This situation is the result of
the multiple combinations that give rise to different types of relief, climate,
vegetation and geological repositories that exist in the Mayan region, whose
landscape is presented as a broad mosaic of environmental situations framed in
three major areas: the highlands, which comprise the south of Guatemala and
Chiapas, the southern lowlands, whose core covers the Guatemalan Peten and
adjacent areas; and the northern lowlands, which included much of the Yucatan
peninsula.
Religion
Very few is known about the
religious traditions of the Mayan, the Mayan religion is not yet completely understood by experts.
As well as the Aztecs and the Incas, the Mayans believed in a count of the
cyclical nature of the time. The rituals and ceremonies were associated with
terrestrial and celestial cycles that were observed and recorded in Mayan
calendars. The Mayan priests had the task of interpreting these cycles and make
a prophetic picture of the future or the past based on the number of
relationships on all calendars. The priests were purified by means of fasting,
abstinence and confession. It is usually applied before purification of large
religious events. The Mayans believed in the existence of three levels of the
cosmos or universe, namely : the earth, the heaven and the underworld.
The priestly group was, in
reality, the more powerfull, since the religious authority had in their hands
all the scientific knowledge, which was essential to the life in community. The
high priest was called Ah K'in Mai or Ahau Kan Mai (Mr snake) and controlled
the rituals and the sciences, wrote the mayan codices, both religious and
historical, administered the temples and was the chief counsel of the Halach
Uinik (maximum ruler, chief maya). The
priests were called minor ahkin had several functions as speeches based on the
mayan codices.
The Mayas represented the
universe by a tree (Ceiba). The top was
what today we would say "heaven". The roots were the Mayan Infraworld
where are the gods who hold the earth and others.
Language
The Mayan language
is totally different to the Spanish. Mayan language or Yucatecan Maya is a language derived from the Amerindian
Mayan trunk, which is spoken mainly in the Mexican peninsular states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo, as
well as to a lesser extent in Belize and some towns in northern Guatemala. It
is commonly known as Maya,
although many linguists used the Yucatecan Mayan term to distinguish it from
other Mayan languages.
Writing in modern times: Mayan
have used various forms of writing the language using Latin characters, since
the arrival of the Spaniards. There is an official alphabet that was developed
by linguists and specialists in the year 1984, that is officially recognized
and used in the text books distributed by the Mexican state. You can find
different variation of interpretation and representation of the languaje the
same among the speakers than language experts.
The Mayan Language approximately has 25 vowels and 10
consonants.
Miscellaneous
The Mayan families,
usually had the number of seven to nine children, though hardly all survived.
They had a very peculiar idea
of the beauty of the body, when a child was born, his head was deformed by placing on his forehead a
table so that he was completely flat.This is named the Mayan Artificial Cranial
deformation.
It is also hanged off objects
in front of the eyes or the hung from the wedges, for that will be
"crossed" as if that weren't enough, the mothers
loaded them seamlessly on your hip to your legs arquearan, this position
was called "hetzmek".
Garments of the Maya were
highly dependent on the social class to that they belonged, and it is common
that the ordinary people have to use clothing much more suitable for the daily
work, still the men who used a class of trousers called pati while the women
wore a skirt called huipil that until today continues to be used. Nowadays
already to dress as us but in rituals and feasts occupy their traditional
garments.
The Mayan and the Cenotes Snorkeling
The Cenotes create live around
them the same than important rivers did with other huge civilizations.
Mainly there were some reasons:
1. A place to get water.
2. In some Cenotes is easy to
hunt (wild pig, deere,etc)
3.Best place in case of
hurricanes.
4. Mistical hub with the
infraworld.
That was in the former Mayan
Civilization, now the Cenotes play a important rol in the development of the
eco tourism. Three important groups of people get benefits from the Mayan Cenotes Snorkeling is
our case. First, the visitors (we do not have the world tourist), second , the
Mayan communities and third the Labnaha Team
(explorers,divers,guides,biologists,etc).
For more info Please Click Here
