Concept :The Maya Creation Story of the Maya ''This is an account of the beginning, when all was stillness, silence and water. There was no light, no land, no plants, no people, and no animals. Six deities, covered in green and blue feathers, lay in the primordial waters: the Framer and the Shaper, Tepew and Quetzal Serpent, along with Xpiyacóc and Xmucaná. These deities helped Heart of Sky, also known as Hurakán, create the Earth. Their spirit, essence, and their miraculous power gave the Earth its creative energy. Now the land had a heart, and they called it Heart of Earth. To separate the sky from the Earth, they planted a tall ceiba tree, making space for all life. The roots penetrated deep into the nine levels of the Maya Underworld, the trunk was on the surface of the land, and the branches reached up to the thirteen levels of the Maya Upper-world. The plants were next created to live on the Earth. And then the animals were created. But the animals did not speak, and could not worship. So, the deities decided to create human beings from mud. But these first humans had no souls and were not good “keepers of the days.” They destroyed them in a great flood. The deities tried another time and created humans from wood. But the wooden people could not worship either, so they were destroyed. Those that survived are said to have become the monkeys in the trees. The Sky and Earth now existed, but there was no Sun and no Moon. A vain bird called Seven Macaw claimed to be the Sun and the Moon. But this was not true. Two amazing Twins, Hunajpu and Xbalanqué, defeated Seven Macaw by shooting him with darts. The Hero Twins were conceived when their mother, Ixkik’, spoke to the decapitated head of their father, Hun Hunahpu, who spit on her hand from a cacao tree. Hun Hunahpu had been killed by the Lords of Xibalbá, the Underworld. The Hero Twins became great ball players, and to bring their Father back to life, they challenged the Lords of the Underworld to a game in Xibalbá. The twins were permitted to play the ball game only after they had survived the dangerous trials set for them in the Underworld. Using great skill and cunning, the twins won the ball game, and this allowed their slain father to come back to life as the Maize God. The Hero Twins left Xibalbá and climbed back up to the surface of the Earth. They continued up into the sky, becoming the Sun and the Moon. Now that the Sun and Moon were in the sky and illuminated the Earth, the deities created the final form of human beings using white and yellow corn. Corn is the precious substance that ultimately succeeds in producing true and enduring humans.'' The "Maize People": The gods—specifically Tepeu, Gucumatz (Feathered Serpent), and Huracan (Heart of Sky)—wanted creatures who could speak, understand, and "keep the days" (worship them). They ground yellow and white corn and mixed it with water to form the flesh and blood of the first four human beings. Failed Attempts: Before succeeding with maize, the gods tried making humans out of mud, which crumbled, and wood, which was intelligent but lacked a soul and emotion. The Four Ancestors: According to the Popol Vuh, the first four men created from maize were Balam-Quitzé (Smiling Jaguar), Balam-Agag (Nighttime Jaguar), Mahucutan (Famous Name), and Iqui-Balam (Moon Jaguar). Cyclical View of Life: The Maya believe that creation is cyclical. They believe in a "Fourth Creation"—the current era—which began around August 11, 3114 BCE.