Rulers were believed to be descendants of the gods and their blood was the ideal sacrifice, either through personal bloodletting or the sacrifice of captives of royal blood. The Mayans believed in a wide variety of gods and goddesses.
Ancient Mayan Beliefs
In the Mayan pantheon, gods and goddesses regularly required sacrifices of some sort, even blood or even human sacrifices. The Mayan vision of the universe is divided into multiple levels, above and below earth, positioned within the four directions of north, south, east and west. After death, the soul was believed to go to the Underworld.
Ixtab: The suicide goddess was called Ixtab. She is the Maya goddess of the hanged and suicide.She is always represented with a rope around her neck. The Mayans believed that suicides would lead you to heaven. Hence, it was very common for suicides to happen because of depression or even for something trivial.
Akhushtal (Akna): the goddess of Childbirth
Ix Chel, the Lady Rainbow: in Maya mythology, Ixchel or Ix Chel was an earth and moon goddess, patroness of weavers and pregnant women.One myth states that the sun was her "lover," but that her grandfather was very upset with this and he threw lightining at her out of jealousy which in turn killed Ix Chel.
Ix-Chel was almost too beautiful, this girl with opalescent skin who sat in the skies brushing her shimmering hair for hours on end. All the gods were captivated by her.
Ixtab: the goddess of the Hanged. She receives their souls into paradise.
Alaghom Naom: A goddess of wisdom, consciousness, education and the intellect. Also known as Alaghom Naom Tzentel and the Mother of Mind.
Ch'en: Goddess of the Moon, and the first female entity to experience intercourse.
Chirakan-Ixmucane: a creator Goddess, formed out of partition of four earlier creators. She is among the thirteen divinities who attempted a new creation. Other tales speak of a Goddess with many of her attributes, called Ixcuiname.
In Maya mythology, Ixbalanque or Xbalanque was originally a son of Hun Hunahpu and the virgin Blood Moon. Xbalanque is credited with saving his older brother's life at least once.
Xbalanque ascended to the heavens after his death and became associated with the full moon. Xbalanque is sometimes referred to as the Mayan moon goddess, having switched genders in those versions of the myth.
Within Mayan culture they have legends of visiting Gods from outer space. As in all creational myths, religions, and prophecies, the gods promise to return one day.
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