The Maya Creation: The People of Corn

The Failed Experiments The Gods of the Maya—the Sovereign and the Quetzal Serpent—wanted beings who could keep the days, honor the temples, and speak their names. First, they tried making humans out of mud. But the mud people were soft; they crumbled, they couldn't move, and they had no mind. So, the gods destroyed them. Next, they made humans out of wood. These people could walk and talk, but they had no souls and no memories of their creators. They were dry and hollow. The gods sent a great flood to wipe them out, and the survivors became the monkeys we see in the forests today.

The Discovery of Yellow and White Corn The gods were disappointed until the animals—the mountain cat, the coyote, and the crow—brought them news of a mountain filled with yellow and white corn. The gods ground the corn nine times and mixed it with water to create the flesh and blood of the first four true humans. These "Corn People" were perfect. They were beautiful, strong, and most importantly, they could see everything. They saw to the ends of the universe and understood all the secrets of the gods.

The Clouding of the Vision The gods became afraid. "They know too much," they said. "If they see everything, they will think they are gods themselves." So, the Heart of Sky breathed a mist over the eyes of the humans, like breath on a mirror. Their vision became blurred. From that day on, humans could only see what was close to them, not the distant secrets of the universe. This is why humans must now seek wisdom through life's journey, forever trying to see through the mist to find the truth once more.