- The Mayans held strong belief in the nature gods such as the son god, rain god, and corn god. They also practiced the importance of astronomy and astrology, and a priestly class (or those high up in hierarchy such as kings or priests.)
Are they mono- or poly- theistic? What is/are their god/s?
- The Mayans were polythestic because they believed in many gods, especially the gods of nature. They believed that the gods controlled the universe and the different weather patterns (such as rain or sun).
- Their most important god was the creator god named Itzamná. He is also the god of fire and the god of hearth.
What ceremonies are praticed around their religion?
- Their common religious practices included: Astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty, and worship in stone pyramid-temples.
How do they observe their religious beliefs in their everyday lives?
- The Mayans believed that science and religion were one and the same. They were very intrigued by time and were able to calculate a solar year. Mathematics and astronomy were related to everyday religious rituals.
How does religion affect the hierarchy of their society?
- The Mayans believed that the priests were messangers of the gods and so they treated them with much respect. Also the higher in rank you were, the more pain you were supposed to endure during rituals. The higher one's position, the more blood was expected. Blood was drawn by jabbing spines through the ear or penis, or by drawing a thorn-studded cord through the tongue; it was then spattered on paper or otherwise collected as an offering to the gods.
How does their religion differ from Western faiths?
- Well, since most all Western faiths are monotheistic they are complete opposites. Westerners believe that there is one god and that he created everything and controls life itself. While the Mayans believed in numerous nature gods that each had their own good and bad sides and they controlled specific things in the world.
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