Contemporary Maya Religion The Maya people of today also perform daily rituals to ensure life, health, and sustenance; but they do so in a different way. today the most commonly practiced religion in the region is a mix of Roman Catholicism and ancient Maya beliefs and rituals. [3] Because of the Spanish conquest, the nature gods of the past have been replaced by the worship of santos or saints. Most Maya still believe the sky is the domain of the sun, the moon, and the stars, but the sun is now associated with God or Jesus Christ, and the moon is associated with the Virgin Mary. [3] So the old Maya deities have taken a kind of transformation, but what about the rituals. Divination has changed somewhat in that they are performed by shamans who count seeds and use crystals. [1] Shamans are also traditional healers, bone setters, midwives, and herbalists. [5] When it comes to human sacrifice though that is where we can clearly see a change in practice. Today the only type of sacrifice that prevails is with animals such as chickens. The last recorded Maya human sacrifice occurred in 1868. [3] So even though there has been a change in Maya religious thought since the ancient times, it is clear to see how Maya religious beliefs and practices have shaped everyday life in the past and current. Most importantly is how we still have more the learn about the Classic period when it comes to Maya religious practices. Research has been ongoing now for a period of some 50 years. Archaeologists and anthropologists are beginning to gain critical insight into rites often depicted in ancient Maya art; which can be truly significant in our understanding of who the Maya were and what it means for the culture that has remained there since.
The Maya people of today also perform daily rituals to ensure life, health, and sustenance; but they do so in a different way. today the most commonly practiced religion in the region is a mix of Roman Catholicism and ancient Maya beliefs and rituals. [3] Because of the Spanish conquest, the nature gods of the past have been replaced by the worship of santos or saints. Most Maya still believe the sky is the domain of the sun, the moon, and the stars, but the sun is now associated with God or Jesus Christ, and the moon is associated with the Virgin Mary. [3] So the old Maya deities have taken a kind of transformation, but what about the rituals. Divination has changed somewhat in that they are performed by shamans who count seeds and use crystals. [1] Shamans are also traditional healers, bone setters, midwives, and herbalists. [5] When it comes to human sacrifice though that is where we can clearly see a change in practice. Today the only type of sacrifice that prevails is with animals such as chickens. The last recorded Maya human sacrifice occurred in 1868. [3] So even though there has been a change in Maya religious thought since the ancient times, it is clear to see how Maya religious beliefs and practices have shaped everyday life in the past and current. Most importantly is how we still have more the learn about the Classic period when it comes to Maya religious practices. Research has been ongoing now for a period of some 50 years. Archaeologists and anthropologists are beginning to gain critical insight into rites often depicted in ancient Maya art; which can be truly significant in our understanding of who the Maya were and what it means for the culture that has remained there since.
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