List of Maya gods and supernatural beings facts for kids

This article is about the amazing gods and goddesses of the ancient Maya people. The Maya lived in Mesoamerica (which includes parts of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador) for thousands of years. They had a rich culture with fascinating beliefs about the world, the sky, and the underworld. Their religion included many deities who were believed to control different parts of nature, human life, and even the stars. Learning about these gods helps us understand the Maya's view of the universe and their daily lives.

Important Maya Gods and Goddesses

Creator Gods and Sky Deities

The Maya believed that certain gods were responsible for creating the world and everything in it, including humans. These powerful beings often lived in the sky or were connected to natural forces like wind and storms.

Itzamna

Itzamna was one of the most important Maya gods. He was seen as a creator god and was linked to the sky, the sun, and knowledge. The Maya believed he taught them important skills like writing, how to use calendars, and even how to grow crops like maize (corn) and cacao (chocolate). He was also sometimes called the father of the Bacabs, who held up the sky.

Hunab Ku

Hunab Ku means "Sole God." Some ancient texts mention him as a very high and abstract god, sometimes even seen as the same as Itzamna. However, some historians believe that the idea of "Hunab Ku" as a single, all-powerful god might have been introduced later, possibly by early European visitors, to help explain the idea of one main god.

Qʼuqʼumatz (Feathered Serpent)

Qʼuqʼumatz, also known as Kukulkan in other Maya regions, was a very important feathered snake god. He was a creator deity, meaning he helped make the world. This feathered serpent god was worshipped by many cultures in Mesoamerica, including the Aztec, who called him Quetzalcoatl. He was often associated with the seas, oceans, wind, and storms.

Huracan

Huracan, whose name means "One-Leg," was a powerful lightning god. He was part of a group of three lightning gods called "Heart of the Sky," who were also involved in creating the world. Huracan was the god of weather, wind, storms, and fire. The word "hurricane" in English actually comes from his name!

Tepeu

Tepeu was another sky god and a creator deity. He was involved in the Maya myths about how humans were created, participating in the different attempts to make people.

Alom and Bitol

Alom was a god of the sky and wood, also considered a creator god. Bitol was another sky god who helped create and destroy the world during the attempts to make humanity.

Awilix

Awilix was a goddess of the Moon and the night. The Moon was very important to the Maya for their calendars and understanding time.

Gods of Nature and Daily Life

Many Maya gods were connected to the natural world, like rain, crops, and animals, which were essential for their survival.

Chaac (Rain God)

Chaac was the god of rain, thunder, and lightning. He was incredibly important to the Maya because rain was vital for their crops, especially maize. He was often shown holding an axe made of lightning.

Kʼawiil (God K)

Kʼawiil, also known as God K or Bolon Dzacab, was a lightning god. He was often seen as the patron of harvests and seeds, helping crops grow. He was also a god of royal families and power.

Yum Kaax

Yum Kaax was the god of the woods, wild nature, and hunting. People would pray to him before clearing land to plant their maize fields, asking for his blessing and protection.

Ah-Muzen-Cab

This god was the patron of bees and honey. Bees and honey were very important to the Maya, not just for food but also for making a special drink called Balché.

Colel Cab

Colel Cab was another goddess associated with bees.

Acan

Acan was the god of wine, especially linked to the traditional Maya drink called Balché, which was made from fermented tree bark and honey.

Ek Chuaj (God M)

Ek Chuaj, meaning "black war chief," was the patron god of warriors and merchants. He was often shown carrying a bag over his shoulder, like a traveler, and sometimes wore a jaguar skin. He was typically painted black and had a long nose and a dangling lower lip.

Xaman Ek

Xaman Ek was another god of travelers and merchants. People would often leave offerings for him on the side of roads when they were traveling, hoping for a safe journey.

Cit-Bolon-Tum

This god was associated with medicine and healing. People would pray to him when they were sick or needed help with their health.

Acat

Acat was the god of tattoos and tattooing. Tattoos were an important part of Maya culture, often showing status or religious devotion.

Chin

Chin was considered the main god of relationships.

Underworld and War Deities

The Maya believed in a complex underworld called Xibalba, ruled by various gods. There were also gods associated with war and sacrifice.

Cizin (God of Death)

Cizin, also known as Kisin, was one of the most commonly shown gods of death. He was also associated with earthquakes and was believed to live in Metnal, a part of the underworld.

Bolontiku

This was a group of nine underworld gods. They were important figures in the Maya understanding of the cycles of life and death.

Buluc Chabtan (God F)

Buluc Chabtan was the god of war, violence, and gambling. He was also linked to sacrifice.

Camazotz

Camazotz was a bat and death god, often depicted as a fearsome creature from the underworld.

Cabrakan

Cabrakan was a god of mountains and earthquakes. He was known for his immense strength and was one of the sons of the bird-demon Vucub-Caquix.

Zipacna

Zipacna was another powerful and demonic giant, often seen as a personification of the earth's crust. He was the brother of Cabrakan.

Hun-Came and Vucub-Came

These two were powerful lords of Xibalba, the underworld. They were known for defeating Hun-Hunahpu, the father of the famous Hero Twins.

Nakon

Nakon was the god of war. He was considered a very powerful deity, even stronger than other war gods in different religions.

The Hero Twins

The Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, are central figures in the Maya creation story, especially in the Popol Vuh. They are famous for their adventures and for defeating the lords of the underworld.

Hun-Ahpu and Xbalanque

Hun-Ahpu and Xbalanque were the main Maya Hero Twins. They were incredibly clever and brave. Their story tells how they avenged their father, Hun-Hunahpu, by outsmarting and defeating the lords of Xibalba. They are often seen as symbols of courage and the triumph of good over evil.

Hun-Hunahpu

Hun-Hunahpu was the father of the Hero Twins. He was a skilled ballplayer who was tricked and defeated by the lords of the underworld before his sons were born.

Xquic

Xquic was the daughter of one of the underworld lords, but she helped the Hero Twins. She is known for being the mother of Hunahpu and Xbalanque and is sometimes linked to the waning (shrinking) moon.

Other Important Deities

Bacab

The Bacabs were old gods associated with the interior of the earth and thunder. They were sometimes shown as four separate Bacabs, each representing one of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) and holding up the sky.

Baalham

Baalham was a jaguar god of the underworld. The name also referred to a group of jaguar gods who were believed to protect people and communities.

Maximón

Maximón is a unique god, often linked to travelers, merchants, healers, mischief, and fertility. In more recent times, he has become part of Christian celebrations, especially during Holy Week, showing how Maya beliefs can blend with other traditions.

Tohil

Tohil was a very important patron god of the Kʼicheʼ Maya people. A large temple was built for him in their capital city, Qʼumarkaj.

Tunkuruchu

Tunkuruchu was an ancient owl who was believed to foretell death. The Maya believed that if he visited someone, it meant they would soon die.

Images for kids

• Itzamna Codex Dresden.jpg

  Itzamna, a very important Maya god.

• Kukulkan pyramid Chichen Itza.jpg

  The pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, showing the feathered serpent.

• Chac Madrid Codex.jpg

  Chaac, the Maya rain god.

• Ek Chuaj Madrid Codex.jpg

  Ek Chuaj, the god of merchants.

• Cizin Codex Dresden.jpg

  Cizin, a Maya death god.

• Maya Hero Twins.jpg

  The Maya Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque.