Mayans and Romans Religion
By: Cameron Cooper
Mayans and Romans Religion
The Mayans Religion
The Maya created their own mythology and it started around 2000 B.C. Some aspects of the Mayan religion are still practiced today. One of the most powerful gods in the Mayan mythology was the Jaguar God. Rumors say that the Jaguar God eventually turned himself into the Sun God. He was worshiped in one of the biggest temples because he is the most important and powerful. People who worshiped the Maya Gods had to make sacrifices to show honor. Sometimes they would sacrifice humans and animals.
Why was corn important to the Mayans?
The vegetable, corn was a huge symbol in the religion. Harvested corn was considered a sacred duty to the Mayan’s. Those who grew corn were honored in many ways. The reason why corn played a huge roll in the religion was because in the book Popel Vuh, it said all humankind was made from corn. Eventually a god for corn was created. His name was Yum Kaax.
The Romans Religion
The Romans created their own religious mythology. Their gods and goddesses had names of planets and some of the names were the same as some of the Greek Gods but in many instances they just changed the name. The most important god to the Romans was named Jupiter. He was the god of all of the gods and he was the sole protector of Rome. To show honor to their gods, they often had many animal sacrifices. Each animal had to be a perfect and in good physical shape. If the animal’s body was in good shape the Romans would remove the skin by cutting the skin off and then they would prepare and eat the meat to show honor to the gods.
Roman Feasts
The Romans would also host special feasts that were honored specifically for each god but at different times. The feasts involved food, fruit, sacrifices, music, and art. One of the most famous feasts of all was called Saturnalia in honor of the Saturn god and it lasted up to seven days.
Roman Temples
Most of the sacrifices happened in temples that were made for gods. The biggest and most beautiful temple was called the Roman Hadrian’s Pantheon. The temple was held up by big robust columns. Jupiter was the god that was worshipped in this temple because he was the god of all gods. The Roman Hadrian’s Pantheon was built between 118 AD and 128 AD, and it was a temple to every single god in the Roman Empire but people mostly worshipped Jupiter.
Differences and Similarities
In conclusion, the Mayans and Romans have many differences in their religion. Their sacrifices are the same, as they both sacrificed animals and humans. On the other hand, their mythology was different. The Romans had names of other gods but the Mayans made their own names for their gods. In each of the Romans and Mayans religion they had a most powerful god. The Mayans most powerful was Jaguar God but then he turned himself into the Sun God. The Romans most powerful god was Jupiter he was the god of all of the gods and he was the sole protector of Rome.
Citations
"Mayan Kids." Mayan Kids. Mayan Kids. Web. 5 May 16. <http://www.mayankids.com/mkcopyright.htm>.
Martyr, Justin. "Roman Religion." Roman (753 B.C.-400 A.D.) Religion/Philosophy Essay. Cultural Resources, Inc., 2000. Web. 27 Apr. 16.
"Corn." Lancastria. WordPress. Web. 28 Apr. 16. <http://lancastria.net/blog/tag/corn>.
"Roman Temple." Touropia. 7 May 15. Web. 28 Apr. 16.
C N Trueman "Ancient Rome And Religion"
historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 16 Mar 2015. 3 Mar 2016.
Sebesta, Judith L. "THE WORLD Of RELIGION." THE WORLD Of RELIGION. VRoma Project's Image Archive. Web. 28 Apr. 16.
"Jupiter." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://history.howstuffworks.com/ancient-rome/jupiter.htm>.
"Sun God." Dreamstime. Dreamstime. Web. 5 May 16. <http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-sun-god-sky-image553585>.