It is no news that Mayan Symbols are one of the most important archaeological findings in history. They have made such a huge impact in the social, economic, as well as political wave length in the society we live in today. The Mayan symbols carry a huge significance in representing the lifestyle of people of the past ad has been used to highlight ancient songs, images, or illustrations. Most Mayan symbols are been inscribed in stones as a form of glyphs. More of these glyphs can also be seen in ancient temples such as the Jaguar, Hunab Ku, Itzamna, Chacc, Hero Twins and the Kukulkan. Most of them were used to depict leadership, precision, and power which highlighted the sheer strength of the Mayan culture in terms of war. Other symbols were meant to portray peace as well. Like the Jaguar symbols for instance, it was a clear representation of confidence in harmony and strong communication amongst the people which lead to so many improvements in all forms of social vices. Many Mayan symbols proved that Mayans were also in touch with celestial beings and gods, thereby having the abilities to possess divine power which is one of the bedrocks of religion and spirituality of today. Some of these glyphs were not only rich in culture and heritage, but also in miracles divinity. These beliefs were said to be applied for solving high-stake issues like plagues and also containing disasters. Countless Mayan symbols have been uncovered for the past centuries. Hence, the more we keep learning about the unique lifestyle of this special culture.
Mayan Symbols - Central America Symbols
Crystal skull
Crystal skull is a human shaped skull made of clear or milky white quartz, amethyst and crystal. The Maya Indians are credited with the authorship of the amazing skulls discovered by archaeologists. One of the artifacts known as the “Skull of Destiny” is kept in the New York Museum. The skull has unusual optical properties. By placing any light source under it, you can see how the eye sockets of the skull begin to glow.
Ah Kin Mayan priest
Ah Kin “he is from the sun” is the title of priest in Mayan tradition. Unlike the Aztecs, the Mayan priests were not celibate. The sons followed their fathers in the office of priest, although sometimes the second sons of the rulers became priests. The title of the priest, Ah-Kin, speaks of the connection with the calendar and astronomy, and their duties included not only rituals, but also education. They also calculated the calendar, astronomical events, managed sacred places, ceremonies and holidays, provided prophecies, treated the sick, taught students to write and compiled genealogies of important persons.
Mayan King
Mayan kings were the centers of power of the Mayan civilization. Each Mayan city-state was under the control of a dynasty of kings. The eldest son usually inherited the position of king. The Maya kings felt the need to legitimize their claims to power. One way to do this was to build a temple or pyramid. The Maya kings felt the need to legitimize their claims of power. One way to do this was to build a temple or pyramid.
Mayan mask
Mayan mask was believed that the one who put on the mask seemed to pass into the creature that it portrayed. Therefore, during various ceremonies, the shaman and his assistants were required to wear masks made of wood, bones, feathers, etc., in order to transform themselves into the god to whom the ceremony was dedicated. It is worth mentioning that the acts of sacrifice were also performed in masks. Funeral masks were of great importance, which were made with special art. The most common materials for them were jade, obsidian, mother-of-pearl, turquoise, malachite. A distinctive feature of the burial masks was the presence of a half-open mouth. It is assumed that this feature is associated with the Mayan belief that a soul that leaves the body through the mouth is immortal, capable of being reborn and returning to its owner.
Maya’s initiations
Maya’s initiations are the rituals, always painful and with blood, that had to prove the courage and devotion of the initiate. Usually Maya initiated the kings, priests, warriors, later they began to initiate women. The higher the rank the Maya was, the bloodier and more painful the initiation was. One of the common initiations was the rite of “stringing”. This ritual can be called the most unusual variant of non-lethal ritual bloodletting among the Maya. Its essence was that all men of the same family, having gathered in the temple, alternately pierced their penises with a sharp spike, and through the holes they made they passed a string or rope. One common for all. According to the Maya, the soul and life energy were in the blood. Finding themselves thus “strung” on a rope soaked in common blood; they symbolized union with their divine ancestors. Later this rite began to be practiced among women. They pierced their tongues.
