Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Maya kings also offered their own blood to the gods. The rulers were also expected to have a good mind to solve problems that the city might be facing, including war and food crises. Maya kings were expected to ensure the gods received the prayers, praise and attention they deserved and to reinforce their divine lineage. [1]
The king's power derived from religion and control over resources, and this power was reinforced by other elites, including merchants. [1] This faction of ancient Mayan social classes arose when some individuals gained greater access to resources than others, increased internal and external trade, and specialized in the manufacturing and ...
Maya armies of the Contact period were highly disciplined, and warriors participated in regular training exercises and drills; every able-bodied adult male was available for military service. Maya states did not maintain standing armies; warriors were mustered by local officials who reported back to appointed warleaders.
The surviving Mayan books are mainly of a ritual and also (in the case of the Paris Codex) historical nature, and contain few mythical scenes. As a consequence, depictions on temple walls, stelae, and movable objects (especially the so-called 'ceramic codex') are used to aid reconstruction of pre-Spanish Mayan mythology.
The social basis of the Classic Maya civilization was an extended political and economic network that reached throughout the Maya area and beyond into the greater Mesoamerican region. [54] The dominant Classic period polities were located in the central lowlands; during this period the southern highlands and northern lowlands can be considered ...
Interesting Facts for Adults. 11. If you cut down a cactus in Arizona, it can result in a class 4 felony and up to 25 years in prison. ... Next: 105 True or False Questions—Fun Facts To Keep You ...
The oldest surviving written account of Popol Vuh (ms c. 1701 by Francisco Ximénez, O.P.). Popol Vuh (also Popul Vuh or Pop Vuj) [1] [2] is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, as well as areas of Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
The Maya gods included Kukulkán (also known by the Kʼicheʼ name Gukumatz and the Aztec name Quetzalcoatl) and Tepeu. The two were referred to as the Creators, the Forefathers or the Makers. According to the story, the two gods decided to preserve their legacy by creating an Earth-bound species looking like them.