Itzamna (deity)

Symbols: Snake and mussel

Culture: Mesoamerican/Mayan

Father: Hunab Ku

Children: Can Tzional; Hozanek; Hobnil; Zac Cimi

Itzamná was a principal deity in Mayan mythology and the state god of the Mayan civilization. The Mayan empire, which was at its greatest power during the years from 300 to 900 CE, thrived in Central America in a region that became Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador. According to the myths, Itzamná was the lord of the heavens as well as of day and night. He was also considered a ruler of other deities and the patron of Mayan rulers. His name meant "lizard or iguana house." The Maya thought of the universe as a house in which the four walls, the roof, and the floor were formed by large iguanas.

Before scholars were able to decipher Mayan writing, they were aware of the civilization’s many gods as a result of the images that appeared on pottery, sculpture, and the walls of temples and other buildings. In the 1880s, one historian assigned each of the unnamed gods a letter with which to identify him or her. Itzamná was God D, reflecting his high position in the hierarchy of deities. He was thought to be a benevolent god who could be called upon in difficult times.

In Mythology

According to some versions of the stories, Itzamná was the son of the creator god, Hunab Ku, who was located in the middle of the Milky Way. The name Hunab Ku meant "one state of being god." It was believed he represented a move toward a monotheistic philosophy in Mayan mythology. In general, however, the Maya worshiped a large pantheon of gods, and it was common for a god to have more than one identity. These identities were related in various ways. Thus, while Itzamná’s wife was Ixchel, the moon goddess, she was also said to be the sun goddess, a female version of her husband. In addition, she was the goddess of fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and weaving. While Kinich Ahau was the sun god, he was said to be one aspect of Itzamná, the god of day.

The gods and goddesses of the Maya often had several names; they also showed up in different stories, and they had different forms and appearances. For example, Itzamná was sometimes portrayed as a creator god, a double-headed figure in the sky. One head was an iguana; the other was a serpent. In other representations, Itzamná was shown as an old man with a long nose, a squinty gaze, and a mouth with one tooth. Another depiction showed Itzamná as four gods who encased the world. These manifestations were associated with the points on a compass and represented the directions east, west, north, and south. The children of Itzamná and Ixchel were the Bacabs, who were also associated with the cardinal directions. According to the story, the Bacabs were placed at the four corners of the earth to support the heavens above. Each Bacab had a color and a direction. Can Tzional was associated with white and north, while Hozanek was related to yellow and south. Hobnil was connected to red and east, and Zac Cimi was linked to black and west.

Itzamná was also shown as the Bird of Heaven that was standing on top of the World Tree. This was a ceibe tree that was thought to connect the different parts of the Mayan universe. This universe included thirteen layers of heavens, the earth, and an underworld. The Maya believed that the ceibe tree represented the center of the universe, and thus the center was a fifth direction, which was associated with the color green. The deities and the souls of the dead moved among the realms of the universe along the ceibe tree.

Itzamná was considered a culture hero in some myths. He was credited with giving people fire and with the invention of hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing. He also gave people the calendar, which not only measured worldly time, but also aided in the conduct of sacred practices such as divination, the use of signs to predict the future. In the legends, Itzamná brought maize and cacao to the Maya and taught them how to grow these crops. He was also associated with healing. In response to all these attributes, some scholars have called Itzamná the sky god of learning. He was the god who created things to make life better for people.

Unlike many gods of the Maya, Itzamná was never associated with death or destruction. Because he was a creator god and a founder of Mayan culture, he did not have anything to do with war, violence, or human sacrifice.

Origins and Cults

The Maya invoked Itzamná in various ceremonies throughout the year. To make predictions about the future, for example, priests consulted sacred writings and appealed to him as the sun god in the Mayan month Uo (August 31 to September 19). Old men worshipped him in the month of Mac (April 7 to 26); then in the month Zip (September 20 to October 9), both Itzamná and Ixchel were petitioned as gods of medicine and healing. Appeals were also made to Itzamná on the Mayan New Year, when the people asked him to prevent problems in the year to come.

Most likely the mythology of the Maya was influenced by that of the Olmec, a Mesoamerican people whose civilization flourished earlier—from about 1200 to 400 BCE. Like the Olmec gods, the Mayan deities focused on nature and included gods of fire, corn, rain, night, and day. Although the Maya recorded their myths in manuscripts called codices written on bark paper or deerskin, many of these documents were destroyed by the Spanish when they arrived in the sixteenth century CE. However, archaeologists have turned up significant information about the Maya and their gods while exploring numerous sites in Central America. For example, there are important sites at Tikal and Palenque. The remains of these ceremonial centers have yielded pyramids, temples, and other buildings rich in hieroglyphics, murals, sculptures, pottery, stelae (monuments), and other artifacts that illuminate the beliefs and accomplishments of these people.

The Maya also have a living legacy: About five million of their descendants still populate Central America. At festivals and funerals, these people sometimes retell the old myths and honor gods such as Itzamná from the ancient Mayan mythology.

Bibliography

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