Different civilizations and their belief in the power of the spoken word - Ancient Mesoamerica (Mayan's)

The Maya civilization developed around 2000 BCE in what is now south-eastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador.

Ancient Mayan culture had a profound respect for language, particularly the power of the spoken word. For the Maya, language wasn’t just a tool for communication; it was a bridge between the material world and the spiritual realm.

In Maya cosmology, words were seen as a fundamental part of creation itself. According to the Maya creation myths, the gods used speech and language to bring the world into existence.

This is most famously encapsulated in the Popol Vuh, the creation myth of the K'iche' Maya, which describes how the gods spoke and commanded the earth, animals, and humans into being.

The gods' words held the power to create and shape reality, and thus humans, too, could access this power through speech.

This belief extended to their writing system, which combined symbols (glyphs) with the sounds of speech, emphasizing the importance of both the spoken and the written word in their religious practices.

For the Maya, spoken words were more than mere communication—they were potent tools for shaping reality, invoking divine will, and maintaining harmony with the cosmos.

The precise use of language, whether through sacred prayers, songs, or rituals, had the power to connect humans with the gods, influence natural forces, and even affect an individual's destiny. Words were seen as sacred and transformative, capable of creating, protecting, and sustaining the world in which the Maya lived.