The Underworld. The Creation Place. Xibalba. (Picture Credit: discover magazine.com)
Since the ancient Maya were the only fully literate civilization of Mesoamerica, it is important that we offer some information on some of the concepts they develop. The following writing will include concepts such as: creation, cosmos (world view), and Religion Lets take a concise look at these concepts.
Creation
- The Maya conceived time as cyclical (Life/Universe)
- The Maya tried so hard to syncretize their needs and that of their environment
- The Maya believe that we have now entered the 5th creation of the universe
- They believed that man was created 3 times – 1st of clay, 2nd from wood, and 3rd of corn
- The Popolvuh was a pre classic time system which was written by the Quiche Maya – it was their book of counsel
- There were two Hero Twins, one Ixbalanque and the other Hunahpu; Hunahpu was often linked to the corn god
- The last creation was on December 21st, 2012; before that the last creation was in 3114BC.
The Maya believed in a system called the sacred round. This round is every 52 years, when a date on their Tzolkin (sacred calendar) calendar meets the same date on the Haab (solar calendar) calendar again.
Cosmology
- The maya believed that the earth was quadripartite
- Each corner was represented with a Bacab (cardinal points)
- In the centre of the earth was the world tree
- Each corner of the earth was associated with a colour: North- white; South – yellow; East – red; West – black; the centre was green
- The vertical division of their world were three: heavens, middle world, underworld
- The heavens had 13 layers
- The underworld had 9 layers (level)
- The Maya believed that the earth floated on a primordial sea on the back of a turtle or a crocodile
Sometimes one can see art of the corn god coming out of the back and shell of a turtle.
Religion
- The Maya were polytheistic (they had a pantheon of gods)
- Their supreme god was Hunab Ku
- Itzamna was one of the very powerful gods in the pantheon
- Religion developed in early cultures for and because of things that people could not explain (rain, sun, fire, health/sickness)
- Sun god – Kinich Ahau
- Moon goddess – Ixchel
- Corn god – Yum Kax
- Merchant god – Ek Chua
- The Maya believed that many of these gods were dualistic. They could be good or bad (Rain god – floods; Wind god – storms)
- Underworld gods were known as the Bolontiku. It was called Metnal by the Yucatec Maya and Xibalba by the highland Maya
- Xibablba or Metnal was a place of death and of creation. The source of the human spirit and flesh was in the underworld
- Even in the act of farming the Maya recreated the birth and rebirth in the underworld
The most sacred activity performed in caves by the Maya were ritual ceremony for agriculture and sustenance.
The following blog will introduce another 3 concepts of the Maya. If you have any questions please contact us at info@ninebelize.com or tourswithnine@gmail.com.