Maya´s Rituals

The Maya were a religious people, who lived in fear of the destructive nature of their gods. And their rituals became a very important part of their religion, they have many traditions to commemorate the recently deceased and worship long, departed ancestors. In Maya rituals are outstanding death, for example, people who died by suicide, sacrifice, complications of childbirth and in battle were thought to be transported directly into heaven. Otherwise, the dance was also an important part of the ritual. Both men and women had their dances and individuals seldom danced together. The festivities dedicated to the gods were held at a date fixed by the tzolk'in or ritual calendar. The priests organized ceremonies, ornamentation of the temples and presenting offerings. There were also ball games (pot-a token), drama, processions and other celebrations.

The pot-a token is the ball game, which represents the origins of the universe and aimed at reviving the myths of the creation of maize and other astronomical phenomena. This is a ritual of passage, death and rebirth that legitimizes military action and political power.

The Maya ceremonies have relevant and different elements, for example the self, where it is pierced tongue, lobes and offering sexual organs and blood collection; the animals and human sacrifices; the dances, songs, drama, prayers; the fasting and abstinence and use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Among the ceremonies still practiced within our ch'a Chaak, which plead to each, helpers of the god of rain when the rainy season is delayed.

By

Carolina Méndez Sánchez