The Mayan Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the K'iche' People
Details
The Mayan civilization centered around the lowlands of modern-day southern Mexico and the countries of Guatemala, Belize and southern Honduras, a region generally known as the Mayan lowlands. Mayan civilization began to coalesce in this region by around 2500 BCE when the inhabitants of this region began a village way of life centered around maize agriculture. The first documented farming communities date from about 1200 BCE. Monumental sculpture and refined artworks were being constructed by 1100 BCE with large stone platforms being built by 800 BCE. The most massive architectural projects appear in the late preclassical period (400 BCE - 250 CE) with the lowland Maya. During the classical period (250 - 900 CE), the Maya realized its greatest achievement and maximum demographic expansion. There were hundreds of towns, cities and city-states built of finely cut stone and led by lords and lesser nobility. The larger cities amassed political and economic power through extortion and tribute. Although the city-states worshipped different patron gods, they all shared common assumptions on the creation of the world, the resurrection of the Maize God, and the underworld origin of humanity.
Mayan society was very literate, at least among the elite, with a sophisticated glyphic script and many thousands of books. Disaster came with the arrival of the Spanish missionaries who, with help of soldiers, zealously and thoroughly collected and burned the "pagan" books in their largely successful effort to Christianize the Mayans. The Popol Vuh, the Mayan book of the creation of the world, survived through the effort of a Spanish priest who created a side-by-side translation that currently resides in the Newbury Library at the University of Chicago. The Mayan culture exists to this day mostly in small mountain communities in Guatemala.
Reading
For our discussion, read the Popol Vuh translated by Dennis Tedlock. It is available as a free online download from Project Gutenberg. A paperbound copy may be purchased from online booksellers. The book is very well illustrated with the Mayan glyphs, photos and maps.
Below are a few helpful links.
The Mayan Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the K'iche' People