30 May 2025 / 10 House
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Find out moreWhat was the ancient Maya symbol for the moon?
ORIGINAL QUESTION received from - and thanks to - Trezele Mabalaya: I’m interested in Mayan mythology and symbolism, and was wondering what the Mayan hieroglyph for the moon was? Thank you for educating people about Mayan and Aztec culture (Answered by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)
Thanks for writing to us. Unlike the Mexica-Aztecs, the ancient Maya had several glyphs to represent the moon (see picture). The moon, throughout ancient Mesoamerica, was associated with the rabbit. ‘Among the Classic Maya, a young, beautiful woman was the moon goddess, and she frequently sits on the crescent of the Maya glyph for moon, bearing a rabbit in her arms... The name of this goddess is not known, but she is not Ixchel, as is often alleged; Ixchel is an old goddess’ (Miller & Taube, 1993: 118).
Picture sources:-
• (L): scan of page 105 of Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs by John Montgomery, Hippocrene Books, New York, 2002
• (R): scan of a detail of a Late Classic Maya incised vase, from The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya by Mary Miller and Karl Taube, Thames & Hudson Ltd., London, 1993 (p. 119).
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