Mayan culture consisted of three worlds or dimensions. The First of which was Earth, a place for the ordinary people to live and worship the Gods. The Second was The Heavens, the place reserved for the Good gods that would help you in your time of need if you worshiped them in the right way. The third was the Underworld, home to the most evil of evil souls. This place was reserved for the demons, bad Gods and those who did not pray to the Gods or would do wrong by them.
The Mayans believed that if they didn't pray to the Gods, they would unleash the demons from the underworld to punish the people for not holding the Gods as their #1 priority. To ensure that the demons would be held in the underworld, The Mayan priests would hold ceremonies every week to celebrate the Gods. The priests would also wear frightening masks to scare the demons that roamed the earth away by looking stronger and scarier. Heaven was believed to have 13 layers, and each layer had its own god. Uppermost was the muan bird, a kind of screech-owl. The Underworld had nine layers, with nine Lords of the Night. The Underworld was a cold, unhappy place and was believed to be the destination of most Maya after death. Heavenly bodies such as the Sun, the Moon, and Venus, were also thought to pass through the Underworld after they disappeared below the horizon every evening.
The major God of the Mayan people was Izamna, who was known as the fire and earth God as well as being a creator. A creator of the heavens and banishing the lords of night to the underworld. The Mayan people believe that Izamna created them so that they could serve the many gods by worshipping them.
The Mayans believed that if they didn't pray to the Gods, they would unleash the demons from the underworld to punish the people for not holding the Gods as their #1 priority. To ensure that the demons would be held in the underworld, The Mayan priests would hold ceremonies every week to celebrate the Gods. The priests would also wear frightening masks to scare the demons that roamed the earth away by looking stronger and scarier. Heaven was believed to have 13 layers, and each layer had its own god. Uppermost was the muan bird, a kind of screech-owl. The Underworld had nine layers, with nine Lords of the Night. The Underworld was a cold, unhappy place and was believed to be the destination of most Maya after death. Heavenly bodies such as the Sun, the Moon, and Venus, were also thought to pass through the Underworld after they disappeared below the horizon every evening.
The major God of the Mayan people was Izamna, who was known as the fire and earth God as well as being a creator. A creator of the heavens and banishing the lords of night to the underworld. The Mayan people believe that Izamna created them so that they could serve the many gods by worshipping them.