(American mythology)
In the Maya pantheon, the most active and important deity. Son of the creator god Hunab, Itzamna was the lord of the heavens, and also lord of the day and night. He was represented as a kindly old man with toothless jaws, sunken cheeks, and a pronounced nose. A cultural hero, too, he invented writing and books, established religious ceremonies, and ‘divided the land’. Itzamna, often identified with the sun, was entirely benevolent, never being held responsible for any destruction or disaster.
