The Mayan Ballgame The ballgame was part of the Mayan religion. It took place in a court that was usually in a plaza in a Mayan City. Two teams of players would play against each other and usually the losers would become victims of sacrifice. The two teams hit a rubbery ball off each other. Touching the ball with the hands or feet was not allowed, but instead you had to use your hips, body, legs or arms to knock the ball in different directions. Players would wear protective padding around their waists since the ball was heavy and hard. Teams scored points by making contact or penetrating ring-shaped markers placed on the wall or by knocking the ball to the other's team's goal area.

The practice of sacrifice. Some of the ways the Mayan culture sacrificed people were by hanging, drowning, mutilating beheading or sometimes even beating to death. I will tell you one of the most shocking ways. The victim was sometimes stripped from his clothes and painted blue. Blue was the colour of sacrifice. After being painted blue the victim was led up to the top of the pyramid until he reached a stone altar. The altar was made so when you lie down your back and chest go up while your legs and arms go down. Then four men called "chacs," also painted blue, held his arms and legs down when he lay upon the altar. By this time the nacom, the executioner was ready to begin. In his hand he held a knife made from stone, then with great skill struck the victim with the knife between the ribs on the left side. He then reached into the man's body and took his heart while he was still alive and placed it on a plate, which was handed to the priest who then quickly rubbed the face of the idols with fresh new red blood. Afterwards the victim was pushed down the steps of the temple.

Human beings were not he only thing that could be sacrificed; food, animals; ornaments could also be given to the gods. Bloodletting was also an important form of sacrifice. Priests and even kings would strike thorns or stingray spines into their ears, nose lips, tongue and other body parts. All these sacrifices were to please the gods.

Heaven, Hell and Burial. The Maya believed that there were numerous heavens and hells which person could go to after death. Before a man would die he would go to a priest and confess his sins so he could be freed from the devil. A taboo would be placed on his tools once he died. These would either be buried with him or burned. Before the man was buried a bead made of jade or some other valuable item was placed in his mouth,. This was money for his New World he would go to.

In the early years the Mayan buried people under the houses. There might have been five or six people in one grave. In the Classic Period pyramids were built over kings' tombs.

The Maya thought that the earth was flat and had a square surface that rested on the back of an enormous crocodile that floated in a lily pond. Above this were thirteen heavens and below were nine hells, all of which had a different god.

THE GODS The Mayas worshipped over one hundred fifty gods. Here are a few of them. Click on the pictures to read more about the gods from the Encylopedia Mythica online.

Itzamna: father of the gods. His name means "lizard house". He is said to be the son of Hunab Ku, the creator of the Maya. The Maya believe he also invented their writing system.
Ix Chel: wife of Itzumna. THe goddess of childbirth, pregnancy, medicine and weaving.
Chaac: god of rain, thunder, lightning, and storms. Farmers were dependent on him to bring water for their crops.
Yam Kaax: the god of corn (maize) who wore a headdress representing the maize plant.
Ah Puch: the god of death. He supposedly had a skeletal nose and jaw, fleshless spine and a spotty decaying body.