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Popol Vuh

by Quiché Maya

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,902288,690 (3.8)21
Popol Vuh, the Quiché Mayan book of creation, is not only the most important text in the native languages of the Americas, it is also an extraordinary document of the human imagination. It begins with the deeds of Mayan gods in the darkness of a primeval sea and ends with the radiant splendor of the Mayan lords who founded the Quiché kingdom in the Guatemalan highlands. Originally written in Mayan hieroglyphs, it was transcribed into the Roman alphabet in the sixteenth century. This new edition of Dennis Tedlock's unabridged, widely praised translation includes new notes and commentary, newly translated passages, newly deciphered hieroglyphs, and over forty new illustrations.… (more)
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    The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (CGlanovsky)
    CGlanovsky: Creation myths and pantheons
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» See also 21 mentions

English (19)  Spanish (6)  Catalan (2)  French (1)  All languages (28)
Showing 1-5 of 19 (next | show all)
Yet another book that makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist when I try to explain it to people. I think my favorite line I like to throw out is "and then his head got cut off, but they played basketball with it?".

All jokes aside, I originally read the human creation story and watched an analysis video about this for a class, and was struck by how the historians referred to this as the craziest mythology they had read, and thought that couldn't possibly be true.

Believe me, they weren't joking. Recall the amazing summary I threw out at the beginning of this review, and know that that is only the beginning.

For a bit of context, the Popol Vuh is both a compilation of Mayan history and mythology. It wasn't recorded until the Spanish came and decided the best way to destroy Mayan culture would be to write down their most important book, which is wild considering that is the sole reason why we still have these stories today.

If you've ever liked mythology (Percy Jackson fans I'm looking at you) and don't need it to be spoon fed to you through a fictionalized plot, give this book a chance. You'll thank me later when you're trying to explain to your loved ones why you shouldn't blindly reach into trees if it seems like they are talking to you, and that we really should be more wary of dentists. ( )
  ejerig | Oct 25, 2023 |
I had NO idea what I was getting into with this. My fifteen-year-old had read about this book when he was researching some project for school, so when he saw it at the bookstore he got excited and said we should read it for family story time. Obviously I said yes.

So this is a verse translation of the Mayan epic origin story. Did I get absolutely stressed about probably mispronouncing ever single name in the story, despite how many times I looked them up? Yes. Did I have a surprising amount of fun reading mythic poetry out loud anyway? Absolutely yes! And the rest of the family enjoyed it, too! ( )
  greeniezona | May 7, 2023 |
scriptures of Mayan tribes
  ritaer | Jun 2, 2021 |
Both biblical and atmospheric verse in a great creation/origin story. I now get the references to Xibalba in Aronofsky's underappreciated film "The Fountain". ( )
  albertgoldfain | Jul 17, 2019 |
The Popol Vuh is a grand mytho-historical cycle, a reflection of an oral history, as told by the K’iche’, one branch of the Mayan peoples. The cycle starts with a creation myth and then continues with the Gods’ repeated failures to create humans, a series of Trickster Twins and their exploits among the Gods and in the underworld of Xibalba, the eventual creation of humans, and an increasingly historical listing of Mayan and allied communities and leaders, down to the eventual Conquest by the Spanish.

For anyone familiar with other grand mythological cycles (Greek, Norse, Hebrew), these stories follow a familiar pattern: a deep time that is highly allegorical and full of symbolism and larger-than-life heroes, and that becomes progressively anchored in history as the material approaches the present. As such the Popol Vuh reads like a distinctively Native-American variation on a familiar theme: a standardized history of the people, whose cultural practices have roots in deep time and the forces that shape the universe. Good stuff!

The edition I read was prepared and translated by Dennis Tedlock, and it is doubtlessly awe-inspiring. While the text is presented as a smooth, nicely-flowing narrative, the endnotes (whose pagecount surpasses that of the actual Popol Vuh) make apparent the translation difficulties and the cultural references, and provide insight in many of these items’ history in previous editions. Tedlock defends his editorial choices, compares editions and includes the necessary cultural background for an audience of laypeople and specialists. The whole thing must have been a massive undertaking, and Tedlock’s scrupulousness is admirable.

