There is a vast pantheon of gods worshiped by the Maya. Different areas had different gods, and some were more important in one area than in another. Each location would also have it's special patron god. There was probably some sense of competitiveness between locations, where they felt that their patron god was stronger or more beneficent that others. When one area overtook another through war or politics, they would impose the worship of their favorite gods on their subjects.
Some of the gods that archaeologists and anthropologists have identified are:
Hunab Ku
The supreme diety - the creator god
Cizin
Death god - (an ancient god of violent sacrifice, such as decapitation
Chac
Rain god -rain & lightning
Itzamna
Aged god - priestly knowledge, divination, writing
Hun Hunahpu
Maize god - (one of the Hero twins)
Xbalanque
(pronouced schpah-len-kay) The other Hero Twin of the "Popol Vuh" - the Maya creation story
Kin or Kinich Ahau
Sun god - a younger version of Itzamna
Ik
Wind & Hurricane god
Chack Chel or Ixchel
Old Goddess - fearsome genetrix - Old Goddess of fertility and birth. Rainbow Goddess -patron of weavers
Young Moon Goddess
Patron of fertility and love
Kawil
(pronounced Kah-wheel) God of Rulers - patron of dynastic descent, fire & lightning (also called Bolon Dzacab)
Jaguar gods
Lords of the underworld - associated with caves, night, hunting (shamans often are depicted transforming into jaguars. The Olmec - worshiped were-jaguars - a combination of human and jaguar
Ek Chuah
Patron of merchants
Pauahtun
4 gods who hold up the sky
Hun Batz & Hun Chuen
(monkey gods) Patrons of scribes
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