Editing Itzamna (section)

==Early colonial reports==
The early colonial sources variously connect, and sometimes identify, Itzamná with [[Hunab Ku]] (an invisible high god), [[Kinich Ahau]] (the sun deity), and Yaxcocahmut (a bird of omen). 

The most reliable source on Itzamná, [[Diego de Landa]], mentions him several times in the framework of his description of the ritual year. In the month of Uo, a ritual aspersion of the books took place under invocation of Kinich Ahau Itzamná, "the first priest". In the month of Zip, Itzamná was invoked as one of the gods of medicine, and in the month of Mac, he was venerated by the very old on a par with the [[Chaac]]s, the rain deities. In the cycle of four years, one year was under the patronage of Itzamná.  

Itzamná was an active creator god, as is shown by the following. Confirming Landa's description of the book ritual above, (Hun-)Itzamná is stated by [[Diego López de Cogolludo]] to have invented the priestly art of writing. According to this same author, Itzamná (now written Zamna) had been a sort of priest who divided the land of Yucatán and assigned names to all of its features. More generally, Itzamná was the creator of humankind, and also the father of [[Bacab]] (Francisco Hernández), a fourfold deity of the interior of the Earth. In an alternative tradition, Itzamná begot thirteen sons with [[Ixchel]], two of whom created the Earth and humankind (Las Casas).