The Maya had a deeply spiritual worldview rooted in cycles, duality, and cosmic balance. Religion was embedded in every part of life—timekeeping, agriculture, politics, and architecture all reflected sacred beliefs and celestial movements.

The layered universe

They believed in a layered universe with the heavens above, the mortal world in the center, and the underworld (Xibalba) below. Gods inhabited all levels, and rituals aimed to maintain harmony between these realms through offerings and devotion.

Sacred time and calendars

Time was sacred to the Maya. Their complex calendar systems—the Tzolk’in (260-day) and Haab’ (365-day)—guided rituals and ceremonies. Important dates marked festivals, sacrifices, and divine communication through priestly interpretation.

Rituals and offerings

Rituals were essential to please the gods and ensure cosmic order. These included music, incense, dances, and sacrifices—sometimes human, but often offerings of blood, food, or jade. Sacrifice was seen as giving life back to the gods.

Divine forces and duality

The gods represented forces of nature, celestial bodies, and life cycles. They were not static beings but dynamic, often changing forms or merging aspects. Many gods had both creative and destructive sides, reflecting the Maya’s view of duality.

The role of kings

Kings acted as divine intermediaries. They performed public rituals to link their power to the gods, often reenacting mythological events. Royal bloodletting was common, believed to nourish the gods and reaffirm sacred leadership.

Views on death and the afterlife

Death was not an end but a passage. The Maya believed in an afterlife that depended on one’s death and actions in life. Warriors, sacrificial victims, and women who died in childbirth were believed to ascend to special heavens.

Xibalba: the Maya underworld

Xibalba, the underworld, was a place of trials and darkness, but not eternal damnation. Mythical stories, like the journey of the Hero Twins, illustrated how souls could navigate it with courage, wisdom, and divine support.

Myth and sacred history

Myth and history were intertwined. Sacred texts like the Popol Vuh recorded creation myths, cosmic battles, and the origin of maize, showing how mythological time influenced real-world rituals and Maya identity.

Temples as cosmic centers

Temples and pyramids were not just monuments—they were sacred mountains connecting earth to sky. Built to align with celestial events, these structures embodied Maya cosmology and functioned as centers of worship and ceremony.

Itzamná, Mayan God of Wisdom

Itzamna was one of the most important gods in the Maya pantheon, seen as the creator of the world and civilization. He was associated with the sky, wisdom, and writing. As a benevolent deity, he brought knowledge, healing, and culture to the Maya people.

He is often depicted as an old man with a large nose and toothless mouth. Itzamna was also believed to have invented writing and the calendar. He was the patron of scribes and priests, and he ruled over day and night as a supreme cosmic power.

Kʼinich Ajaw was the sun god, often associated with royal power and war. His name means “Radiant Lord,” and he was believed to appear as the rising sun, bringing light and life to the world each day.

Depictions show him with large eyes, square, crossed eyes, and a T-shaped tooth. Kings often linked themselves to Kʼinich Ajaw to legitimize their divine right to rule, reinforcing the sun god’s association with power and governance.

Chaac was the rain god, highly revered by the agricultural Maya society. He was responsible for bringing rain to nourish crops and was often depicted with a long nose and lightning axe, which he used to strike clouds and release rain.

The Maya believed there were four Chaacs, each associated with a cardinal direction and a color. Rituals and sacrifices were offered to Chaac to ensure good harvests and to avoid droughts, showing his importance in everyday survival.

Ix Chel was a powerful goddess of the moon, fertility, medicine, and childbirth. She was the consort of Itzamna and was often depicted as an aged woman pouring water from a jar or as a young weaver, symbolizing life’s cycles.

Ix Chel also had a destructive side, linked to floods and storms. She was venerated by midwives and women, especially during pregnancy and labor. Temples in her honor were pilgrimage sites for women seeking protection and health.

Kukulkan, the feathered serpent, was a god of wind, rain, and creation. He was a major deity in later Maya mythology, closely related to Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs. His serpentine form symbolized movement and transformation.

He played a vital role in rituals and was especially prominent in Chichén Itzá, where the descent of his shadow can be seen on the pyramid during the equinoxes. Kukulkan linked the heavens, earth, and underworld in Maya cosmology.

Yum Kaax was the god of wild vegetation and the forest, often revered by hunters and farmers. Unlike the god of maize, he protected wild plants and animals, helping people interact with untamed nature.

He was not considered evil, but wild and unpredictable. Offerings and prayers were made to him to ensure safety and success in hunting and foraging. His presence underscored the Maya’s respect for the wilderness and its spirits.

Hun Hunahpu was the maize god and father of the Hero Twins in Maya mythology. His story, told in the Popol Vuh, highlights his death and resurrection, symbolizing the cycle of planting and rebirth of maize.

His image represents youth, beauty, and the vital life force in agriculture. Hun Hunahpu’s head was buried and reborn as a maize plant, a metaphor central to Maya cosmology and the annual renewal of life through crops.

Camazotz was a terrifying bat god associated with night, death, and sacrifice. His name means “death bat,” and he appears in the Popol Vuh as a dangerous being in the underworld who decapitates one of the Hero Twins.

He symbolized darkness, fear, and the mysteries of the night. In some myths, he served as a guardian of caves and passageways to the underworld. His presence is a reminder of the thin boundary between life and death.

Ah Puch was the Maya god of death, decay, and the underworld, known for his gruesome appearance with skeletal features, bells, and skull adornments. He ruled Mitnal, the lowest level of the underworld.

He was feared and respected, especially during times of disease or disaster. Rituals were performed to appease him and avoid untimely death. Though fearsome, he was also part of the natural cycle of life and rebirth.

Ixtab was the goddess who received those who died by ritual or honorable suicide, especially women and warriors. She was depicted as a hanging corpse, symbolizing death with dignity in Maya belief.

Rather than punishment, she offered a peaceful afterlife to those who took their lives for noble reasons. This unique concept shows the Maya’s complex relationship with death and their varied beliefs about the soul’s journey.