Ah Puch: Evil Death God Of Underworld Who Hated Souls In Maya Beliefs
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In the Mayan supernatural world, we meet many gods with very specific attributes and special functions assigned to the gods.
Then Maya gods had human characteristics and had or represented animal forms. Most Mayan gods embodied the celestial bodies or powerful forces of nature such as rain, lightning, wind, or thunder.
Left: Representation of Maya God Ah Puch. Credit: A history lover - CC BY-SA 4.0 - Right: Ah Puch by an unknown Maya artist. Credit: Public Domain
Maya admired them, had to show them obedience, and make sacrifices, often from their own blood. Certain gods were feared by Maya, especially those associated with death, because these people were much more afraid of death than other cultures of Mesoamerica.
One of them was an evil god of death, Ah Puch (“to spoil, to melt or dissolve”), whose domain was the ninth and, simultaneously, the lowest part of the Maya underworlds. The Quiche (K'iche) Maya believed that he ruled over Metnal (Xibalba - "place of fear"), while in the mythology of the Yucatec Maya, mostly from Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, he was one of several Lords of Xibalba.
Ah Puch had an awful appearance of a skeleton-like creature. He brought death and serious illness and was always malicious, hunting the houses of vulnerable people.
It was believed that he used to place the human soul on fire after a person died, and then he threw cold water on this fire while the soul terribly cried in pain. His torture of the soul continued when he again set it to burn. He could repeat the same repeatedly until the tortured soul dissolved completely.
He also had several names, such as Yum Cim or Yum Cimil, and was associated with the number 10.
As depicted, Ah Puch has decaying flesh on his large body, and his head looks like a skull; sometimes, his neck or his hair is decorated with a necklace made of eyeballs. He is often shown with the bells and certain symbols of death, such as a screech owl, a dog, and a vulture, a Moan bird, often encountered in Mesoamerican cultures.
To this day, legends are saying that when an owl screeches in the darkness, it means someone nearby will die. If you hear a hoot, take a deep breath and count to ten.
Perhaps it helps, or perhaps not.
Updated on March 3, 2023
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Why Were Uncomfortable Poulaines High Fashion During The Middle Ages?
Ancient History Facts | Mar 16, 2024
-
Coyote: Hero, Trickster, Immortal And Respected Animal In Native American Myths
Featured Stories | May 10, 2016
-
Sogdian Temple Of Jartepa II On Caravan Road Of The Silk Road
News | Sep 3, 2020
-
Dangerous Magnetic Anomaly And Unexplained Events In Mysterious And Dark Valley Trouble Scientists – Why Must The Stone Gate Not Be Crossed?
Featured Stories | Nov 7, 2024
-
On This Day In History: William Caxton Printed His First Book – On Nov 18, 1477
News | Nov 18, 2016
-
Bronze Age Royal Tombs Unearthed In Ruins Of Ancient City Of Pylos, Greece
Archaeology | Dec 30, 2019
-
Kingdoms Of Judah And Babylon Remained In Long-Lasting Conflict
Featured Stories | Sep 5, 2019
-
Extraordinary Gold Pendant With Cross Re-Writes Anglo-Saxon History – It’s One Of The Oldest Symbols Of Christianity Ever Found In East Anglia
Archaeology | Dec 11, 2017
-
Underground Hellenistic Necropolis With Tombs With Frescoes, Reliefs Unearthed In Naples, Italy
Archaeology | May 13, 2023
-
Silphium – Remarkable Ancient Herb That Mysteriously Vanished
Ancient Traditions And Customs | Jul 10, 2021
-
Akrotiri Of Thera: Sophisticated City In The Greek Cyclades Devastated By Volcanic Eruption
Civilizations | Jul 6, 2016
-
12,000-Year-Old Archaeological Evidence Of Human-Dog Friendship In Alaska
Archaeology | Dec 5, 2024
-
Europe’s Earliest Culture Of Aurignacian People Made Amazing Images With Dots
Archaeology | Mar 5, 2017
-
Ancient Calendar Predicted The Coronavirus And Other Disasters In 2020 – History Researcher Says
News | Mar 24, 2020
-
On This Day In History: Treaty of Calais Ratified Between France And England – On Oct 24, 1360
News | Oct 24, 2016
-
Earliest Record Of An Aurora Discovered In The Bamboo Annals
Archaeology | Apr 15, 2022
-
On This Day In History: Samurai Final Battle of Shiroyama Was Fought – On Sep 24, 1877
News | Sep 24, 2016
-
More Evidence Linked To Enigmatic Laodicea Temple In Nahavand Found By Iranian Archaeologists
Archaeology | Aug 7, 2020
-
Ancient Secrets Of Iberian Warrior Vase – 2,000-Year-Old Masterpiece Of Art
Archaeology | Dec 5, 2017
-
Rare Discovery: 530 Knuckle Bones ‘Astragali’ For Gaming And Divination Unearthed In Ancient City Of Maresha
Archaeology | Aug 16, 2022