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On Men, Animals, and Supernatural Beings in Ancient Maya Iconography

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Animals and their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World

Abstract

The Ancient Maya idea of the world around us was evidently different from ours. But how different? This article discusses the role of men, animals, and supernatural beings in Maya iconography: how they are depicted in the art, what designations the Maya gave to different entities, and how various beings took attributes of other beings in Maya thinking – and in the art and writings that reflect it.

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  1. Department of Cultures, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Harri Kettunen

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  1. Harri Kettunen
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  1. Helsinki, Ahvenanmaa, Finland

    Raija Mattila

  2. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands

    Sanae Ito

  3. Helsinki, Finland

    Sebastian Fink

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Kettunen, H. (2019). On Men, Animals, and Supernatural Beings in Ancient Maya Iconography. In: Mattila, R., Ito, S., Fink, S. (eds) Animals and their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World. Universal- und kulturhistorische Studien. Studies in Universal and Cultural History. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-24388-3_12

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