Maya Mythology - Creation

The Maya are an obscure and mysterious people who lived in ancient Central America, having disappeared by the time the Mexica, or the Aztecs, rose to power in the north. Their stories have been preserved, but little is known about their culture.

The universe was at first wrapped in gloom, until the god Hurakan, the mighty wind, passed over the universe. He called out "Earth," and solid land appeared. Then the gods of the Maya pantheon, Hurakan, Quetzalcoatl, and Xpiyacoc and Xmucane, the mother and father gods, convened to decide what more should be created.

They agreed that animals should be created, and did so. Next they decided to create man. They created mannikins out of wood, but these were just heartless robots, and so the gods were angry and destroyed them. Hurakan brought storms out of the sea and animals, caves, trees, and all of nature abused them despite their attempts to hide, until they died.

After this failure, the gods created humans out of maize or corn dough, and found them satisfactory, and this was the human race.

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The Dawn and Dusk of Man is a Thinkquest Mythology Project by Sheila, Min, Ana and Tencia of Montgomery Blair High School.