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The Moon
The European "man in the moon" was called the "rabbit in the moon" in ancient Mexico. This symbol is depicted on Classical (250-900 AD) Maya monuments as a goddess seated in the crescent moon with a rabbit in her arms. See "How to see the hare in the moon" at Ian's Lunar Pages The goddess most often illustrated in the Dresden Codex and other post- Classical (900-1514 AD) Maya glyph books is likely a moon goddess. Her name is uncertain, but she is likely Ix Chel. The Codices also illustrate an aged goddess, perhaps Chak Chel. Ix Chel may represent the young, crescent moon, and Chak Chel the old moon. Right: "Young Goddess" (Ix chel) from the Dresden Codex "Moon Goddess" pages, almanacs of the 260 day cycle called the tzolk'in. .More about these almanacs |
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 According to Friar Landa's 16th Century account, the principal Maya Goddess at the time of the Conquest was Ix Chel,, "Lady Rainbow." He identified her as the goddess of medicine and childbirth. However, she was likely a multi-faceted female deity known by many names. She was likely also the Moon Goddess, patroness of weaving and other womanly arts, and Goddess of Fertility. The "Young Goddess" and "Old Goddess" of the glyph books are probably aspects of a single female principle.
The Names of the Goddess | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Surprisingly, there is no glyph in either the in******ions or glyph books that can be read unequivocally as u, "moon". In Classical in******ions, long count dates are often followed by what are called the "lunar series" glyphs, which record the age of the moon (days since new moon). The glyph at the left sometimes appears in the lunar series, and is read by some epigraphers as the moon glyph. Evidence that this reading is correct is found in the Dresden Codex eclipse table page. Here, a very similar glyph is suspended between darkness and light, representing the moon as it moves through the earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse. More about the Dresden Codex eclipse table |
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 Lunar series glyphs: The first example of the lunar age glyph (Glyph D of the lunar series) at left reads "the 4th [day ] has arrived." The four dots count the days, and the pointing hand is a logograph for hu, "arrive". The second example reads "the 10th [day] has arrived." The two bars count 2 x 5 = 10, and the iguana head (huh in Yucatec) signifies "arrive." Only the third example includes what may be the moon glyph. It may read "the 11th [day] of the moon," but some epigraphers believe the main glyph is just another logograph for "arrive." More about the lunar series. |
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The Sun
The Maya Sun God is frequently illustrated on monuments of the Classical era (250-900 AD) and in post-Classical (900-1514 AD) glyph books (codices). The identifying features of the god include a four-parted k'in ("day") sign, a squinting eye, and protruding filed tooth. The most common solar icon (left) has a human face. A jaguar-faced Sun God (right) may represent the sun at night, during its sojourn in the Underworld. The Sun God is the most ancient Maya deity that can be identified in the archaeological record. Massive stucco masks recently discovered at the pre-Classical Maya city of Cival, Guatemala (200-150 BC) depict the Sun God. The sun was a symbol of royal authority in the Classical period. Kings often bear the solar title K'inich Ahaw (Sun-eyed Lord). This was also likely the name of the Sun God. |
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In Yucatec and Chol, the languages of the Maya ******, k'in means both "day" and "sun." The symbolic k'in sign (right) probably represents a day-blooming flower. It is most commonly encountered in dates: Together with a number, it is a count of days. The glyphs at left substitute the head of the Sun God for the k'in sign. The prefix is the zero glyph, representing a count of "zero days." More about calendrical glyphs |  |
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More sun symbols: In the Popol Vuh, a post- Conquest account of the myths and legends of theQuiche Maya, Xbalanque, one of the "hero twins" of the mythic age, "became the sun." In the Classical period, he was known as Yax Balam (Great Jaguar). The Popol Vuh recounts the twins' journey to the Underworld....FFor more about the Hero twins see "The Chinkultic disk" Yax Balam is likely also god GIII, one of the deities of the so-called Palenque traid. The Temple of the Sun at Palenque, dedicated in 690 AD, illustrates a ritual "sun shield." Palenque texts recount that the ruler Chan Balam (Sky Jaguar) "entered (became?) the sun" during a ritual performance. The glyphs at the right are elite titles and names of the Sun God. K'inich Ahaw (Sun- eyed Lord) combines the k'in sign with the syllable ich (a fist), and the Ahaw (Lord) glyph. The other title, identified by a "wing" postfix (= ma), is literally Mak'inah (Great Sun), but epigraphers believe this title should also be read K'inich Ahaw. |
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In the Dresden Codex eclipse pages, both the k'in symbol and the face of the Sun God represent the sun itself. The glyphic text accompanying the table of eclipse dates and eclipse images contains a glyph that appears to read "eclipse of the sun." It consists of the k'in sign and a background representing the sun passing through the moon's shadow at the time of an eclipse. It is shown at left incorporated into one of the eclipse images that illustrate the table. Other images symbolic of eclipses in the table include the Death God over a k'in sign (right). More about the Dresden Codex eclipse table |  |
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Venus
In Maya myth, Venus is the companion of the sun. This no doubt reflects the fact that Venus is always close to the sun in the sky, rising not long before sunrise as morning star or after sunset as evening star. In the Classical period (250-900 AD), Venus was associated with Hun Ahaw, who guided his twin Yax Balam, the sun, through the Underworld. Hun Ahaw later became Hunaphu in the Hero Twins myth cycle in the post-Conquest Popul Vuh. Translator Dennis Tedlock interprets these myths as an account of the apparitions of Venus from heliacal rise as morning star, through disappearance beneath the night time horizon, to rise again as evening star. See "The Chinkultic disk" for more about the Hero twins |
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The association between the sun and Venus appears to date back to the pre-Classical period. A huge pair of jaguar masks decorated a temple facade at Cerros in about 50 BC. According to Schele and Freidel, the lower masks represent the sun at each horizon; the upper masks symbolize Venus as morning and evening star.