Fire dance
Fire dance is one of the ritual dances of the Maya, described by Landa in the “Report on the affairs of the Yucatan.” It took place a year under the sign of Kawak, which was considered dangerous and unhappy. Therefore, the Maya as an effective apotropaic act viewed the ceremony of purification. In the courtyard, a large vault of wood was made, filled with firewood, at the top of which a singer sat and made sounds from his drum. With the onset of night, everyone returned to the wooden vault: each took his own bundle, set it on fire, and then from the bundle set fire to the wood inside the vault. Those who danced walked barefoot over hot coals, which for some dancers resulted in serious injuries.
Pok ta pok Ballgame
Pok-ta-pok is the name of the stadium (type of stone structure where the Indians played ball for 2,700 years) and at the same time the name for a game in a ball, which ancient Maya played. The Maya saw it as a metaphor for the Cosmos – the movement of the ball across the field reminded them of the movement of planets in the Universe. The goal of the team was to score a four-kilogram rubber ball into the opponent’s ring, carved out of stone and vertically located on the wall. Archaeologists have discovered the largest playground in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza (Yucatan), a “stadium” that was built in 864.
Tohil
Tohil is a deity of the Kʼicheʼ Maya in the Late Post Classical period of Mesoamerica. According to Mayan mythology, the god of fire and thunder. The god Tohil gave warmth and fire to Maya. However, the rain that fell from the sky extinguished all the lights on the earth. Nevertheless, Tohil could conjure a flame at any moment by striking one foot against the other.
Ek Chuah
Ek Chuah (“black star”) – was the god of the merchants. Like any merchant, he had a backpack with goods behind him. He was depicted with thick lips, outlined around a dull red paint. Then he became the patron saint of cocoa and cocoa plantation owners. In his honor, ceremonies were held in the month of Muan. The connection between the merchants and cocoa is direct – back then cocoa beans were a universal currency.
Wayob
Wayob is a plural word path (uay) or a Mayan word with the basic meaning ‘sleeping’. In the Yucatec Maya it is a term specifically denoting a person who can transform into an animal during sleep, in order to cause harm. In the classical Maya period, the meaning of the word began to denote the guardian spirits of man. Each person had his own wayob in the form of an animal, who guides and helps that person through life.
Hunab Ku
Hunab Ku is a pre-Columbian god whose name translates as the only God or the one God. Scholars are still debating whether Hunab Ku is an indigenous god or a creation of the Spanish. The name Hunab Ku was used in colonial and doctrinal texts in particular to refer to the Christian God. Hunab Ku is defined as “the only living” and true god, and the greatest of the gods of the inhabitants of Yucatan. He had no form because the messengers said he could not be represented because he was incorporeal.
Chaac
Chaac (“axe”) is the god of rain and lightning. Originally Chaac was apparently a god of felling trees, clearing a patch of forest for a field (hence his name), but later became a deity of rain, fields and growing corn. Chaac ‘s usual attributes are an ax or a flaming torch (a symbol of burning felled trees). Chaac was thought of both in the singular and in the plural (four Chuck associated with the cardinal points and color symbols: east – red, north – white, west – black, south – yellow). Many Chaacs are mentioned in folk performance.
Kinich Ahau
Kinich Ahau is the sun god of the Mayans, sometimes associated with or an aspect of Itzamna. The sun played an important role in the life of the inhabitants of the American continent. Kinich Ahau is the god of the Sun, sunlight, warmth and life. The Mayan gods had unique symbols; the symbol of Kinich Ahau is a four-leafed flower. The Mayan deities had their own attributes; Kinich Ahau appeared in the images as a person with eyes of an unusual shape, square or oval, with only incisors in the mouth and tattoos in the form of a spiral, the hieroglyph of the day, on the nose and in corners of the mouth. Rare engravings depicting Kanich Ahau as a youth.
Kʼawiil
Kʼawiil is one of the supreme gods of the ancient Maya. He had power over various elements: earthquakes, hail, rain, thunderstorms. Kʼawiil is also a god of war, with the axe weapon constantly present. This god was the patron saint of the ruling dynasties in the large urban settlements of the Maya.
Some of the rulers had the name Kʼawiil. A feature of Kʼawiil ‘s image was his leg, which always looked like a snake. God Kʼawiil looks like a creature with a distorted face, a big nose.
