Sometime between 2000 and 1000 B.C., the Maya discovered corn -- and with it, the art of farming. This discovery meant that they no longer had to wander for food but instead could plant corn, which became their principle food, in the same fields year after year. They were now able to begin the creation of their remarkable civilization.

They built cities in the jungle with open stone plazas surrounded by enormous pyramids. They fashioned palaces, painted them in brilliant colors, and carved figures in feathered headdresses into the walls. At the height of their kingdom, they controlled an area six times the size of ancient Rome. And they learned to map the stars and planets long before the Europeans could.

No one knows exactly why the ancient Maya suddenly disappeared around A.D. 800. However, this tale of creation survived and is still told in villages today. In this tale, unlike most creation stories, the gods first try and fai, then try and fail again, before they finally succeed. You can find this story in some of the most important Mayan beliefs. The first is that the roots of all living things are connected. For the Maya say that if you cut down a tree, you must ask forgiveness or a star will fall out of the sky.

To the Maya, everything in the world is a part of one life force. The fate of everything -- dreams and real life, animals and people, mountains and stars -- is bound together in the endless flow of time.

Excerpt from People of the Corn by Mary-Joan Gerson, 1995.

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How to cite the excerpt above:

The Maya believe "the roots of all living things are connected. For the Maya say that if you cut down a tree, you must ask forgiveness or a star will fall out of the sky" (Gerson).

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Watch the Mayan Creation Myth Video:

4:09 min video

"the mayan creation myth" video uploaded by Fiona Passantino is licensed under a Standard YouTube License

How to cite this youtube video:

The Mayan people believed that "before the world had a true form, there were two gods, Tepeu the Maker and Gucumatz the Feathered Spirit" (Passantino).

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Analysis:

Compare the similarities and differences in this creation myth to the others.
For example, did any of the other gods make mistakes? Did they try more than once to "get it right"? Did they have a relationship with their creation? Look closely at the idea of nature in relationship to humanity.

Except where otherwise noted, the content on this page is by Sheri Gietzen, Tacoma Community College, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Links to an external site.).