The Maize God

The Maya Maize God is a statue that was made around 1,300 years ago and was found in Copan, Honduras. Now, the Maya Maize God is displayed in the British Museum. He was carved with limestone to look as if he is meditating and his facial features are very symmetrical. The statue’s arms are bent with the palms facing outwards, giving an impression of power. Perhaps, the most symbolic feature of the Maya Maize God is that he has a headdress in the shape of a corn cob. Corn was important for many reasons, one being that ancient societies often believed corn had sacred properties. The Maya Maize God was evidently a demonstration of mythological beings that resulted from the third Maya creation. Four women and four men made up the eight mythological beings who are ancestors of the Maya people. The Maya thought their ancestors originally came from corn, consequently maize was a primary focus in their rituals and religious practices. Maize was also very significant during this time period because other food resources such as squash and beans were very limited on the ground and there were no easily domesticated animals. Maize was able to be grown in the dry mountain regions as well as in the in the wet lowlands making it more accessible for farmers to plant corn during any season. …show more content…
Aside from the statues beauty, he provides us with insight on the way ancient American society viewed its environment. I learned the Maya Maize God represents agricultural aspects such as planting, harvesting and replanting, as well as the human cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The maize god was decapitated at harvest time time and reborn at the start of the new growing season. Though this individual maize god was unique to Copan, it was the stepping stone for other communities who began worshipping their own maize