Mythology of the Mayas

Visit the links below to learn about Mayan myths related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world.

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Maya astronomers had a remarkably accurate knowledge of the apparent motion of <a href="/venus/venus.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/ozone_tropo.html">Venus</a>. They knew on what day Venus would appear again in the east after it had disappeared in the west. Venus, the morning star, was the patron planet of warfare.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

Explore Mythology of the Mayas

The Earth: Bacabs

The Maya believed the Earth was flat with four corners. Each corner represented a cardinal ...Read more

The Rain: Xib Chac

Xib Chac was the Mayan rain god. He was a benevolent god, and was represented by many colors. ...Read more

The Moon: Ix Chel

Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Mayan mythology. The Maya people lived ...Read more

Venus: Kukulcan

The ancient Mayans used the doorways and windows of their buildings as astronomical sightings, ...Read more

The Planet Mars

Mayans were sophisticated observers of the sky. Mayans used their astronomical knowledge to ...Read more

The Milky Way

Mayans seem to have thought of the Milky Way as the mystic road along which souls walk into ...Read more

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Did you know that ancient people were sometimes frightened by solar eclipses?

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Tuff
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Research Highlights

Composition of Rock Sediment Affected the Strength of Earthquakes in Sumatra

Earthquakes occur regularly in Sumatra, Indonesia because it is located near the boundary of two of Earth's tectonic plates. These earthquakes occur at 'subduction zones,' which are areas where one tectonic...Read more


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