All about the ancient tribes
The most sacred Mayan masks featured complex and delicate mosaics made out of jade. Other materials used were stone, wood, gold, shell and obsidian (a hard, dark, glass-like volcanic rock) LO: To make a Mayan style mask Page 3 LO: To make a Mayan style mask Some Mayan masks were worn in battle.
Mayan masks were representations of Mayan gods , as well as part of a very sacred funeral ritual in the Mayan Classic Period from 250 to 900 AD. These were placed over the face of an important ruler when he died. Mayan masks endowed the rulers with the status of a divine being as the “Tree of the Universe”.
Death and rebirth mask —triple mask Mayan masks were made from a variety of materials, including wood, gold, shell and volcanic rock, they used masks for a variety of reasons; to adorn the faces of the dead, to be worn at important events, to be worn during battle, and to be hung in houses.
The mask were commonly used in funrary rituals to cover the face of the death person. The simple masks were used to entertainment.
Jade was incredibly important to the Mayans , taking on a great spiritual and religious significance . The stone’s green colour lent it to associations with water and vegetation, and it was symbolically associated with life and death in the eyes of the Mayans .
The Ancient Mayans developed the science of astronomy, calendar systems, and hieroglyphic writing. They were also known for creating elaborate ceremonial architecture, such as pyramids, temples, palaces, and observatories. These structures were all built without metal tools. The Maya were skilled weavers and potters.
The Mayan Pantheon: Gods and Goddesses – Itzamná This is one of the most important gods of the Mayan Gods. – Chaac . This is the famous Maya rain god. – Ix Chel . Ix Chel is known as La Blanca and is one of the most important goddesses in the vast Maya Pantheon. – Kinich Ahau . – Hun Nal Ye. – Ah Puch . – Ek Chuah. – Kukulcán God.
Mayan art history. Architecture. Stone sculpture. Wood carving. Stucco modeling. Mural painting. Writing and bookmaking. Ceramics and ‘ceramic codex’
As we said, Maya writing is a combination of glyphs that stand for syllables, or “syllable glyphs,” and glyphs that stand for whole words, or “logos.” There are 200 to 250 syllable glyphs that were used in Classical Maya writing, and about 500 logos.
Although much of the Maya life was spent doing hard work, they did enjoy entertainment as well. A lot of their entertainment was centered around religious ceremonies. They played music, danced, and played games such as the Maya ball game.
Funerary masks were frequently used to cover the face of the deceased. Generally their purpose was to represent the features of the deceased, both to honour them and to establish a relationship through the mask with the spirit world.
Death masks were made to preserve the visages of royal and otherwise notable people, from kings and conquerors to authors, composers and poets. The haunting likenesses could then be used to create a sculpture or portrait, aid the scientific study of physiognomy or even help loved ones identify a body.
In Mayan mythology, the jaguar was seen as the ruler of the Underworld, and as such, a symbol of the night sun and darkness. The jaguar is representative of power, ferocity, and valor; he is the embodiment of aggressiveness. For some, the jaguar represents the power to face one’s fears, or to confront one’s enemies.
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