Mayan Traditions And Beliefs

Religion shapes change and development. A way of explaining the things that can’t always be explained, belief or faith in a spiritual or divine power can add meaning and significance to many people’s worldly lives. These beliefs and practices serve primarily as a source of social fabric that has managed to keep their traditions preserved and flourishing thousands of years. And this is because every aspect of Mayan life seemed to be centered on religion. And their religion would be classified as animism. This means that their religion centers on the fact that virtually everything in the world contains sacredness. This shows the notion that all objects whether living or non were embedded with spirits. (Culture counts)This fueled their culture and influenced their language and tradition, as well as, gave them a deep connection and appreciation for the sun and sky. Every object, whether it is part of nature or man-made, was considered sacred and worshipped. Especially corn, corn is said to have literally shaped earlier people and is one of the most sacred things.(Maya People)
This divine sanctity can be translated into Maya creation myths as well.
In one of their most known sacred narratives, “The Creation Story” The earth and sky were made however there was no sun and no moon. And it is said that after the Hero Twins played and won a game of ball to resurrect their father as the maize god. Then they climbed up into the sky and became the sun and moon. With the sun and moon to provide light for the earth it was then that the deities decided to try a third time and created the final form of human beings using white and yellow corn. Thus where mud and wood failed, corn succeeded in creating lasting humans. As previously stated for Mayan tradition everything has meaning and everything is sacred, this isn’t surprising that this is seen through the rituals performed. Their traditions rely heavily on the Mayan calendar, as well as, corn. (Creation
Story)

They depended on agriculture for survival and many crops were grown. However, corn was the most important though. Not only was it the main source of food for their die but it also influenced their religion and calendrical progress. These rituals are requests for rain to fall to irrigate their plantations or to acknowledge the abundance of a harvest of corn and other crops. They are called Pa Puul, Sac Ha’, Wajxaqib’ B’atz’. The Pa Puul, meaning “breaking pots”, is rooted in “an ancient Maya tradition and celebrates the land’s yearly cycle of rain, growth, and renewal.”( Corn and Calendar Traditions) This important to the culture as the breaking of the pots symbolizes thunder and this is what is said to bring the rain. And without rain their crops would suffer, and their land is very sacred to them as seen in the next traditions as well. Sac Ha’ another tradition relays on offerings or sacrifices to the gods. “A sacred beverage is prepared with boiled corn that is ground and mixed with water gathered from morning dew or from the depths of a cave” is prepared and offered on an alter to provide a vertical connection between the earth and sky.( Corn and Calendar Traditions) And during the Wajxaqib’ B’atz’, a member of the community acts as a “keeper” and almost like a line to the gods, and through prayer they go to caves, water springs, and or up in the mountains to pray. And in doing so these places become sacred connections between the land, sky, and their ancestors. All of these are said to keep the balance and it is believed that going without doing them would cause the world to fall out of balance. (Corn and Calendar Traditions)