THE 20 MOST POPULAR MAYAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The myths and legends Mayan reflect the popular culture of one of the most fascinating civilizations in history. They are characterized by having magical or supernatural aspects, these being the main reasons for which they are distinguished.

Myths and legends consist of stories that are told and dispersed generation after generation, thanks to word of mouth.

On many occasions, due to the need to express a faith or belief. Each of them presents an explanation or symbolism related to the culture of which it is part.

They narrate facts that are impossible to verify, in order to give a meaning or an interpretation to something that happened.

20 wonderful Mayan myths and legends

1- Dziú and corn

The legend centers on Dziú, a bird who was recognized for his bravery. Responding to the orders of Yuum Chaac, the God of Rain, he risked his life to save a corn seed from a burned field, since this seed was considered indispensable for life.

As a result of having entered the fire, Dziú was left with red eyes and a gray body.

He was recognized by Yuum Chaac and all birds, so from then on, Dziú could not worry about building nests for his young, as he could lay his eggs in those of any bird, and they would be cared for by them as if they were his own..

2- The Chom

The legend tells the story of the birds called Chom and the punishment imposed on them by the King of Uxmal.

The Chom were birds with colored plumage that flew over the king's palace at the time of the king's celebration to honor the Lord of Life, Hunab Ku.

The Chom ate the food the king had prepared for the occasion. Uxmal ordered a punishment for them and it was a group of priests who took charge of carrying it out.

They made a special black preparation, which they dumped on the body of the Chom and decreed that from now on, they would eat only garbage and dead animals.

As a result, the Chom became birds with parched black plumage, with hairy heads.

In order not to be seen, they fly very high and descend only to look for food in the garbage.

3- The princess and the Maquech

This legend tells of an oath of love between Princess Cuzán and her lover Chalpol, a young man with red hair.

Cuzán agrees to marry Prince EK Chapat, following his father's orders. This one would kill Cuzán but the princess promises to stop seeing him in exchange for their life.

The princess's father spares Chalpol's life but, by means of a sorcerer, he turns him into a maquech, a beetle.

Cuzán carries it close to his heart, like the most precious jewel, fulfilling the promise of love that they had made.

4- The May Flower

This legend tells the story of a girl, the daughter of a devotee who could not have children and how she asks the gods to give her the opportunity to be a father.

He observed the beauty of the stars, particularly the Southern Cross, at the time of May. It is around this time that his wife gives birth to their daughter. But she dies in her teens at the same time she was born.

Every May, when the Southern Cross illuminates his grave, the May flower appears at the foot of it.

5- Uay Chivo

The legend Uay Chivo refers to a sorcerer or sorcerer represented as a black entity, with bright eyes and large horns. Your mission is to scare those who appear on your way at night.

According to this belief, there are demonized people who have the ability to turn into a goat to scare the population and / or fulfill some objective of evil origin.

6- Xkeban and Utz Cole

This legend is about two women, Xkeban who practiced prostitution but was humble and kind to the poor and genuinely gave herself to love. And Utz Cole who said she was virtuous and honest.

When Xkeban passed away, the city smelled a beautiful aroma of flower perfume. After burying her, flowers with this characteristic appeared on her grave. To which they called Xtabentún. A wild flower with an intoxicating nectar like Xkeban love.

Now, when Utz Cole dies, it turns into a flower called Tzacam, a cactus from which unscented flowers sprout and which is sharp when touched.

However, Utz Cole, with the help of evil spirits, manages to come back to life. Out of envy towards Xkeban, he decided to make men fall in love. But with a simulated love, because his heart was not like hers.

7- Che Uinic

This myth is about the man of the woods, a giant who possesses supernatural powers and eats human flesh, so it is to be feared.

He is described as a man without bones, with his feet backwards. That is, their fingers point towards your back. For this reason he uses a trunk as a cane.

To get rid of him in his presence, you have to perform a dance with branches, because this causes him grace causing him to fall.

