Maya Mythology

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – In the mythology of Maya peoples from the Yucatán Peninsula and Guatemala, there are tales of curious creatures called aluxes. They are believed to be guardians of nature. They are often compared to elves, mythical creatures with magical powers. The aluxes’ (in plural: ‘aluxo’ob’) appearance is somewhat enigmatic and varies across […]

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – Domestication of wheat in Mesopotamia and rice in India and China laid the foundation for the Neolithic revolution in Europe and Asia. The domestication of maize played a key role in shaping the cultural development of later American civilizations. Maize – a reliable and productive staple crop – supported population

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – The pantheon of early South and Mesoamerican gods included many deities to whom people regularly made offerings. Yum Kaax (Lord of the woods in Yukatec) – patron of the glasshouses. Josefa Suka 1388, Botanical Garden, a relief upon the entry of the Tropicana greenhouse. Teplice, Teplice District, Ústí nad Labem

A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – The ancient Maya believed that the underworld – Xibalba – was a terrifying realm often described as a “place of fear.” In their cosmology, it was not simply a distant or symbolic location, but a powerful, active domain that influenced both the world of the living and the realm of

A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Most civilizations of Mesoamerica have an old belief in the power of the “ceiba” tree. Mixtec, Aztec, Maya, and other cultures consider this tree sacred. Tree of Life, Izapa Stela 5. Image credit: James Q. Jacobs – CC BY-SA 3.0 The ceiba is a gigantic Tree of Life in Maya religion and

A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – In ancient Maya beliefs, Camazotz (Camoazotz) was a vampire bat god. Camazotz means “death bat” in the Quiché Maya language. Chinese cultures see the bat as a symbol of good luck, while Europeans often fear it as evil. Cama Zotz (Camazotz), Copán, Classic – Image credit: Dennis Jarvis – Honduras-0334 –