[Aztlan] INSTITUTE OF MAYA STUDIES MARCH LECTURES

[michael ruggeri]

Wednesday, March 12, 8:00PM

Institute of Maya Studies Lecture
“Maya Gods and Religion”

The Maya were a spiritual people ruled by the forces of nature  
represented by gods. The rulers also considered themselves divine and  
their daily lives were guided by religious rituals and beliefs. Their  
pantheon of gods is extensive, considering that each god has  
different phases and personalities. In this presentation, we’ll learn  
about the more important gods and how they formed such an integral  
part of the lives of the Maya.

The Maya had a large pantheon of gods that often had different  
aspects (the combination of young and old characteristics or human  
and animal forms) and fulfilled different functions. The gods often  
had a counterpart of the opposite sex. The supreme deity was Itzam Ná  
who pervaded all aspects of life, and represented iconically as an  
old man; he was the inventor of writing and patron of learning and  
sciences. His wife was IxChel, the old goddess of weaving, medicine,  
and childbirth, who was also the old moon goddess. The Maya had  
celestial deities such as the Sun God (who was transformed into the  
Jaguar God when he journeyed under the earth), the Moon Goddess,  
deities that represented the North Star and Venus. Four gods (the  
Bacabs) sustained the four corners of the world and the quarters of  
the moon calendar. The gods related to various professions and to  
social classes, as well as to lineages.

Miami Science Museum,

3280 South Miami Avenue across from Vizcaya

Miami, Florida

http://mayastudies.org/html/meetings.html



Wednesday, March 19, 8:00PM

Institute of Maya Studies Lecture

“Portal to the Puuc and Chenes: Maya Architecture in the Yucatán and  
Campeche”

Visitors to Maya sites in the Yucatán and Campeche states of Mexico  
will probably be struck by the distinctive look of the Late Classic  
buildings in the Puuc architectural style. Ancient Maya builders used  
mosaic elements of limestone masonry to create elaborate building  
facades, combining geometric repetition and symmetry with symbols  
including masks of Chaacs, the rain god.

In the Chenes style, the temples feature a rich stucco decoration on  
the facade and a grotesque decoration on the entrance which shows a  
god’s mouth. Most mosaic parts of Chenes masks, including eyes, are  
made up of openwork relief stepped frets.

Miami Science Museum,

3280 South Miami Avenue across from Vizcaya

Miami, Florida

http://mayastudies.org/html/meetings.html





Mike Ruggeri's Ancient America Museum Exhibitions, Conferences and  
Lectures
http://community-2.webtv.net/Topiltzin-2091/AncientAmerica/index.htm