Itzamna
Itzamna is one of the main deities of the Maya, at least, the cult of this deity was revered throughout the Mayan civilization, and all the inhabitants of the empire, without exception, worshiped him. Translated from the Indian language, Itzamna means “lizard house” or “iguana house”. Itzamna is one of the most ancient Mayan deities. Its history begins in the period of veneration of totemic animals, when, according to legends, the main Mayan gods were not yet born, and lizards, sacred Mayan animals, held the earth and the firmament on their heads and tails. The main Mayan deity in his images appeared in the form of an old man with one tooth in his mouth.
West Bakab – Chikin
West Bakab is one of the Bakab gods Each Bacab ran one of the destinations and its associated Bearer of the Year Day (one of the four New Years) and had its own color. West Bakab had black color. The bakabs were invoked in connection with rain and agriculture, as they were closely associated with the four Chaaks, or rain deities. Also due to their meteorological qualities, bakabs played an important role in divination ceremonies. “Four gods, four bakabs” were often used in healing rituals.
South Bakab – Nohol
South Bakab is one of the Bakab gods Each Bacab ran one of the destinations and its associated Bearer of the Year Day (one of the four New Years) and had its own color. South Bakab had yellow color. The bakabs were invoked in connection with rain and agriculture, as they were closely associated with the four Chaaks, or rain deities. Also due to their meteorological qualities, bakabs played an important role in divination ceremonies. “Four gods, four bakabs” were often used in healing rituals.
East Bakab – Likin
East Bakab is one of the Bakab gods Each Bacab ran one of the destinations and its associated Bearer of the Year Day (one of the four New Years) and had its own color. East Bakab had red color. The bakabs were invoked in connection with rain and agriculture, as they were closely associated with the four Chaaks, or rain deities. Also due to their meteorological qualities, bakabs played an important role in divination ceremonies. “Four gods, four bakabs” were often used in healing rituals.
North Bakab
North Bakab is one of the Bakab gods. Each Bakab ran one of the destinations and its associated Bearer of the Year Day (one of the four New Years) and had its own color. North Bakab had white color. The bakabs were invoked in connection with rain and agriculture, as they were closely associated with the four Chaaks, or rain deities. Also due to their meteorological qualities, bakabs played an important role in divination ceremonies. “Four gods, four bakabs” were often used in healing rituals.
Bakabs
Bakabs are gods in the Mayan mythology. They are the Hobnil brothers, Kan-Tsik-Nal, Sak-Kimi and Khosan-Ek, who stand in the four corners of the universe and support the sky so that it does not fall to the ground. Bakabs were associated with color and calendar symbols of the countries of the world. Therefore, Hobnil was associated with the east and red and was the patron saint of the years starting from the day of Kahn; Kan-Tsik-Nal – with north, white and Muluk years; Sak-Kimi – with the west, black and years of Predators; Khosan-Ek - with the south, yellow and Kawak years. Bakabs had an anthropomorphic appearance, but a number of images and written sources suggest that in ancient times they were thought of as animals (iguana, possum, turtle, and snail) or insects (spider, bees).
Teel Kusam
Teel Kusam is the oracle in Mayan mythology. According to the Spanish chronicler Gomara (16th century), there was a sanctuary on the island of Cozumel, where there was a hollow clay statue of Teel-Kusam with legs in the form of swallow paws. Inside it sat a priest that spoke predictions.
Jaguar throne
The Jaguar throne is a stone throne in the form of a jaguar, a symbol of power and the throne of the supreme ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza. In ancient times it was located in a sanctuary at the top of the Pyramid of Kukulkan and was subsequently discovered by archaeologists in one of the secret rooms inside the pyramid. The Jaguar throne is made of stone and painted in a red color, inlaid with shells and black-green jade. The spots on the skin of the jaguar are imitated by seventy-three jade discs. The eyes of the beast are also made of jade too.
Yum Kaax
Yum Kaax (“Lord of the Forests”) is the young god of corn, also known as Yum-Viila. Genetically goes back to the “fat god”. He was depicted as a young man or teenager with a head turning into a cob, or with wavy hair combed upward, like maize leaves. His cult was extremely popular.
