Establishing which are the main Mayan gods is difficult, since this civilization was characterized by believing in many gods associated with multiple elements of nature, these being physical manifestations of the sacred. Many of these gods had dual characteristics such as human-animal, old-young, man-woman, and their decisions depended on their state of mind, which was subject to the number of human and animal offerings and sacrifices that the Mayans were willing to make. realize.
From the Mayan pantheon, according to Popol Vuh, They are considered three of the oldest and wisest gods, and those responsible for the first attempt at the creation of man: Kukulcan (feathered serpent) god of storms created life from water; Tepeu, God of heaven; and Hurakan (heart of the sky, or the one-legged) god of wind, storm and fire.
Itzamná was worshiped as the god of wisdom, lord of the skies, day and night. Some authors think that it is the supreme creator god of the universe. He was represented as an old man without teeth, as a bird with the features of a serpent and as a two-headed celestial dragon that pours water on the earth. He is accompanied by Ix Chebel Ya’ax, his wife, goddess of painting and embroidery, represented as an old woman with a snake on her head and a roll of cotton or, like Itzamná, pouring water on the ground.
Other important gods are Yum Kaax, god of corn whom the corn farmers worshiped with special fervor, was in charge of agriculture, prosperity and abundance of life; in the same way he was revered Ek Chuah, god of cocoa and war; Chaac, god of water and rainworshiped for its importance to crops; Kinich Ahau, revered as the god of the sun represents heat and drought; Ixchel goddess of the moonassociated with fertility, floods, medicine and weaving.
They are also Pawahtun god charger of the cosmoswho raises with his arms above his head the celestial vault or the Earth itself; Yum Kimil, god of deathinhabits the underworld with other deities related to death, germination and fertility.
Finally, it is worth mentioning Hunab-ku (Hun-oneab–onlyku-god) who, according to aSome is the most important Mayan god, incorporeal, father of all gods, from whom everything comes and to whom everything returns, creator of the universe; god of dualities, such as good and bad, masculine and feminine, everything and nothing.
Based on the meaning of his name, there are authors who claim that this god was an invention after the conquest as an influence of Christianity, since no pre-Columbian sources have been found where it is mentioned, and it seems contradictory given the religious characteristics of the Mayan culture. Today, new age followers have taken up the veneration of Hunab Ku as the supreme energy of the universe within each of us.