Watch: What beliefs were important?
What were the key Mayan beliefs?
The Maya believed in many gods, each representing a different part of life.
These gods had to be pleased so Maya communities made regular offerings to them, in the form of animal (and sometimes human) sacrifices.
The Maya worshipped family members who had died. Similar to the Shang dynasty in China and also the ancient Egyptians, at around the same time (1500 BC).
Maya households buried their dead underneath the floors so they could protect the living.
Some Maya gods
What was the cosmos?
The Maya believed the Earth had the form of a giant turtle that floated on an endless ocean and that the sky was held up by four mighty gods called Bacabs.
The sky was made up of 13 levels in the heavens.
Those who were sacrificed or who died in battle went to one of the top levels.
Those who died of natural causes went to Xibalba, the shadowy underworld, which had nine levels.
Each level was associated with a colour and a direction; north was white, east was red, south was yellow, and west was black. The mortal (living) world was in between.
Activities
Activity 1: Quiz - Maya beliefs
Activity 2: History Explorer game
Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about the ancient Maya.
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