Cold house of Xibalba
Cold house is the second one in Xibalba. It was the “Rattling House” or “Cold House”, full of chilling cold and rattling hail. Xibalba had at least six deadly homes filled with challenges for visitors. The purpose of these tests was to kill or humiliate the people placed in them if they could not outsmart the test.
Fire house of Xibalba
Fire house was the sixth house of Xibalba. The fire house filled with fires and heat. Xibalba had at least six deadly homes filled with challenges for visitors. The purpose of these tests was to kill or humiliate the people placed in them if they could not outsmart the test.
Jaguar house of Xibalba
Jaguar house is the third house of Xibalba. Jaguar House was filled with hungry jaguars. Xibalba had at least six deadly homes filled with challenges for visitors. The purpose of these tests was to kill or humiliate the people placed in them if they could not outsmart the test.
Dark house of Xibalba
Dark house is the first house in Xibalba. Xibalba had at least six deadly homes filled with challenges for visitors. The first was the Dark House, a house that was completely dark. In this house were the supreme deities of Xibalba. According to the Maya, the lords of Xibalba afflicted people with diseases. For example, rulers Shikiripat and Kuchumakik cause bleeding in people, Ah-Alpukh and Ah-Alkana caused jaundice (Chukanal), Sikh and Pathan caused throat bleeding with fatal outcomes in travelers.
Razor house of Xibalba
Razor house is the fifth house of Xibalba. The Razor house was filled with blades and razors that moved on their own. Xibalba had at least six deadly homes filled with challenges for visitors. The purpose of these tests was to kill or humiliate the people placed in them if they could not outsmart the test.
Bat house of Xibalba
Bat house of Xibalba is the fourth house of Xibalba that was filled with dangerous screeching bats. It was ruled by Camazotz, a god in the guise of a giant bat. Described as a huge bat with a knife on its nose. An inhabitant of Xibalba, met with the twin heroes Hunahpú and Xbalanque during their ordeal at the House of Bats, where he cut off the head of one of them.
Xibalbá
Xibalbá is the underworld, as well as the designation of the gods of the underworld in Mayan mythology. Xibalba appeared to be multi-layered, most likely nine layers or floors; the entrance was on the earth’s surface. The quiche epic Popol Vuh preserved the myth of the journey of the divine twins Hunahpú and Xbalanque to Xibalba, where they defeated its masters and freed their father and uncle.
Ah Puch
Ah Puch is one of the gods of death in Mayan mythology. Usually depicted in an anthropomorphic form with a skull instead of a head, black cadaveric spots on the body. His headdress has the shape of a caiman’s head. The Maya had a large number of death gods, their names vary depending on the tribe from which they are attested.
Huracan
Huracan is the wind god in Mayan tradition, whose name is translated as “the one who hurls downward” and he was one-legged. Huracan had three helper gods or incarnations: Kakulha-Huracan, Chipi-Kakulha and Rasha-Kakulha. Huracan’s messenger was the mythical bird Wok.
Kukulkán
Kukulkán is translated as “feathered serpent”. In Mayan mythology, he is one of the main deities. Kukulkan is a god of the four Holy Gifts – fire, earth, air and water. Each element was associated with a divine animal or plant: Air – Eagle, Earth – Corn, Fire – Lizard, Water – Fish. In Maya manuscripts and sculpture, Kukulkan is represented by at least six symbolic images. But mostly he was represented as a serpent. He was also depicted as an eagle, jaguar, snail shell, and finally as a flute made of bones.
Templo de Kukulkán El Castillo
Templo de Kukulkán El Castillo is located in the center of Chichen Itza. The pyramid of Kukulkan is 30 meters (75 feet) high and 55.3 meters across. Like many other temples in the region, the Kukulkan Temple was built on the site of an older pyramid. The Maya collected enough building materials, drove people around, and then increased the pyramid in height and width. The pyramid was built approximately between the 11th and 13th centuries and was dedicated to the god Kukulkan (feathered serpent). During the spring (March 20th) and the autumnal equinox (September 21st), the pyramids cast a shadow along a staircase that looks like a snake crawling down the side of the building. At the base of the pyramid stairs is a stone snake head.
