Maya priesthood facts for kids
The Maya priesthood was a very important group of people in the ancient Maya civilization. These priests were like special guides who helped connect the Maya people with their gods. They were highly skilled and played a big role in daily life.
Maya priests were experts in many things. They could read and write, which was a rare skill back then. They knew a lot about the gods and how to worship them. This included understanding the Maya calendar, astrology, telling the future, and making predictions. They also kept records of history and family trees. Most priests were men, and they were allowed to marry. Much of what we know about them comes from the Yucatán area during the Late Postclassic period, as well as from the Guatemalan Highlands.
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Priests and Kings: Different Roles
Priests and Shamans
Sometimes, people wonder if Maya priests were like shamans. Shamans often work alone and have a very personal connection with spirits. They might go into a trance or have special dreams.
However, Maya priests were different. They were part of a clear hierarchy or system. Their main job was to perform rituals for groups of people. They would offer food, sacrifices, and prayers to the gods. They worked within a structured religious system, not usually as individual spiritual guides.
Priestly Kings
In Maya society, kings and important leaders often performed some priestly duties. For example, the ancient Kʼicheʼ kings were seen as sacred. They would fast, pray, and offer burnt offerings in the temples. This showed their dedication to their people and gods.
The Yucatec king, called the halach uinic ('true man'), was both a governor and a religious leader. It seemed that a ruler needed to have special knowledge about rituals and sacred things to do their job well.
During the Classic period, the Maya king was likely seen as a sacred, priestly king. This means he had both political and religious power. However, this doesn't mean there were no other priests. It's very likely that there were many priests working in the king's court, as well as in towns and villages. A civilization as advanced as the Maya would surely have had a separate group of religious experts.
Maya Priests in Later Times
The best information we have about the Maya priesthood comes from the early 1500s in Yucatán. This is thanks to writings by people like Diego de Landa.
The Yucatec Priesthood
Becoming a Priest
In Yucatán, priests were often the sons of other priests or the second sons of noble families. Being a priest was a respected position for noble children who didn't become political leaders. They learned their skills by working with older, experienced priests. Young adults were chosen based on their family background and their own abilities.
Priestly Jobs
The highest priest in a kingdom was called ahau can mai or ah kin mai. This job was passed down through families, usually from father to son. The high priest received support from town priests and gifts from lords.
The ahau can mai's jobs included:
- Writing books.
- Teaching the Maya script (writing system) and Maya calendar to new priests.
- Checking and appointing new priests, and giving them sacred books.
- Leading the most important rituals.
- Giving advice to other lords.
Town priests were called ah kʼin, which means 'diviner' or 'one who deals with the sun/day'. They were in charge of public and private rituals in their towns. They would announce festival days, decide what to do in difficult times, make sacrifices, and perform ceremonies for important life events. Four older men, called chac, helped the town priests.
Priests who performed human sacrifice were called ah nakom. Their status was not as high as other priests. Priests who gave predictions or messages from the gods were known as chilan or chilam, meaning 'oracular priest' or 'prophet'. This was a very important role, and the famous Chilam Balam books are named after them. These priests might have used special plants to help them see visions.
The Itzá Priesthood
The last independent Maya kingdom was the 17th-century Itzá kingdom in Nojpetén. It was ruled by King Kan Ekʼ and a high priest, Ajkʼín Kan Ekʼ. Their priesthood seemed to have 12 priests. In the king's home, there was a stone table with twelve seats for these priests. The Itzá high priest might have been the 13th member of this group.
Priests in Art
In Chichen Itza, especially in the Temple of the Warriors, there are carvings of old-looking people wearing long robes and large feather hats. They are carrying offerings. These figures are thought to be Itzá priests.
Priestly Jobs Outside Yucatán
Other Maya groups also had different names for their priests. For example, the Pokom Maya had terms like ah mai and ah zi for 'those who make offerings'. They also had ah quih for a diviner, and ihcamcavil, meaning 'carrier of the idol', for priests who carried sacred statues in processions. There were also priests who practiced magic for protection or against enemies.
The Priesthood in the Classic Period
The Classic Maya period was much earlier than the time the Spanish arrived. Even though old religions tend to stay the same, we can't assume everything about the later priests was true for the Classic period.
However, Classic Maya art shows many different kinds of priests. Some hieroglyphic titles might also refer to priests, such as ajkʼuhuun ('worshipper') or yajaw kʼahk ('master of fire').
Priestly duties during the Classic period included:
- Making sacrifices and praying to the gods.
- Helping to crown new kings.
- Writing and understanding special books called codices.
- Taking care of ritual places and tools.
Even though kings were very important, they also acted as high priests regularly.
How Priests Looked
Classic Maya art, especially on vases, shows people writing, reading books, performing ceremonies for kings, leading human sacrifices, and overseeing burials. These are all things priests would do. These figures often look old and serious. They sometimes wear long, heavy robes, feather jackets, special hats, and carry tools for sprinkling water.
Gods of the Priesthood
The main god for Classic priests was the supreme god, Itzamna. He was seen as the first priest and the first writer. Gods of writing and the calendar were also very important to priests, especially the writers among them. These included a Maya maize god and the Howler Monkey Gods. The Howler Monkey God was also linked to a specific day sign, suggesting he might have been a special god for those who told the future.
Maya Priesthood After the Spanish Conquest
After the Spanish Conquest, the old Maya priestly system mostly disappeared. Many Maya people died from new diseases. The religious roles changed to fit the new colonial society.
In Yucatán, local healers and herbalists, called ahmen, started to take on some priestly duties. They became responsible for rituals related to the forest and fields. Over time, these ahmen who were originally just healers, also started making prayers and sacrifices.
The parts of the old priesthood that involved reading and writing were partly taken over by local school teachers and church singers. These people might have been some of the ones who wrote and collected the Chilam Balam books.
In the Guatemalan Highlands, the changes were different. Over time, new, well-organized Maya priestly groups formed, like in the town of Momostenango. In this town, a group of 'mother-fathers' performs priestly tasks like prayer and sacrifice for the whole town, for different areas, and for family groups. Many people in this town also become initiated as diviners, called ajkʼij.