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The Venus table in the post-Classical Dresden Codex (c. 1200 AD) begins with heliacal rise of the planet on the date 1 (hun) Ahaw in the sacred almanac known as the tzolk'in. But the post-Classical deity most closely associated with Venus is Kukulkan, the Maya counterpart of the Aztec/Toltec culture hero Quetzelcoatl. He is illustrated in the Dresden Codex Venus table. However, the table actually includes a whole pantheon of Venus deities. Kulkukan is portrayed as only one of four Lords of Venus at heliacal rise. There are also four Lords of Venus as morning star, and Venus Lords for each of the other apparitions of the planet. More about the Dresden Codex Venus table and Venus deities |
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Mesoamerican deities are more amorphous than the gods of Greek and Roman myth. All were likely conceived as manifestations of itz or ch'ul, the sacred stuff that animates the world. Each deity appears to have had multiple aspects, which over-lapped with those of others. The multiple Venus gods are perhaps typical. Another example, also from Venus mythology, is the confusing identity of GI, one of the deities of the Paleneque triad. GI is likely equivalent to Hun Ahaw, but his glyph resembles Chak, the Rain God. This is perhaps not surprising since Chak has other associations with Venus. |
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The Venus glyph was one of the first non-calendrical glyphs to be identified. It is a four-pointed star. Standing alone it reads 'ek, "star", and may stand for either Venus or a lesser "star." It is often paired with a prefix that reads chak, "red" or "great". Chak 'ek, "great star," probably refers specifically to Venus. |
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| Ah Tzul Ahaw: Another Venus deity is illustrated in the Dresden Codex eclipse table as a figure with a Venus glyph head hanging from eclipse symbols. Its name glyph reads Ah Tzul Ahaw, "Dog Lord." In Aztec myth, Venus is sometimes portrayed as a dog who leads the Sun (and dead kings) through the Underworld. Ah Tzul Ahaw may have been regarded as a causative agent of eclipses, and is probably closely related to the Tzitzimime, a malevolent monster that decended to earth during eclipses according to Aztec legend.
See translation of the Ah Tzul Ahaw text in the Dresden Codex. |
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According to the Manu****** of Serna, a missionary report from central Mexico, on the day Venus rose as morning star (heliacal rise), the people "prepared a feast, warfare, and sacrifices". Perhaps because of its association with war, the heliacal rise of Venus came to be regarded as a time when dire events could be expected. The Lords of Venus as morning star in the Dresden Codex (including Kukulkan above) are armed with spears, and shoot darts into victims. Most wars recorded in Classical in******ions are dated to the heliacal rise of Venus, other apparitions of Venus, or to the stationary points of Jupiter and Saturn. The most frequent "war glyph" combines the Venus glyph and an emblem glyph naming a Maya city-state, implying war at the place named by the emblem glyph.
Mars does not figure prominently in Maya myth. No god can be identified as the "Mars God." However, the Dresden Codex contains a table tracking the motion of Mars. The illustrations in the table show a strange animal hanging from a sky-band. Dubbed the "Mars Beast" by scholars, it is likely a peccary. The beast's name glyph appears in the text of the table as a stylized head with a curved snout.
Mars is also represented, but as a human figure, in the murals at Bonampak.
Left: Page from the Mars Table. The Mars beast name glyph is at the top of the second column of text. More about the Dresden Codex Mars Table
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The Maya Zodiac
In both in******ions and glyph books, celestial bodies are often shown suspended from a "sky band." Each element in the band is a glyph with astronomical significance, though all of them have not been deciphered. The sky band represents the ecliptic, the path of the sun, moon, and planets through the heavens against the background of stars. 
In European astronomy, star groups along the ecliptic mark the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. The Paris Codex includes a Maya zodiac, divided into 13 constellations. The constellations are represented by fantastic beasts suspended from sky bands. Unfortunately, the manu****** is damaged, so identification of the constellations is difficult.
Above right: Turtle (ak) and "3 stones" (Ox Tun) hang from sun signs and sky band (from Madrid Codex). The 3 stones and turtle represent bright stars in Orion. The "3 stones of Creation" are an important symbol in Maya creation myths.
