Mayan Life Afterlife

Introduction

Ancient Maya has long stood a civilization cloaked with an aire of mystery and intrigue, its secrets having become the tantalizing object of fascination and enchantment for many. The culture, tradition, and superstitious beliefs of the ancient Mayans have all but left the world mystified, as it seems, intrigued by its extraordinary complexity and particularly shrouded nature. Much of this fascination lies with the uniquely intricate theological beliefs of ancient Maya, beliefs that came to shape and influence much of the great civilization’s culture; this impact can be seen throughout several different aspects of Mayan life, including art, architecture, ritual practice, government, social class, and even scientific beliefs and

practices. The particular nature of Mayan religion, however, is still left veiled in a bewildering state of mystery; the amount of deities recognized in the Mayan Pantheon reaches a staggering number of over one-hundred and sixty-six, certainly leaving much room for discovery and exploration. Much research and archeological work, however, have unearthed many of this ancient culture’s secrets, giving insight towards the beliefs and practices that formed much of the basis for Mayan civilization. Through thorough exploration of these beliefs, one can paint the elaborately fascinating picture that is the magnificent civilization and culture of ancient Maya, a culture rich in theology, astronomy, art, and ritual.

Theological Beliefs and Mythology

The theological beliefs of ancient Maya are built around an impressively vast pantheon of gods and deities; comprised of over one-hundred and sixty-six religious characters, it has proven nearly impossible to accurately identify each deity held in the intricate workings of ancient Mayan mythology. Many key figures, however, can be seen throughout much of Maya’s art and religious texts; many myths integral to the culture’s distinct theology are preserved in the sacred book Popol Vuh which, while largely written in post-columbian times, serves as a documentation of Mayan tradition and culture over the years. Mayan deities are generally characterized to be exceptionally fluid in several aspects of their persona; specifically, they often shift in their appearance, personality, and gender expression. Many gods are represented by four different versions of themselves, each displaying the particular colour and attributes associated with one of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west).

The Creation Myth

“ So then this the earth was created by them, Only their word was the creation of it.
To create the earth, “Earth,” they said. Immediately it was created,
It was just like a cloud,
Like a mist then,
The whirlwind,
Then the mountain was asked to come from the water. Straightaway there were great mountains.”
(Edmonson 1971:12) { Translated text from the Popol Vuh }

Detailed in the sacred text Popol Vuh, the Mayan creation story outlines the beginning of the human race in accordance with Mayan mythology. The Creators of the earth, including Huracán (Heart of Sky), Itzam Ná, and the feathered serpent Kukulkan, had the vision of creating humans on earth that contained both heart and soul (Gomez, 2015). There were, initially, many failed attempts by the gods in their creation of humans; some versions state that humans were initially created from mud, and later wood and reeds, but neither version was successful (Gomez, 2015). An important aspect in all versions of the story, however, is that the gods finally built successful humans out of maize, giving it a religious significance in ancient Maya; maize was considered to be a link to ancestry, and was thus sacred (“Creation Story of the Maya”, 2016).
Huracán (Heart of Sky)

The god Huracán, also commonly referred to as Heart of Sky, is mainly attributed with the creation of the earth; considered to be a divine creator and “giver of life”, Huracán is frequently mentioned amongst Mayan mythology (Gomez, 2015).
The Rain God, Chaac

Chaac (alternatively spelled as Chac) is an exceptionally prominent deity in ancient Maya, a powerful god linked primarily with the elements of rain and thunder. A rather recognizable figure in Mayan art, Chaac is generally portrayed with several key characteristics; these features include large spherical eyes, fangs, and a protruding nose that seems to resemble that of a proboscis monkey (Hirst, 2016). The rain god also held a great importance in regards to the gruesome ritual of human sacrifice; he was often symbolized throughout these ceremonies, and lent his name to the priests made responsible for holding down the limbs of the victim (known as “chacs”). Additional ritualistic sacrifices were also often conducted in honour of the god; these sacrifices often included tossing victims into large wells, alongside other offerings such as pieces of jade and clay (Hirst, 2016).

The Feathered Serpent, Kukulkan

The striking image of the feathered serpent has become symbolic of many pre-columbian mesoamerican civilizations, a deity present by different names across the theologies of several different cultures. While the feathered serpent is most often associated with the heavily influential cult of Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs, the Mayan characterization of this powerful deity, known as Kukulkan, also holds great significance. Kukulkan was generally regarded as one of the earth’s creators in Mayan mythology.

