MAYAN DEITIES

CHICHAAN

The vision serpent. The hallucinatory visions central to Maya ritual were symbolized by a rearing snake. Most vision serpents have smooth bodies, some show areas of flayed skin and in some cases feathered bodies. Serpent heads have long sometimes bulbous snouts, and most are bearded. The persona contacted through the vision is shown emerging from a gaping mouth. In the most common representation, the end of its tail is surmounted by a second head (a two headed serpent bar) with completely different features. This rear head can be replaced by a flint knife or a smoking ahau glyph. The most common rear head is the skeletal personification of blood, wich indicates that the vision comes from blood. When this is absent the serpent rears up from a bloodscroll instead.

CHAC XIB CHAC

The Rain God of the east,often identified with the color red. This chac often carries a symbolic ax. Most representations of him are partly Zoomorphic with reptilian features in the face, a long often down-curling snout and two carved fangs projecting downward from mouth. His long hair is gathered up atop the head in a loop. Chac Xib Chac's image is often seen paired with the baby jaguar in a dance sacrafice scene. In Maya cosmology, Chac Xib Chac is identified with the planet venus as the evening star.

IX CHEL

The Moon Goddess. She held the power to transform darkness into light and to cause birth and rebirth. Ix Chel has two aspects, an old woman healer goddess and a young moon goddess. She is sometimes depicted sitting in a crescent moon holding a rabbit. At other times she is seen in the company of an aged death god, wandering between the sky and underworld as the moon passes above and below the earth. Often she is depicted with companions who hug her or fondle her breasts.

KIHNICH AHAU

The Sun God, associated with number 4 and presumably the daytime sun. He could appear young or old. His likeness appears on pectoral ornaments worn by royal persons, both male and female. The four petal flower shaped "kin" symbol marks the head as the image of the sun, the "kin" sign is usually placed on his forehead or cheek, sometimes his arms or legs. He has a long bound hank of hair that falls forward, his teeth are often filed into a T-shape. Kinich Ahau transforms into a jaguar as he enters the underworld with the setting of the sun.

GOD L

The Old Death God. Probably "One Death" in the Popol Vuh. He is often depicted with a long nose, no teeth, jaguar ears and sometimes a square eye. He is often with a harem of minor goddesses. He smokes cigars and usually sits on a throne. He wears a headress of the mythylogical Maun bird (Oxlahun Chan, 13 Sky) perched atop.

XIBALBAN LORD

Death God A, a skeletal death lord. The face has skeletal features, his limbs are thin and his body marked by a bloated stomach associated with starvation. His lower jaw is skeletal, with a black stripe painted across his eyes. Akbal, the glyph for night and darkness covers his forehead. The nine lords of death (Xibalban Lords), played ball with a skull in Xibalba (the underworld).

GOD K

GOD K 's carved image is the scepter seen in the hand of some Maya kings. The diety of blood letting, kingship and sacrafice, he is the symbol of the royal office. The third born of the first creators three sons, God K is depicted with a snake in place of one foot, smoke scrolls from his tilted back head, and god markings above the knee and forearm. His most charachteristic feature is a forehead mirror punctured by either a flint celt, a smoking celt, a smoking cigar, a smoking torch or a ceramic torch holder. He is always mostly zoomorphic. His body has reptilian features, his hand and one foot are always human. He is always animated, alive.