The Gods The Mayas had hundreds of gods. Important ones were Itzamna, the lord of the heavens and of day and night and Chac the god of the four compass points and the rain.

Other important gods included Yum Kzzx, the god of corn, Ah Puch, the god of death, Ixchel, the moon goddess, Ixtab, the goddess of suicide and many other gods of the sky, sun, Venus, wind, heaven, hell, war, sudden death and human sacrifice.

Cosmology The Mayas believed that the earth had been destroyed several times by great floods. There were thirteen heavens and nine underworlds. These were all in layers, with a god for each layer. People who committed suicide went to the very top layer of heaven. Those who deserved sever punishment went to the lowest hell called "mitnal" which was freezing cold.

Sacrifice: Sacrifice played an important part in the Mayan religion, especially in later times. Then blood was essential to the gods, particularly the rain gods. Priest and commoners pierced their tongues and ears, smearing their blood on the idols. It was thought that blood sacrifices would bring rain. Human sacrifices became more and more common during the later years of the Mayan empire. They took place when disasters struck, when there was no rain, when crops failed or during plagues, foreign invastions or other disasters. Generally human sacrifices were done either by cutting the heart of the victim, by throwing short spears at a painted area on the victim's chest, or by throwing the victim into a cenote, or sacred well.