Olmec religion Olmec religion The religion of the Olmec people significantly influenced the social development and mythological world view of Mesoamerica. Scholars have seen echoes of Olmec supernatural in the subsequent religions and mythologies of nearly all later pre-Columbian era Mesoamericans cultures. The first Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs, developed on present-day Mexico southern Gulf Coast in the centuries before 1200 BCE. The culture lasted until roughly 400 BCE, at which time their center of La Venta lay abandoned. The Olmec culture is often considered a "mother culture" to later Mesoamerican cultures. There is no surviving direct account of the Olmec's religious beliefs,
Mayan languages as Tzeltal/Tzotzil "ti' na" "door" (lit. "mouth of house"), or Kaqchikel "chi ru-pam" "inside" (lit. "mouth its-stomach"). A number of loanwords of Mayan or potentially Mayan origins are found in other languages, principally Spanish, English, and some neighboring Mesoamerican languages. In addition, Mayan languages borrowed words, especially from Spanish. A Mayan loanword is "cigar". is Mayan for "tobacco" and means "to smoke tobacco leaves". This is the most likely origin for cigar and thus cigarette. The English word "hurricane", which is a borrowing from the Spanish word is considered to be related to the name of Maya storm deity Jun