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Library > Culture of Ancient Civilizations > Maya Civilization
The Mayan civilization (3000 BC - XVI century AD) is considered the most original and highly developed among Mesoamerican civilizations.
This nation, which has brilliant creative abilities, is called one of the most outstanding peoples on the planet.
The history and culture of the Maya people are usually divided into three main periods, the boundaries between which are very mobile: • the period of formation (1000 BC 317 AD) • * The Ancient Kingdom (317-987 AD); • The New Kingdom (987 AD - XVI century).
According to legends, the Mayans came to the territory of present day Mexico from Honduras and Guatemala.
The widespread growth of their cities suggests an unambiguous conclusion: before their arrival here, the Maya already had a single and ancient culture.
The Maya territory had the shape of a triangle.
Its corners formed the cities of Vashaktun, Palenque, and Copan.
The other centers that emerged later were located on the sides of the triangle and inside it.
Then another specific feature of the Maya appeared - the expansion of the lands went from the periphery to the center, and not vice versa, as everywhere else.
The Mayan cities of the state (the largest and most famous of them are Tikal.
Copan, Chichen Itza, Uxmal) were the center of power and culture.
They had their own building scheme.
The core (ritual, temple area) was located on a hill.
Around it were the palaces of the priesthood and the nobility (Amelchen).
Usually they were monumental palaces made of stone and lime of one to five floors, located on terraces and platforms, with a facade oriented to the east.
They had their own altars, baths, and were furnished with simple but comfortable furniture (beds made of twigs, wooden and stone benches, tables and screens).
On the periphery, at the foot of the hill, there were wooden two - and four room huts of ordinary citizens, covered with palm leaves.
At the head of the city state was halach vinik (a great man).
His power was hereditary, lifelong and unlimited.
To emphasize the electability and exclusivity of the ruler, the embodiment of divine powers on earth, his face was decorated with a sophisticated tattoo, his nose was increased to the size of a huge eagle's beak with the help of a plastic substance, his teeth were sharpened and decorated with jade plates, and the earlobes were cut and stretched with the help of turkey eggs.
The costume emphasized the sacred rank of halach vinik.
It was decorated with brilliant colored patterns of shells, wood, stones and feathers.
Many belts, bracelets, breastplates, knee pads had sacred knots, talismans and amulets.
His headdress, designed in the form of an animal, was supposed to symbolize a close connection with God.
The Mayan nobility was called amelkhens from the word "almehenob", lit. "those who have both names": by father and mother.
Men of simple origin bore only the name of the father, and daughters only the mother; in addition, each person had a name given to him at birth, and a name that characterizes his appearance (nickname).
The commoners were divided into two groups: * dependent, but personally free farmers, workers, artisans; * slaves, captives not sacrificed to the gods, debtors and corners.
The lower people formed a neighboring community, jointly owning land.
Their occupations were mainly agriculture and poultry farming (turkeys, ducks).
They built pyramids and palaces, laid wide "white roads" paved with stone between the cities.
On average, the roads had a width of 10 m and a length of about 100 km, were raised above the terrain by 0.5-2.5 m and were a straight line.
All the Maya were religious.
The world in their view was a complex formation, flooded with sacred forces.
They considered the god Hunab Ku to be the Creator of all things.
He had a son, Itsamna (the lord of the heavens and the supreme god the founder of the priesthood), identified with the Sun (order, heat, light, masculinity).
According to the Mayan worldviews, the gods and man should mutually take care of each other.
The gods give people life, health, wealth and happiness, and people should give them their energy and blood.
Hence the idea of the exceptional importance of any form of sacrifice.
They could be flowers, food, favorite animals and jewelry, works of art and aromatic resins - everything that is dear to the heart.
Piercing the tongue, genitals, cheeks and lips with barbed wire or female blood was considered a more serious type of victim.
The Maya were convinced that the wounds in the human body served as a passage of supernatural forces and ancestors into the human world.
With their help, the energy of the stars and luminaries was transmitted to the earth.
This was how the real interconnection and unity of all levels of the cosmos and the earthly community were achieved.
Ritual murders and cannibalism were committed in particularly critical cases (natural disasters, political events, epidemics).
The ritual of cannibalism was carried out with only one goal - to gain the dignity of the deceased.
The daily ritual actions included the burning of fragrant plants, prayers, fasts (abstinence from salt, pepper, meat and sex), confessions (public stories about sins in order to purify the soul), cult dances and songs.
Cultural studies: Lecture notes.
(Auth. - comp.
Oganesyan A. A.).
- M.: Prior,2001.
- pp.
107-109.
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