The Jaguar

The significance of the jaguar in Mayan theology is quite great; representative of power and divinity, it is a symbol quite frequently seen across the art and sculpture of ancient Maya, and it was often associated with nobility due to its ties to the divine (Gomez, 2015). Various jaguar gods reside in the vast Mayan pantheon, with one of the most notable being the Night Sun; this god was associated heavily with the underworld, believed to act as the sun in the dark journey towards it (“Jaguar Gods of the Maya”, nd).

Mayan Views of the Afterlife

Life after death certainly stands as an integral part of many religions and theological systems of belief, generally maintaining control over behaviour by establishing that a “good” life results in a rewarding afterlife.

In a striking contrast to many other religious views of the afterlife, however, the Mayans believed that the majority of individuals- regardless of whether their actions in life were viewed as “good” or “bad”- would enter the underworld after their death; this foreboding and hellish place, known as Xibalba, was full of much torment and suffering, ruled by fearsome deities known as the Lords of the Underworld (Cartwright, 2014). Only kings, sacrificial victims, and those who died under violent circumstances were to be exempt from this dismal fate, resulting in a widespread fear of dying by natural cause amongst Mayan citizens (“Maya Underworld”,

2016).

The spirits of the deceased would begin their journey towards Xibalba in dzonot, or cenotes- deep, natural wells that collect water at the bottom. The associations between water and the underworld were quite prominent, and the vast collection of underground pools and rivers that lay beneath areas populated by the Mayans were thus viewed as sacred connections to Xibalba (“Maya Underworld”, 2016). Upon arrival in the underworld, the deceased would face various fearsome tests; in preparation for this, the dead were buried with objects deemed useful for surviving these grueling trials (Cartwright, 2014).

Ritual Sacrifice

As is commonplace with many religious cultures in the ancient world, the disturbingly gory ritual of sacrifice held a rather integral role in the religion of ancient Maya; this ceremonial practice was generally carried out in an attempt to fulfill a perceived debt owed to the gods, or a means of appeasing them to earn their favour. While the very words “ritual sacrifice” often strike fear and surface images of brutal, unsettling slaughter, it is important to note that not all methods of sacrifice involved the killing of an animal or human; rather, more common forms included non-lethal, though still violent, methods, such as bloodletting (the drawing of blood from sensitive areas of the body). Human sacrifice was still, however, a highly commonplace practice in ancient Maya, a ceremonial demonstration carried out by priests and fueled by intricate theological beliefs. The rain god Chaac, as previously mentioned, played a large role in many sacrificial rituals, although he was by far not the only god that demanded the spilling of blood in exchange for his creations; due to the nature of Mayan creation stories, a perceived blood debt was owed to the gods for spilling their own blood in the creation of life.

Human Sacrifice

Ceremonial rituals of human sacrifice could be carried out in a vast array of different methods, although a select few proved to be used more frequently than others; the removal of the heart from a living victim is an image often associated with the sacrifices of ancient Maya, and it certainly was a preferred method.

Victims were also often tossed into the depths of wells, often known as cenotes; sacrifice to appease the rain god Chaac were often carried out in this manner (Gomez, 2015). Methods may also include decapitation, removal of limbs, and piercing the heart with several arrows in a highly ceremonial fashion (“Maya Human Sacrifice”, 2015). The victims of sacrifice were varied; specifically, captives of war and children were commonly subjected to these grisly practices (Gomez, 2015). As religion often became heavily integrated with warfare, human sacrifice was a highly important occurrence during times of conflict; emphasis was often put on taking in captives to sacrifice, and the ceremonial shedding of human blood was often seen as a way to earn the favour of the gods and improve luck in battle. The ceremonies and rituals of human sacrifice were administered by priests, referred to as nacoms, and were generally conducted on the heights of Maya’s striking temples (“Maya Human Sacrifice”, 2015); the bodies of the victims were to be tossed off the sides when the sacrifice was complete. In many ceremonies, the victims were to be entirely covered with blue paint, and some

ceremonies particularly important served as re-enactments of sacred religious scenes and stories (Gomez, 2015).

Bloodletting

Bloodletting was a sacrificial ritual commonly practiced by citizens of ancient Maya, especially nobility; this form of sacrifice is performed by drawing blood from the body in an attempt to appease the gods and repay them for creating the earth with their own blood, in accordance with Mayan mythology. Whilst the commonplace practice of bloodletting was not lethal nor comparable in brutality to legitimate human sacrifice, it was a painful ritual nonetheless; blood would be drawn from sensitive areas (including the tongue and genitals) using a variety of tools, many including stingray barbs. The intention of these frightful instruments was to increase the amount of blood drawn, as well as potentially to have made the experience all the more painful- as the ritual served the purpose of honouring and filling a debt to the gods for spilling their own blood in creation, both of these things were desired.