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Beliefs of the Maya - Coggle Diagram
Beliefs of the Maya
Time is cyclical
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Pok-a-Tok, the most popular game among the Maya, symbolised the cyclical nature of time and \ human struggle
Extremely significant part of Maya culture, it is much more than just a "spectator sport"
The winning team or captain of the winning team was given a quick death and instant passage to paradise
Teams were not constantly sacrificed, though
Everything contained a spiritual essence or force (Histories on the Net, n.d.)
Even inanimate objects, e.g. rocks and water, had a spiritual essence
All essences deserved to be recognised, respected and honoured
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Human sacrifice nourished the gods. If it wasn't practiced, the sun would not rise and the world would end. (Wade, 2018)
Human sacrifice was practiced on special occasions, at the top of temples
In some rituals, a person’s arms and legs were held down while a priest cut their chest open and tore their heart out as an offering
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Each person had a life force, so it was believed that draining a person’s blood in a temple could give some of their life force to gods, though this happened rarely (Jarus & Leggett, 2021)
Gods and goddesses
Lots of gods and other supernatural characters are a part of their religion, but only some come up regularly in traditions
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Priests
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They had to give predictions on the future or outlook on the past based on the number relations on their calendar
They were the most educated (reading, writing, calendars, predictions, etc.)
When water was scarce, they would hold incense-scattering ceremonies that was believed to bring wind and rain