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&edu=high">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 Earth was conceived by the Maya as flat with four corners. Each corner represented a cardinal ...Read more

The Rain: Xib Chac

Xib Chac was the rain god according to the Mayan pantheon. The rain god was a benevolent deity, ...Read more

The Moon: Ix Chel

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

Venus: Kukulcan

Maya astronomers had a remarkably accurate knowledge of the apparent motion of Venus. They ...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?

Did you know that the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into giant plates, which occasionally move and can produce earthquakes?

Did you know that the Maya believed that the Earth was flat, and that there was a jaguar called a bacab in each corner that supported the sky?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Aesthenosphere
xAesthenosphere : The asthenosphere is the ductile part of the earth just below the lithosphere, including the lower mantle.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Mysterious Clouds Produced When Aircraft Inadvertently Cause Rain or Snow

As turboprop and jet aircraft climb or descend under certain atmospheric conditions, they can inadvertently "seed" mid-level clouds, causing narrow bands of snow or rain to develop and fall to...Read more


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