Abstract

LOVE, Bruce. The Gods of Yucatán from A.D. 1560 to 1980. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2011, vol.37, pp.121-148. ISSN 0185-2574.

This work presents a review of ethnohistorical writings and ethnographic studies (some by the author) in search of Maya deities as they appear in the religious life of the Maya people of Yucatán. This introductory survey spans more than four centuries, from the 1560s to the 1980s. Many of the gods of the early Colonial Period continue living today in the indigenous communities of the Peninsula, while others have disappeared completely. This article traces their presence or absence over time and proposes that their disappearance or survival is a reflection of their role in Maya society. The patron gods of social/civic groups have disappeared while the agricultural gods of the forest and the sky survive today.

Keywords : Maya deities; Yucatán; Colonial Period; Maya Universe.

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