The Maya Maize God

AmericasNorth AmericaMesoamericaHondurasAncient MayaAll Videos
Written By AQ

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Maize or corn

Focusing on a famous sculpture of the Maya Maize God from Copán, this video discusses who the Maya Maize God is and what the ancient Maya believed about this deity. For the ancient Maya, maize or corn wasn’t just food—it was life itself. Central to their daily life, maize became a key symbol of sustenance, fertility, rebirth, and even the cyclical nature of life.

Video chapters

0:00 The Maya Maize God

0:37 A Sculpture from Copán, Honduras

1:31 The importance of maize

1:52 The appearance of the Maize God

2:18 Maya rulers and mountains of sustenance

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