12 Mayan Gods Who Helped Make Sense of a Complex World

Although many Mayan gods gained and lost public favor during the ancient civilization’s long history, some remained central to Mesoamerican theology. The following figures may not fit into the pantheon of the main Mayan gods, but these supernatural beings are still integral to religious stories of the time.

Camazotz: The Bat God

Thousands of miles and years from the famous Batman of Gotham City, the Mayans told of a malevolent spirit of the underworld that represented darkness, death and sacrifice. The Mayan god Camazotz played an essential part in the epic of the Hero Twins.

In the story, the Hero Twins are forced to spend the night in Camazotz’s lair. To hide from the swarms of murderous bats, they magically took refuge in their blowguns until sunrise. Curious Hunahpu stole a glance, and one of the bats severed his head, carrying it away to the sacred ball court like a toy.

Q’uq’umatz: The Feathered Serpent God

This feathered serpent deity from some of the oldest phases of the Mayan pantheon worked with the god Tepeu to create the world and the underworld. The feathered serpent, not to be confused with the vision serpent, was also responsible for sun god duties.

Aside from carrying the sun across the sky, Q’uq’umatz acted as a political mediator for gods and goddesses who reigned on earth and in the underworld. The feathered serpent god motif can be found on several Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza, El Castillo and Tikal (popular ruins North of Guatemala City).

The Howler Monkey God

In today’s society, monkeys are often depicted as loony, fun-loving animals, but the Mayans perceived them as more regal intellects. Specifically, howler monkeys held a high status and were often depicted as artists and writers.

Although the Monkey God was not universally worshipped in the ancient Maya world, it was a common symbol of artistic creation closely related to the maize god (the Maya god of creation), and several statues capture these creatures crafting human heads of stone.