Historic Timeline
The words Maya and Mayan mean people from the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America and generally refer to people from the Classical era of the Mayan civilization from A.D 250 to 900. Their civilization emphasized on art agriculture, architecture.They were influenced by the Olmec civilization, the first Mesoamerican civilization.
The roots of the classical era go back to as early to 2000 B.C. Specifically, Maya civilization began in Yucatan, 2600 BC. The Maya adopted a hierarchical system of government around 300 BC. Also, around 300 BC the Mayas started developing a calendar and a writing system.
Around AD 900 in short period, the Maya stopped building cities, being powerful and the cities were taken over by the forests, the civilization stopped. No-one knows why. Theories include drought, wars, overpopulation and environmental degradation.
Several centuries after the civilization collapsed, the Spanish explorers (soldiers and priests) came over and wiped away the remaining of the Maya’s classical era civilization. Even though the Maya civilization came to halt there are still descendents that are still considered Mayas.
The words Maya and Mayan mean people from the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America and generally refer to people from the Classical era of the Mayan civilization from A.D 250 to 900. Their civilization emphasized on art agriculture, architecture.They were influenced by the Olmec civilization, the first Mesoamerican civilization.
The roots of the classical era go back to as early to 2000 B.C. Specifically, Maya civilization began in Yucatan, 2600 BC. The Maya adopted a hierarchical system of government around 300 BC. Also, around 300 BC the Mayas started developing a calendar and a writing system.
Around AD 900 in short period, the Maya stopped building cities, being powerful and the cities were taken over by the forests, the civilization stopped. No-one knows why. Theories include drought, wars, overpopulation and environmental degradation.
Several centuries after the civilization collapsed, the Spanish explorers (soldiers and priests) came over and wiped away the remaining of the Maya’s classical era civilization. Even though the Maya civilization came to halt there are still descendents that are still considered Mayas.
Religion and Mythology
Religion was very important to the Mayans. They worshiped Gods, offered sacrifices in rituals that included killing animals and humans and spilling blood. Religion helped them makes sense of the world and was at the center of their identity. Mayan religion continuously changed over the centuries.
The Mayans believed the Universe was divided in 3 parts: the Earth was at the center, the sky above and the underworld below. The Earth was represented as the back of a big turtle or crocodile. The sky was represented by a 2 headed dragon and the underworld by the belly of a crocodile. Heaven was believed to have thirteen layers each with it's own god and the underworld was believed to have nine layers with nine corresponding lords of the night. The Maya even believed that the earth was flat and four cornered.
The Mayas were polytheistic, that is they believed in more than one god. The Maya had at least 166 gods, or deities. Each god had its specialty and sphere of power (e.g. related to child birth, crops, rainfall, protecting travelers etc). An example of a deity was a supreme deity called Itzamna. The Mayas prayed to the gods or made art work to them so that they would act in their favor. Most commonly they tried to influence the gods through religious ceremonies.
Some ceremonies included fasting, making fires, offering foods and sacred dances. Many ceremonies included spilling blood as an offering. The ritual had several special meanings. Sometimes they even sacrifices people, generally prisoners, in order to do they ceremonies. The way they killed the victims was pretty cruel.Maya religion was based on a body of beliefs about supernatural powers that explained life and the universe.
Religion was very important to the Mayans. They worshiped Gods, offered sacrifices in rituals that included killing animals and humans and spilling blood. Religion helped them makes sense of the world and was at the center of their identity. Mayan religion continuously changed over the centuries.
The Mayans believed the Universe was divided in 3 parts: the Earth was at the center, the sky above and the underworld below. The Earth was represented as the back of a big turtle or crocodile. The sky was represented by a 2 headed dragon and the underworld by the belly of a crocodile. Heaven was believed to have thirteen layers each with it's own god and the underworld was believed to have nine layers with nine corresponding lords of the night. The Maya even believed that the earth was flat and four cornered.
The Mayas were polytheistic, that is they believed in more than one god. The Maya had at least 166 gods, or deities. Each god had its specialty and sphere of power (e.g. related to child birth, crops, rainfall, protecting travelers etc). An example of a deity was a supreme deity called Itzamna. The Mayas prayed to the gods or made art work to them so that they would act in their favor. Most commonly they tried to influence the gods through religious ceremonies.
Some ceremonies included fasting, making fires, offering foods and sacred dances. Many ceremonies included spilling blood as an offering. The ritual had several special meanings. Sometimes they even sacrifices people, generally prisoners, in order to do they ceremonies. The way they killed the victims was pretty cruel.Maya religion was based on a body of beliefs about supernatural powers that explained life and the universe.
QUESTIONS
1. How are the myths/folktales of a civilization related to how the civilization runs itself?
Answer: If the myths/folktales had a lesson in it then the people in the civilization will follow the lesson.
2. How do religious beliefs and common cultural practices compare and contrast to modern day?
Answer: Modern Day and Mayan Culture both believed a god(s).
Answer: If the myths/folktales had a lesson in it then the people in the civilization will follow the lesson.
2. How do religious beliefs and common cultural practices compare and contrast to modern day?
Answer: Modern Day and Mayan Culture both believed a god(s).