Due to its characteristics, it is difficult for it to get up from the ground, so in that time, the person can escape.

8- Alux

Alux is called the goblin or elf who steals children. He usually plays most of the time and sometimes does things of diabolical origin.

The myth about Alux and other goblins holds that they are invisible but can be made visible in order to scare people. They are associated with places such as forests and caves and often travel in search of offerings.

It is believed that by invoking them, the peasants will achieve seven years of good harvest and protection for their fields, for which they carry out within them, what is called the house of the alux or kahtal alux.

After this period, they must lock the alux in the house, which must remain hermetically closed. Well, if the alux escapes, it will start to be aggressive towards people.

9- Uay

Legend has it that the Uay is a magician or sorcerer who performs enchanting phenomena inherent in black magic. It has a ghostly character that adopts different forms of animals to achieve its malevolent goals.

10- Sac Nicté and Canek

Canek was a prince of Chichén Itza. A 21-year-old, brave and good-hearted, he falls in love with Sac Nicté, a 15-year-old princess. But she was to marry Ulil, the crown prince of Uxmal.

Canek went looking for her with his warriors on her wedding day, ready to fight for her. He snatches her from the arms of the witnesses and war breaks out between his army and Uli.

Canek emigrated with the princess and all her people, so when the people of Uxmal went to Chichén Itza to claim her, the city was empty.

11- The dwarf of Uxmal

The legend tells the story of an old lady who worked in the oracle of the town and could not have children.

For this reason he asked the God Chic Chan and he was granted a son, who was born a dwarf, with red hair and green skin.

This little dwarf built a large gourd (a kind of vessel) that he used as a kind of rattle.

According to legend, whoever played a similar instrument and its sound was heard in the Mayab (Mayan region), would be made king.

The then enraged king challenged the dwarf who passed all the tests to a duel. But in the last one he asked the king to do it too and he did not survive. Then the dwarf was proclaimed king.

In his reign, he built the temple called the governor's house and a house for his mother which he called the old mother's house, both constructions being appreciated in Uxmal.

12- The punishment of vanity

Mayan legend has it that the earth was left in darkness when the sun and the moon were dedicated to resting.

But by then, the vain king wanted to show that with his jewels he could illuminate the entire city.

To do this he climbed a tree with them, and the gods punished him by throwing him from it, being muddy and covered with dirt, he was then warned.

13- The myth of the owl, the wise counselor

This myth tells the story of an owl who was an advisor to the peacock, the king, and was punished for wanting to withdraw from a party that all the birds had prepared in his honor.

The king forced him to dance in front of all the guests and the owl felt embarrassed and humiliated, so he did not want to go out in public anymore.

In his period of confinement he read the sacred book of the Mayans and discovers a secret about a betrayal. As he goes out to tell it, he discovers that he could no longer read since his eyes had become used to the dark.

Since then he has not gone out again during the day, this being the way the gods have punished him.

14- When the Tunkuluchú sings…

The legend tells the story of a mysterious and lonely bird that flies over the Mayab ruins, which they call Tukulunchú. With his song he announces death, so everyone fears him.

The cause of this was a desire for revenge of this bird towards the Maya, who at a party had ridiculed it.

With the aim of revenge, he took advantage of his nose, which was his strength. He approached the cemeteries to recognize the smell of death and, in this way, to be able to announce to the Mayan the proximity of his death.

15- water and love

Legend has it that a warrior from Bolochen, a town that grew up around nine wells but suffered from drought, falls in love with a maiden.

Her mother, for fear of losing her, locks her up under a grotto.

The warrior and his people find it, and next to the cave seven ponds, the Chacha, the Pucuelba, the Sallab, the Akabha, the Chocoha, the Ociha and the Chimaisa.

16- The Cocay

Cocay is the name that the Mayans call fireflies. And the legend tells how this insect created its own light.

In the Mayab resided a man capable of curing the sick with his green stone. One day he discovers that he has lost her in the forest and asks the animals to look for her.

