Itzamná

Mayan deity

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Mayan:: “Iguana House”

See all related content

Itzamná, principal pre-Columbian Mayan deity, ruler of heaven, day, and night. He frequently appeared as four gods called Itzamnás, who encased the world. Like some of the other Mesoamerican deities, the Itzamnás were associated with the points of the compass and their colours—east, red; north, white; west, black; and south, yellow.

Itzamná was sometimes identified with the remote creator deity Hunab Ku and occasionally with Kinich Ahau, the sun god. The moon goddess Ixchel, patron of womanly crafts, was possibly a female manifestation of the god. Itzamná was also a culture hero who gave humankind writing and the calendar and was patron deity of medicine. (See also Bacab.)

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.