The Maya envisioned the world as having multiple realms:
Earth: The living plane.
Sky: Consists of multiple levels, home to gods that needed appeasement.
Underworld: A vast supernatural realm beneath the earth where spirits of the dead resided.
The Underworld
Name: Known as Shibalba, meaning "place of fear."
Structure: Comprises nine perilous levels.
Rulers: Governed by twelve lords, gods of death responsible for disease and affliction.
Existence: Believed to exist side by side with the land of the living.
Significance of Death
For the Maya, death was not the end.
The underworld was a continuation of existence.
Mayan Ball Game
Location: Huge open court in Chichen Itza.
Size: 550 by 230 feet, larger than a modern American football field.
Objective: Teams aimed to hit a ball through hoops high on the walls.
Stakes: The losing team was sacrificed to the gods.
Outcome: Winners beheaded the losers, as depicted in wall reliefs.
Mythical Origins:
Based on a story from the Popol Vuh featuring heroic twins.
The twins played against the lords of the underworld, were dismembered, and burned.
They were reborn as the sun and moon, dying and reviving every day.
Religious and Cultural Importance
The ball game and its associated myths highlight the importance of balance and the need for offerings and rituals, particularly to the underworld gods.