan civilization erupted throughout Mesoamerica in the 3rd century AD The Mayans primarily occupied the Yucatan peninsula covering today’s Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. The Maya are remembered for their steep pyramids used as temples and their development of agriculture in the region. Civilization declined in the 10th century, but tales of Mayan mythology continued to be passed down from generation to generation as oral history.
The first major element of Mayan mythology is the creation myth. The creation is set in the tale known as “Popul Vuh” and focuses on the First Father, known as One Ahuapa. The First Father was first tricked into entering a cave by some gods. These gods then beheaded him and hung his head up as a trophy.
One day, a goddess walked past him and spoke to her. The First Father, instead of answering, spat into the goddess’s hand and made her pregnant with him. He later gave birth to a pair of twins who grow up in exile and have returned to exact revenge. They deceived the gods, killed them, and then resurrected the First Father. The twins became the Sun and Moon, while the First Father became the Corn God.
Maize continued to be an important part of Mayan mythology. The Mayans believed that all humans were descended from the single ear of corn the First Father found in the cave. Like many other polytheistic religions, agriculture and seasonal cycles are important to Mayan beliefs and rituals. One of the theories for the decline of the Mayan civilization is the decline of agricultural land in the area. If so, a corn-based culture would suffer if corn declined.
Besides the seasonal rituals, there were also rituals for each of the deities. This explains why many reliefs and pieces of Mayan art show the political elite disguised as gods. The elite even began wearing masks carved in the images of their gods. Purification, sexual abstinence and sacrifice were important elements of the rituals. A short-lived ritual includes the veneration of a straw puppet called “Mam”.
Mayan mythology has specific ideas about the human soul. The Mayans believed that the human soul could not be destroyed, but they also believed in a duality of the soul. One element of the human soul is the human consciousness and the other element is the mate. The companion, in Mayan mythology, is a guardian animal.
The place to fear for the Mayans would be Xibalba. This is the Mayan underworld, a place ruled by the death gods and other allied creatures. Xibalba is the same cave where the First Father was deceived and beheaded. Ideas of a heaven or paradise are mixed and varied in Mayan mythology and few groups can agree on its composition.
Gods and supernatural beings are also a key part of Mayan mythology. These beings form the basis of storytelling, rituals, folktales, and cautionary tales. Deities include Achan the god of wine, Camazotz the bat god, and Xaman Ek the god of travellers. Supernatural creatures range from animal spirits to demons of Xibalba.
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