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Mayan Religion & Beliefs

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 8mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Who were the Mayans?

a)

A group of Native Americans based in South Dakota

b)

Indigenous people in Peru

c)

A Mesoamerican civilization occupying territory in what is now southern Mexico and Guatemala

d)

Eskimos living in Alaska

2.

What were the Mayans known for?

a)

Inventing chocolate, weaving, spices, herbs, and maps

b)

Agriculture, pyramid temples, pottery, hieroglyphic writing, calendar-making, mathematics, human sacrifice

c)

Spreading Christian religion and beliefs

d)

Modern science, philosophy, democratic principles

3.

According to Mayan beliefs, what is K'uh?

a)

The belief in the afterlife

b)

The notion that humans can turn into ghosts

c)

Unity of community; social community and belonging

d)

Sacredness, explains the spirituality of all living things

4.

What is the Popul Vuh?

a)

The group of kings that practiced human sacrifice on prisoners

b)

An ancient Mayan document providing an invaluable source knowledge of ancient Mayan mythology and culture

c)

The fountain of youth, a spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks from its waters

d)

The journals collected by Mayan accountants documenting their trades, inventories, and supplies

5.

According to Mayan belief, why were humans created?

a)

As an experiment to see what life as a mortal would be like

b)

To honor the Gods

c)

To farm and hunt and make a living

d)

To live in peace and co-exist with nature and animals

6.

What is special about how the Mayans perceived the world and their spirituality?

a)

They believed that all things, animate or inanimate, were imbued with an unseen power

b)

They believed that humans could co-exist peacefully with their environment

c)

They regarded the dead with great reverence and celebrated their ancestors with great reverence

d)

They believed in parallel universes

7.

What were the three human creations of the Maya?

a)

Built from Sand, Rock, and Stone

b)

Built from Mud, Wood, and Maize

c)

Built from Wind, Fire, and Water

d)

Built from Stardust

8.

Why did the Gods destroy the three different versions of humans?

a)

They were incapable of producing enough food to sustain life.

b)

They were not built strong enough to survive the harsh winters.

c)

The humans consumed too many resources too quickly.

d)

They could not or would not worship their creators.

9.

How did the Mayans perceive time?

a)

Time was constant and linear

b)

Time was vanishing

c)

Time was cyclical

d)

Time was divided into years, months, and days

10.

True or False: Many gods are a combination of a human and particular animal, associated with different cardinal directions.

a)

True

b)

False

11.

Who were Itzam Ná & Ix Chebel Yax?

a)

Mayan gods that were high in the hierarchy of Gods

b)

Mayan priests that practiced human sacrifice

c)

Mayan artisans that invented pottery as well as gold and copper

d)

Mayan deities that brought good fortune and wealth

12.

Huracán (the supreme creator god) means

a)

Hurricane

b)

Hercules

c)

"Heart of Corn" or "Heart of Maize"

d)

“Heart of Heaven” or “Heart of Sky” “Heart of Earth”

13.

Human sacrifice:

a)

Involved bloodletting

b)

Was important to appease the Gods and vital to ensure a military victory

c)

Happened when a king or queen would ascend to the throne and a political prisoner had been captured

d)

All of the above

14.

Forms of worship in Mayan society included:

a)

Abstaining from meat, Fasting, Praying and burning incense, Offerings of flowers and fragrant herbs

b)

Exercise such as running, yoga, and cycling

c)

Planting trees, flowers, and vegetables

d)

Celebrating with families and friends as well as enemies

15.

What are some cultural practices that people in the U.S. engage in that could be considered strange to others?

a)

Plastic surgery

b)

Manicures and pedicures

c)

Trick or Treating

d)

All of the above