In thirty five pages this paper discusses the past and present Mayan religions with ancient ritual, culture, deities, and modern practices examined. Ten sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: D0_MBrelmay.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
as rationalized at the time. The bottom line of such colonization, extermination, or relocation is obviously a loss of life, but it can almost be said that it is a
loss of more than just life; it is a loss of culture, of a way of life. The once great empire of the Mayan people has faded from the face
of the Earth. Gone too, is the driving force behind the success of the Mayan culture: their religious practices and beliefs. Only a glimmer of that great culture remains today.
The relocation of a whole series of cultures, the gargantuan impact of one vast dichotomy against another resulted in a loss of knowledge about the land in which they
were forced from. It was a loss of dignity on both parts, and it was a loss of spiritual and moral frameworks perpetuated by the sword followed by the cross.
The meaning and the significance of the invasion by the sword and the cross mentality of the Spanish would depend greatly on whose perspective was chosen. For the Spanish the
bottom line was power, wealth and world domination in the global race for territory. That they did so under the guise of religion is of little consequence to the nations
they conquered. MAYAN CIVILIZATION: THE SPANISH INVASION The typical Maya family consisted on average of five to seven members. Experts generally state that their homes were built of interwoven poles
covered with mud, and consisted of one room. Meals of corn, squash and beans, supplemented with the occasional turkey or rabbit, were probably eaten(Gilbert 1995). Social events centered around the
urban centers in the cities where sporting events were held. The losers were generally executed. When the time for planting and harvesting was not on them, the people were expected