This article focuses around the long history of shamans and shamanistic representations in Maya culture and religion. A historical overview is presented and references are made to texts in the Books of Chilam Balam, art representations in iconography and evidence from epigraphical research is highlighted in this article. Also the institution of hmenoob, the Yucatec Maya shamans, of today is described and some of their ritual practices is analysed. This leads the author to suggest that there is a long continuation of certain ritual practices ; and especially the ritual process and the pattern of ritual acts may follow patterns described already in the Books of Chilam Balam.