Cosmic View
The ancient Mayas invented a calendar of remarkable accuracy and complexity.The pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza was built during the late Mayan period,when Toltecs from Tula became politically powerful.the pyraid was used as a calendar;four stairways,each with 91 steps and a platform at the top,making a total of 365,euivalent t the numberof days in a calendar year.The Maya calendar uses three different dating systems in parallel,the Long Count,the Tzolkin (divine calendar),and the Haab (civil calendar).Only the Haab has a diret relationship t the length of the year.A typical mayan date looks like this: 12.18.16.2.6,3 Cimi 4 Zotz
12.18.16.2.6 is the Long Count date
3 Cimi is the Tzolkin date
4 Zotz is the Long Count is really a mixed base-20/base-18 representation of a number,representing the number of days since the start of the Mayan era.The Tzolkin date is a combination of two week lenghts.A numbered week of 13 days in which the days were numbered from 1 to 13 and a named week of 20 days.The Haab had 18 months of 20 days each,followed by 5 extra days,known as Uayeb.This gives us ou 365 days.But the Mayas were aware that we have more than 365 days,and in fact,many of the month-names are asssociated with he seasons;yaxkin for example,means "new or strong sun."
Mayan Writings
The Maya developed writing using pictures or drawings called pictographs.Each picture has its own meaning.The Maya could write in full sentences and even stories.The stories are made by drawing several pictures together.They covered their cities and buildings with hieroglyphics carved into the stone.They made books fo tree barks.then te books would be wrapped with wood and deer hide.The Maya would write with quills made from turkey feathers.Brushes were made of animal hair.Usincolor to illustrate was not just done for looks.Colors and shades of colors were very symbolic that realted with gods,nature,and the sky.The writers were thought to be in touch with the gods.When the Spanish came they burned many books.Only four remain today.
Gods & Goddesses
Maize god is representative of the ripe grain which was the base of the Mayan agriculture.In Yucatan,the Maize god is combined with the god of flora,Yumil Kaxob.The Maize god has a headdress of maize and a curved streak on his cheek.He is also noticealble from othe gods through his youth.He is powerless by himself.His fortunes and misfortunes were decided by the control or rain and drought.The rain god protects him but was punished by the Death god Yum Cimil.
Yum Cimil the death god who exercised drought and famine was also called Ah Puch,the god of the Underworld.His body is skeletal.His accessories are made of bones and his body covered with balck spots.He also wearsa collar with eyeless sockets which is the typical symbol for the Underworld.
Ixtab is the suicide goddess.She is always represented with a rope around her neck. The Mayans believed that suicides leads you to heaven.It was very common for suicides to happen because of depression.
Kukulcan the wind god also known as the feathered-serpent god.He is associated with the rain god,Chac Mol.
Kinich Ahau was the Sun god.He supposedly visited the city at noon everyday.he would descend as a macaw and consume prepared offerings.He has jaguar-like features.He wears a symbol of Kin.He was also associated with poetry and music.
Ix Chel,the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Mayan mythology.She is often shown carrying a great jug filled with water,which overturns to send floods and powerful rainstorms to Earth.Her husband was the moon god Itzamna.Ix Chel had a kinder side and was worshipped as the protector of weavers and women in childbirth.