Mayans only had one traditional language, which has been verified after extensive research by archaeologists and historians. Over the years, this language had been divided into over 70 different languages and dialects. This was a real Babel’s Tower case, as the abundance of languages often proved to be a detriment to their unification.
There are currently a few million Mayan descendants today, and their culture has remained largely unchanged — although it had certainly become less violent as human sacrificing is now a crime, thank God. Most of these Mayans are bilingual and speak Spanish fluently.
Mayans Paid Homage to Deities Through Body Art
Beyond the mere glory of living through the pain and infections involved in getting a tattoo, these were also a way for the Mayans to pay respect and homage to their gods. With a list of over 150 of these supernatural beings, there was quite a long list of potential gods to worship and hopefully find the favor of.
Tattoos were also a way for Mayans to display their high place in the social hierarchy, as having one of these often meant that you have either a high social standing, specialized skills, or religious power. The pain and blood loss during the process was also considered to be a sacrifice to the gods, which was always quite welcome in the Mayan culture.
Their Story of Creation is Almost Identical Sounds Pretty Familiar
Everyone knows very well the story of creation from Genesis. God created the heavens and the earth in six days, he then rested on the seventh and blessed his creation. The Mayans had a very similar story, where according to their mythology, God created the animals, then clay and wood, and finally, us human beings. The Mayans believe that people were created out of maize, as an “art piece” by the gods.
August 11, 3114 BCE marks the creation of the world of human beings, according to the Mayans. This is pretty elaborate compared to the traditional Jewish, Christian and Muslim ones.
Mayans Were A Pretty Violent Bunch
While Mayans were known in-part for some pretty hippish practices, like going on mushroom-induced psychedelic trips, enemas, and licking toxic frogs, but honestly, they could be brutal. They loved war, and weren’t afraid to engage in some of the most horrific human activities imaginable.
They often got into battles with their northern neighbors, the Aztecs, were equally known for their brutality. So, massacres, human sacrifices, and just gruesome sites weren't a big deal to the Mayans.
Mayan Literature Sadly, Destroyed
The Mayan civilization was a real powerhouse of knowledge, with many volumes of books detailing their mythology, culture, and philosophy. This was a literate civilization and had various glyphs that served as their written language, often representing words, syllables or entire sentences with just one glyph. since most of them were destroyed by the invading Spanish forces.
It took historians and language experts many years to decode their complex language system, but unfortunately, we won’t have the opportunity to enjoy their many written works. Mayans had a large library of written knowledge, called “codices”. There are only four of these codices currently in the hands of researchers, and there’s not a lot of optimism that any others will be found in the future.