An exemplary edition of a fascinating cultural narrative belonging to a civilization now conquered and largely erased. ( )
  Petroglyph | Jan 2, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 19 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (25 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Quiché Mayaprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Abreu Gómez, Ermilosecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Amberni, AnnyTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Asturias, Miguel ÁngelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Böckler, Carlos GuzmanPréfacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baracs, Rodrigo Martínezsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bazzett, MichaelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Castledine, David B.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Chávez, Adrián I.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Christenson, Allen J.Translator & Commentarysecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Clémen, CarlosCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cordan, Wolfgangsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Díaz, Rafael RodríguezPrefacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dolphin, LaurieCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Faurie, ValérieTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fowler, EdithDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Garrote, J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Goetz, DeliaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Goetze, DavidTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gonzalez Suarez, Julian ElizamaIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
González de Mendoza, J. M.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Guarchaj, RodrigoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jackson, Everett GeeIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Karr, JustinPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Karttunen, Helinä.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kinzhalov, R. V.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Maria, Carmelo Saenz de SantaEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Meléndez, Gloria S.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Michael, IbTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Monroy, Agustin EstradaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Morley, Sylvanus G.Translator & Forewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nelson, RalphTranslator & Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pérez Rodríguez, Fernandosecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ranta, UllaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Raynaud, GeorgesEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Recinos, AdriánTranslator & Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rodríguez Díaz, RafaelPr.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rugstad, ChristianTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Saravia, AlbertinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Serwinowski, DonnaEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tedlock, DennisTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tentori, Tizianosecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tentori, TullioEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Weil, Lucille KaufmanContributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Are 4u ua nuta4alibal, nupresenta
chiquiuach ri nantat, comon chuchkajauib
mu4hulic uleu, mu4hulic poklaj, mu4hulic bak.
Dedication
First words
The first four humans, the first four earthly beings who were truly articulate when they moved their feet and hands, their faces and mouths, and who could speak the very language of the gods, could also see everything under the sky and on the earth.
Quotations
He who makes an enemy of the Earth makes an enemy of his own body.
- (Preface: P.14)
Now it still ripples, now it still murmurs, ripples, it still sighs, still hums, and it is empty under the sky.
- (P.72)
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Popol Vuh, the Quiché Mayan book of creation, is not only the most important text in the native languages of the Americas, it is also an extraordinary document of the human imagination. It begins with the deeds of Mayan gods in the darkness of a primeval sea and ends with the radiant splendor of the Mayan lords who founded the Quiché kingdom in the Guatemalan highlands. Originally written in Mayan hieroglyphs, it was transcribed into the Roman alphabet in the sixteenth century. This new edition of Dennis Tedlock's unabridged, widely praised translation includes new notes and commentary, newly translated passages, newly deciphered hieroglyphs, and over forty new illustrations.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Mayaintiaanien kansalliseepos. Popol Vuh, Yhteisön kirja, on mayaintiaaneihin kuuluvan quiche-kansan pyhä kirja. Se on legendakokoelma, joka avaa oven kadonneeseen suurkulttuuriin ja sen myyttien aikaan. Espanjalaiset tuhosivat pyhän kirjan alkuperäisversion 1500-luvulla, mutta quichet merkitsivät teoksen uudelleen muistiin suullisen traditionsa, hieroglyfien ja maalausten pohjalta. Nykyään se on mayojen jälkeläisille tärkeä osa identiteettiä. Popol Vuh sisältää tarinoita maailman ja ihmisen luomisesta, jumalpoikien seikkailusta, hyvän ja pahan ikuisesta taistelusta. Kirja on avain mayojen kadonneeseen kulttuuriin, kuten myös intiaaninäkökulma teologisiin peruskysymyksiin. Se on kulttuuristen arvojensa lisäksi jännittävä seikkailukokoelma, jossa pahat saavat palkkansa monien veristen ja vaiherikkaiden käänteiden jälkeen. Popol Vuh kertoo myös mayojen profetiasta, jonka mukaan maailma syntyy uudelleen 21.12.2012 talvipäivänseisauksen aikoihin. Uudessa painoksessa on maya-asiantuntija Harri Kettusen esipuhe. Kirja on kuvitettu Kettusen piirtämillä mayahieroglyfeillä. Didrichsenin taidemuseossa on syksyllä 2012 suuri mayanäyttely.
[AUDIO ONLY] K'iche' Maya origin story and mythic folklore, told in English with a short combination K'iche' and English introduction translated by Marieke Sattler, Ph.D. 1 copy, runtime: 22:55.
Haiku summary
The calabash fruit
Is not what it appears to be -
Hunaphu's skull-bone.
- (Michael.Rimmer)

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