Mayan Religion

The Mayans were a group of individuals deeply involved with their religious beliefs, which expresses the taboo nature of their civilization. They did not act in accordance with present day societal norms and had numerous unique aspects within their society. Socially, they were dependent on social classes that separated the kings/queens, nobles, priests, merchants, peasants, and slaves from one another. Their ritual practices make this division apparent since the priests and kings were typically given sole power to operate at the head of religious affairs. The slaves and lower subjects were often used as means of sacrificial offerings, which depicts their low stature in the Mayan society. Politically, they were strongly involved just as they
were in their religious pursuits. The ritual practices they performed were often incited by political affairs and their government consisted of a hierarchal government ruled by the kings and priests.
Their kings claimed descent from the deities and planets and portrayed their divine power through their important role in religious ceremonies. They also served as a communication source between humanity and the deities and their blood was considered to be more valuable than those ranked below them. Religiously, they held extreme and taboo beliefs that would be looked down upon in today’s society. They participated in human sacrifices and bloodletting which are not commonly practiced anymore. The Mayans had deep devotion towards their deities. Intellectually and technologically, these individuals played a pivotal role in the advancement of their civilization in various aspects of science including achievements in astronomy, agriculture, communications, and engineering. One of the main gods that they worshiped, Itzamna, was the god of books and writing. He was an advocate of science and learning, which expresses the importance placed on the facets of knowledge in this civilization. Economically, the Mayans were advanced due to their need to develop sophisticated agricultural techniques to support their population and adapt to the climate. The Mayan cities were at the economic center of the society, and most trade took place in urban cities. As these cities grew, they developed specialized economies. The god Chac was viewed as an agricultural god and Ek Chuah was the guardian of
merchants. This epitomizes the role the economy played in the prosperity of the civilization and portrays trade and money as a backbone in this society. Although the Mayans participated in strange religious rituals, they successfully managed to advance in a similar manner that other prosperous civilizations have done to promote the longevity of their society.