The Mayan Numbers
The Mayan Numbers are the notation of numbers based on the positional numeral system used by the Maya civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. This system was used for calendar calculations. In everyday life, the Maya used a non-positional system similar to the ancient Egyptian. The Mayan numbers themselves give an idea of this system, which can be interpreted as recording the first 19 natural numbers in a five-fold non-positional number system. The Maya numbers consisted of zero (shell sign) and 19 compound numbers. These numbers were constructed from the sign of the unit (dot) and the sign of the five (horizontal bar). For example, the number 19 was written as four dots in a horizontal row above three horizontal lines.
Maya codices
Maya codices are ideographic manuscripts of the Mayan people. Now, several surviving codices are usually marked by the names of the cities in whose libraries they are located. Topics of the codices were religion, astronomy and astrology, history, prophecy and divination practices, agricultural and calendar cycles, etc. With their help, priests interpreted the phenomena of nature and the actions of divine forces and performed religious rites.
Mayan World
Mayan World is the territory of the spread of the Mayan civilization. The beginning of the formation of the Mayan civilization dates back to 2000 BC. Presumably, their ancestors were the Mesolithic tribes, who gradually settled along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Yucatan to Tampico. As the settlement developed, trade developed, temples grew on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and writing appeared. The Mayan buildings are monuments of their perception of the world. There were Tulum with Mayapan, the legendary Chichen Itza, and the 70-meter pyramids of Tikal. This entire splendor was built without the use of sophisticated techniques.
Ahau
Ahau is the day of the sun god, Sun-Eyed Fire Macaw. The Mayan living system comprised of independent city-states, with each having its own lord. Ahau is the day dedicated to the sun god, and considered to be a sacred day. Because of the way the Mayans lived, Ahau was not limited to one individual or deity but associated with individuals based on the city-state. The Ahau also performed religious duties, making it a member of the Mayan priesthood.
Ahau is part of the Maya calendar and it is the twentieth day.
Kawak
Kawak is a symbol of thunder. In Mayan culture, it was believed that lightning occurred because of the rain god Chaak. If he struck the clouds with his lightning ax, it was what causes storms. It is also seen as a day for family, for community and to nurture group relationships.
Kawak is part of the Maya calendar and it is the nineteenth day.
Etznab
Flint was an important part of Mayan life and the Etznab is representative of that. Without metals, blades and tools were made of either flint or obsidian. Etznab is a sign of grace and healing. It is also representative of strength and courage. Flint is part of the Maya calendar and it is the eighteenth day.
Kaban
Because of the terrain around the Mayan dwellings, the earth itself was an important element that Kaban is connected to. The area was surrounded by volcanos and prone to earthquakes, and the Mayans recognized the unpredictability of the element. The Kaban was seen as a representation of the literal force that the earth possesses as well as the forces in humans. Kaban also means knowledge and it is the seventeenth day of the Maya calendar.
Kib
A word for candle, the symbol for Kib is representative of some of the more everyday aspects of Mayan culture. The Maya kept stingless bees for both honey and wax. The wax was used to create candles with a sweet smell. The kib, or rather, these candles were then used to light sacred places such as caves and temples as well as palaces.
Kib is part of the Maya calendar and it is the sixteenth day.
Men
A symbol for the eagle, Men is one of the most powerful signs. It united the sun and the moon, and its patron is the Sun God Hunahpu Ahau, Kukulkan. The face is that of the Moon Goddess, which Mayans associated with wisdom. Men is largely seen a symbol of unity and integrity, and a balance between masculine and feminine. Men is part of the Maya calendar and it is the fifteenth day.
Ix
The jaguar is an important part of Maya culture. The Ix symbol is associated with vitality, wisdom, and the Maya altar. It is a sacred symbol. It considered a sacred divinity that is present on Earth. Ix is part of the Maya calendar and it is the fourteenth day.
B’en
Corn and maize were staple plants for the Mayans. The corn or the maize plant were seen as rods of both virtue and divine power. The symbol is associated with triumph and meaning. It is also part of the Maya zodiac and associated with intelligence and luck. B’en is part of the Maya calendar and it is the thirteenth day.
