Mayan Cosmology

The Mayan cosmology involves three spheres: the heavens, the terrestrial world  and the underworld (Xibalba).

There are 13 layers to the heavens and nine below the ceiba tree connect the underworlds to the terrestrial and the heavens.

The importance of the central tree is found in other regional cosmologies, including the Olmec, Tolecs and Aztecs.

Four Chacs were present to suspend the the various layers representing the four corners of the earth or four trees as seen in many rituals (like the puberty ceremony) and various manifestations of the gods. A fifth tree is represented in the centre and this is the pathway from the under to over worlds and the ultimate creator (Hunab Ku).

Itzamma, a cross-eyed lizard like god who is toothless and often has a beard) is the descendent of the creator and said to be the partner of Ixchel (the goddess of the moon, pregnancy, floods and weaving) and together they gave birth to all of the other gods (including the Jaguar (Balam) and the Maize god , rain-god, sun-god, war god and medicinal god)...

There are gods that correspond to the various layers of the upper and lower worlds as well as many for the natural world around them.

Each god is manifest in either positive or negative forms where they may bring good or ill fortune, for example the rain god can bring moisture for the maize and other crops but can also bring downpours, flooding and destruction.

Martin Prechtel's (1999) - Secrets of the Talking Jaguar reveals more detail about the Tzutuijil (Quichean Mayans) of Santiago Atitlan.

He tells of his journey to find his own soul and become a shaman trained by the great Shaman Nicolas Chiviliu Tacaxoy - known as Chiv.

He was there during the 1980s, a time of great upheaval, where the 15th century was colliding with the 20th century. Massive colonization/corporatization of the lands was happening through multinational companies seeking large scael production of fruits, minerals, timber and other resources that the government was willing to sell off. The national army was "gathering" young men and later killing villagers and others resisting the change.

But before that he became a shaman and eventually escaped to his birth lands in New Mexico.

Once in Santiago Atitlan Prechtel learns the Tzutuiji (Atiteo) ways and languages and tells stories of the importance of community, nature, ancestors, dieties and becomes a guardian for the the sacred Heart of the Village.

This village, located on the west shore of Lago Attilan in the highlands of Guetemala, and is condiered to be Rumuxux Ruchiliu, the "umbilicus of the creation" or the original point of life. As such they are always home and don't need to travel anywhere, having no words of "leaving".
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Prechtel offers insight into the structure and organization of the Tzutujil community and the deep meaning in their lives.

Meaning is in the form of language one speaks (male - female) and the patterns woven into one's clothes, representing family history.

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Meaning also comes from remembrance for the Tzutujil people in the rituals, songs and stories of everyday life.

In coming to undestand the Atiteo ways Prechtel reveals the meaning in everyday practices that keep the "creation" healthy and the Village Heart alive and well. He is introduced to the Spirit worlds and learns to call forward and defend against spirits of this "world" and those of the four layers of creation.

The Atiteos cosndier the village to be their "Tree of Life" and consider themselves to be "Tree" or "bird" people. There are five layers to creation and this world is the 5th layer, the accumulation of the underworlds. In becoming a shaman Prechtel learns to experience and communicate to these lower worlds and also to use their power in healing people.

The tree of life has three layers: the heartwood, the xyleme and the bark.

The tree itself is composed of layers 2, 3 and 4 and is grounded in the first layer of creation.

The five layers

The first layer is made of stone and fire, and when a child is created they recieve their bones and gall bladder from this layer. The gall bladder is the source of dreams.

The second layer is the world of plants, flowers, trees and food. From this world a child gets their flesh.

The third layer is the world of waters, rivers, lakes, rain, springs, clouds, mist and lighting, this is where the child acquire their blood, nerves and liquids of their bodies.

The fourth layer is the world of animals and wind, where a child acquires their breath, vision, and movement.

Children are born into the fifth world, the layer of Ruachuliu, the "Earth Fruit" where people are:

"born into the fifth layer, here to have form, becoming fruit o the branches of the Old Life Tree of the Village" (p. 105)

At each of these layers there are 2 dieties (Old People), and Old Man and and Old Woman who sit at each layer assembling people and things.

The Old Man will make the child while the Old Woman will add to the child's makeup, evey child gets elements and contributions from both genders. These old people speak the names of those they are creating and literally "speak the world to life".

This fifth world is a place for all of the spoken words to have form and run around being happy to be alive and eating together.

When we are born a spell of magic is cast to keep these wolds in ouir memories for a while,
but most people forget, since it is work to remember. But many elders and others trained
to do so remember these worlds through rituals that are designed to help others remember and to sustain life itself.

Prechtel tells us that "Though Dieties stay in their worlds, the fifth world is delicious so they desire it" (p. 106) and

that there is "A spiritual contract betwen the people of the villlage and the gods said that
they would keep life coming if we promised to send them remembrance" (p. 106).

The elders help us to remember the gods "to feed what had fed us people" (p. 107).
The gods give us life and must keep them alive through remembering them through
creating beautiful rituals, speeches, objects and ways of being. "All of our rituals in the village,
whether personal or public, were memory feasts for the spirits" (p. 107)

Being remembered is the food for the gods and where "a forgotten god is an angry god, or dead god" (p. 107).

As such, the villagers must give food of remembrance to the spirits, gods,
and forces of the other worlds in order to sustain this world and then stay well fed and healthy.

Illness may come from possession by a spirit or having a spell cast by a malevolent shaman or witch.

As a shaman, Prechtel would make use of offering from this world of fruit to the gods in terms of
flowers, food, smoke, liquor and other libations.

Ritual songs and speeches are performed to call forth or repell spirits to bring wellness back to individuals.

Many of these practices are outlined in the OMECIH centre for Mayan medicine notes.