Left: The Paris Codex appears to associate the turtle (figure at centre of the codex page) with Gemini, but it may in fact symbolize the Gemini/Orion region straddling the ecliptic. Gemini is represented by a pair of peccaries in other sources. See the complete Paris Zodiac, and identification of the constellations composing it.
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 The ecliptic is also represented by the two-headed "Cosmic Monster." The front head may have deer ears or hooves, and is almost always marked with the Venus glyph. The rear head usually has a fleshless jaw, and is almost always marked with a k'in (sun) sign. The monster's body is either a sky band or reptile. As a two-headed snake, it appears as the "serpent bar," an emblem of royal authority carried by rulers. |
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The Milky Way
The World Tree is the most pervasive Maya symbol of the creation and ordering of the world. It is the axis of the Earth-Sky. Its roots lie in the Underworld, Xibalba, and its top reaches into the heavens. In the post-Conquest Books of Chilam Balam, it is named Yax Imix Che, (first or green ceiba tree), "raised in the middle of the world." It is named in the Temple of the Cross at Palenque as the Wakah Chan, the "raised up sky." The World Tree is symbolized by the Milky Way. On the night of August 13, the date of creation, the Milky Way stands erect at dawn, running through the zenith from north to south. It becomes the axis of the heavens, the raised up sky. See "Raising the Sky: The Maya Creation Myth and the Milky Way" |
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On the sarcophagus of the Palenque ruler Pakal, the dead king is depicted falling along the World Tree into the Underworld. An accompanying text reports that he has "taken the road." Sak be, "white road," is a name for the Milky Way known from other sources.
Right: Monster at foot of Palenque cross represents the entrance to the Underworld. Deep pools and caves are Underworld portals, marked by the "Waterlily Monster" or " Witz' /Kawak Monster." A glyph representing a mountain (witz') split open by lightning (kawak) often names a portal. |
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Wakah Chan: The glyph Linda Schele identified as the name of the World Tree/Milky Way in the in******ion in the Palenque Temple of the Cross is Wakah Chan, "raised up sky." The main element is the most commonly encountered glyph for chan, "sky." The prefix is the number six, which is pronounced wak in Mayan languages. The affix above the main glyph is ah, a verbal affix commonly encountered in the Maya ******.
The deity who raises the sky is named Wakah Chan Ahaw, "Raised Up Sky Lord," in some creation accounts. At Palenque he is named Hun-Nal -Ye, "First Sprout Revealed," probably a name for the Maize God, and "First Father" (God GI'). In some Maya accounts of creation, it is the sacrifice and resurrection of the Maize God that raises the World Tree. |
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Principal Bird Deity: Celestial Pole
On pre-Classical monuments rulers often wear a bird deity headress, and are depicted dancing in bird regalia. The rulers in these scenes may impersonate the true sun at zenith, which replaced 7 Macaw.
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 The Maya World Tree rose in the centre of the Earth-Sky. About this centre, the cosmos was divided into four quarters, each oriented to one of the cardinal points, and each associated with its own sacred tree and colour. Each quarter is divided in turn, creating eight partitions of the world. The trees at the cardinal points support the sky, a role also assigned in some accounts to deities known as Bakabs, Pawahtuns, or Chaks.
East (lak'in) is the direction of sunrise, associated with red (chak), the colour of dawn. West (chik'in) is the direction of sunset; its colour is black (ek'). North
See more examples of colour/direction glyphs from the Rabbit in the Moon |
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Colour and direction glyphs are mostly examples of logographs, glyphs that stand for a complete word. Some logographs are pictographs, but others, like the sak sign are abstract symbols.
The glyph for lak'in (east) is an example of the use of phoneticism in the May ******. The upside down face is a phoneme, a consonent-vowel syllable, in this case la. It is combined with the k'in logograph to spell lak'in. The "wing" post-fix is another phoneme, ni. It serves as a phonetic complement, indicating the final sound of the word. Complements were sometimes added to a glyph to avoid confusion with similar words. The Chik'in (west) glyph is composed in much the same way. Here, the "fist" element is the phoneme chi. |
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Note on Schellhas' gods: In 1904, Paul Schellhas attempted to distinguish the deities illustrated in the glyph books (codices), and assigned letter names to each. The probable Mayan names of many, but not all, are now known, but the Schellhas designations, amended by later scholars, are still used. See an illustrated list of Schellhas Gods
The deities referred to on this page include: God A (Kisin or Yum Kimil, Death God); God B (Chak, Rain God); God C (ch'ul, "holy"); God CH (Yax Balam); God D (Itzamna); God E (Yum Kaax?, Hun-Nal-Ye, Maize God); God G (K'inich Ahaw, Sun God); Goddess I (Ix Chel, young Moon Goddess); God N (Pawahtun or Bakab); Goddess O (Chak Chel, old Moon Goddess), and God S (Hun Ahaw). Other important deities include God K (K'awil = GII of the Palenque Triad, identified with royal lineages); and God L (An important Lord of the Underworld and Merchant God).
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(xaman) is white (sak). The colour of the south (nohol) is yellow (k'an). Green (