Eb
Eb means a skull, and the patron saint are the divine twin brothers Hun-Akhpu.
In Mayan mythology, there is a description of the world during its creation and a staircase is mentioned. The staircase is the pyramid of Heaven and Earth. Eb’s symbol is representative of the road of life, and the journey man takes to reach the pyramid. It is symbolic of a general order, and of unity. Eb is part of the Maya calendar and it is the twelfth day.
Chuwen
In Maya culture, Chuwen is the god of creation. The symbol is representative of life, destiny, and the infiniteness of life. In Maya legend, Chuwen (also known as B’atz) created all that is known on earth. Chuwen is part of the Maya calendar and it is the eleventh day.
Ok
The Ok symbol is representative of the law. This encompasses both human law, as well as divine law. The Mayans placed importance on the concepts of justice and order, and enforcing this rule. The Ok symbol is part of the Maya zodiac.
Ok is part of the Maya calendar and it is the tenth day.
Muluk
A water sign, Muluk represents raindrops. Its patron god is Chaak, a rain god. Mayan culture ascribed a lot of value to rain. It was believed that the energy of rain was put into special posts and protected by followers of Chaak. As time goes on, these pots burst from the energy and bring about rain. Jade was seen as a partner for water and as a life force. Jade is a jewel while water is a sacred earthly force.
Lamat
Lamat, also known as the Rabbit, is a symbol of fertility, abundance and the sign of a new beginning. It is about transformation, and recognizing the changes in life. The Lamat symbol is also a representation of the planet Venus. In Mayan culture, the planet Venus is associated with life, death, and rebirth. Lamat is part of the Maya calendar and it is the eighth day.
Manik
Manik is a symbol of the protector deer god, Tohil. Tohil is one of the gods of the hunt, which play an important rule in Mayan culture. The deer represents both the hunter and the prey, and the unending cycle of life and death. They are not enemies, but part of a larger cycle. The deer are considered sacred to life, and what all living things must follow. Manik is part of the Maya calendar and it is the seventh day.
Kimi
The Kimi symbol, also known as Kame, is representative of death. Kimi is the guardian of ancestors and their advice. Kimi is the symbol of reincarnation and rebirth. In Mayan culture, death was seen as a way to attain peace and easiness, and Kimi is a representation of that. It represents harmony and balance. Kimi is part of the Maya calendar and it is the sixth day.
Chiccan
The Chiccan is a symbol of a serpent. In Maya culture, the serpent is associated with divinity and visions. It is a symbol for the deity of the Heavenly Serpent who takes on many kinds of forms. It is a symbol for energy, and the connection between man and Higher Forces. Chiccan is part of the Maya calendar and it is the fifth day.
Kan
The Kan symbol is associated with fertility and abundance. Kan symbolizes harvest and wealth in this context. The lizard is seen as a sign of harvest ripening, and rituals were held in the summer to call on the forces of nature. The lizard is also a symbol of growing maize as it slowly gains strength, so Kan is also known as the grain. Kan is part of the Maya calendar and it is the fourth day.
Akbal
Akbal is also known as the father of the earth. He is the guardian of the caves as well as the guardian of the dawn. When day becomes night, dreams become easier and for the Maya, this was very important. The dawn also holds special importance as it was believed that people of the Dawn are responsible for upholding tradition and keeping things in place. Akbal is associated with abundance and harmony. Akbal is part of the Maya calendar and it is the third day.
Ik
The Ik is the spirit of the wind. The Ik is a spirit that is responsible for infusing life into Earth. Its patron is the God of Wind. For the Maya, the wind played an important role. It was believed that wind could enter the human body and cause diseases. However, the wind was also important for rain, which is why it is seen as the symbol of the breath of life. Ik is part of the Maya calendar and it is the second day.
Imix
The Imix is a sign of another world, another reality. The Maya believed that crocodiles possessed sacred knowledge of the underworld. They served as a connection to the human world to bring that knowledge forth into physical reality. The Imix is representative of different dimensions and existences and can be associated with madness and insanity. It is the spirit of the rain, and on the day of the Imix, the Maya give thanks and pray for rain and water, that their dreams bring them wisdom rather than madness. The Imix is also the first day of the Maya calendar.
