Fast Facts
Adherents	Several million Maya practice a Catholicism that retains many elements of traditional Mayan religion.
Practices	Astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty, worship in stone pyramid-temples
Texts	Dresden Codex; Madrid Codex; Paris Codex; Books of Chilam Balam; Popol Vuh; The Ritual of the Bacabs

The Maya are a native Mesoamerican people who developed one of the most sophisticated cultures in the Western Hemisphere before the arrival of the Spanish. Mayan religion was characterized by the worship of nature gods (especially the gods of sun, rain and corn), a priestly class, the importance of astronomy and astrology, rituals of human sacrifice, and the building of elaborate pyramidical temples.

Some aspects of Mayan religion survive today among the Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America, who practice a combination of traditional religion and Roman Catholicism. Mayan religion was the subject of much discussion leading up to December 21, 2012.

Maya Fast Facts

Date founded:

c.250 AD (rise of the Maya civilization)

Place founded:

Mesoamerica (Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize)

Founder:

none

Adherents:

At one time up to 2 million. Today, several million Maya practice a Roman Catholicism that retains many elements of traditional Mayan religion.

Texts:

Dresden, Madrid, and Paris codices; Books of Chilam Balam; Popol Vuh; The Ritual of the Bacabs

Theism:

Polytheism

Main gods:

Itzamná; Kukulcán (Quetzalcóatl); Bolon Tzacab; Chac

Practices:

Astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty, worship in stone pyramid-temples

Table of Contents