It was Cocay who searched tirelessly for her and before finding her, for his dedication and perseverance, he obtained his reward, his own light.

Upon returning the stone to its owner, the owner tells him that the light represents the nobility of his feelings and the brilliance of his intelligence. Since then Cocay was respected by all animals.

17- The quail

According to this Mayan myth, the quail called Bech, was the favorite bird of the gods, which is why it enjoyed many privileges, envied by the rest of the birds. But not satisfied with it, in his selfishness, the quail wanted a world for herself and her family.

On one occasion, the Great Spirit together with Yaa Kin, the prince of the sun, visited the earth. This news made Box Buc, the prince of Darkness, turn black with envy. What prompted his desire for revenge for the travelers.

It was Bech and his large family who helped him find them. The Great Spirit was disappointed in the bird whom he had loved so much and condemned it from then on to be the bird left at the mercy of beasts and hunters.

18- Zamna and the Henequen

According to this Mayan myth, to Zamna, a wise and kind priest from the city of Izamal, the Queen confesses that her astronomers had warned her that on the next moon, her lands would disappear.

Therefore, he entrusts him with the task of taking some families from the kingdom and three Chilamanes of greater wisdom to carry the writings that tell the history of the town.

Also entrusting him with the fact that he must found a new city and that under the main temple he must keep those writings in order to preserve them.

When Zamná finds the place indicated by the Queen, joining the rain that did not stop; the power of heaven; that of the henequen (a plant with which she had injured her legs) and, of the pilgrim men who accompanied her and helped her heal, founded the great Izamal.

19- The creation of the Earth

According to the Mayan legend about the creation of the earth, before its existence there were only two gods: Tepeu and Gucumatz. They were the ones who came together to create the world.

From their thoughts, everything they thought was created. Thus were created the mountains, valleys, sky, water and all forms of life inhabiting the Earth.

20-Creation of life on Earth

The gods Tepeu and Gucumatz made the beings they created, those who take care of their creations and those who praise them.

But until then there were no beings capable of speaking, so they undertook the task of creating them. On their first attempt, the clay men they gave life to were still unable to speak.

Later, the wooden men could do it but they were not capable of thinking or loving. Then they caused a great flood to destroy them.

In their last attempt they created four corn paste men with all the features they wanted. Later they created four women for them. And these eight human beings were the ancestors of all men today.

Themes of interest

The streets of colonial cities and their legends.

Legends of Guatemala.

Legends of Mexico.

Argentine legends.

Colombian legends.

Legends of Jalisco.

Legends of Guanajuato.

Durango legends.

Chihuahua legends.

Chiapas legends.

Legends of Baja California Sur.

Baja California legends.

Legends of Aguascalientes.

Legends of Veracruz.

References

1. Bošković, A. (1989). The Meaning of Maya Myths. Anthropos Institut.
2. CHAPTER IV: The Maya Race and Mythology. (nd). Retrieved from Sacred-texts.
3. Cobb, AB (2004). Mexico: A Primary Source Cultural Guide. The Rosen Publishing Group.
4. Davies, D. (2014, May 26). Modern Myths of the Ancient Maya. Retrieved from Mexicolore.
5. Factly, I. (nd). Mayan Myths & Legends. Retrieved from Ipfactly.
6. JAN. (nd). MAYAN LEGENDS: BEDTIME STORIES OF AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION. Retrieved from haciendatresrios.
7. kstrom. (nd). Retrieved from Maya Culture Traditional Storyteller's Tales, Maya Village Life Now; Sounds, phrases, numbers.
8. Macdonald, F. (2009). The Aztec and Mayan Worlds. The Rosen Publishing Group.
9. Macleod, K. (2016). Legends of the Maya: A Guide to Mayan Mythology. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
10. Publishers, S. (2007). Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies. Struik.
11. Taube, K. (1993). Aztec and Maya Myths. University of Texas Press.
12. Tom, T.-KD-C.-t. (nd). MAYAN MYTHOLOGY. Retrieved from Healigan.