The Manuscript Hunter - Brasseur de Bourbourg's Travels through Central America and Mexico, 1854-1859 (Hardcover)

In two decades of traveling throughout Mexico, Central America, and Europe, French priest Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg (1814-1874) amassed hundreds of indigenous manuscripts and printed books, including grammars and vocabularies that brought to light languages and cultures little known at the time. Although his efforts yielded many of the foundational texts of Mesoamerican studies - the pre-Columbian Codex Troana, the only known copies of the Popol Vuh and the indigenous dance drama Rabinal-Achi, and Diego De Landa's Relacian de la cosas de Yucatan - Brasseur earned disdain among scholars for his theories linking Maya writings to the mythical continent of Atlantis. In The Manuscript Hunter, translator Katia Sainson reasserts his standing as the founder of modern Maya studies, presenting three of his travel writings in English for the first time. While civil wars raged throughout Mexico and Central America and foreign interests sought access to the region's rich resources, Brasseur focused on uncovering Mesoamerica's mysterious past by examining its ancient manuscripts and living oral traditions. His ""Notes from a Voyage in Central America,"" ""From Guatemala City to Rabinal,"" and Voyage across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec document his travels in search of these texts and traditions. Brasseur's writings weave vivid geographical descriptions of Central America and Mexico during the mid-1800s with keen social and political analysis, all steeped in vast knowledge of the region's history and interest in its indigenous cultures. Coupled with Sainson's thoughtful introduction and annotations, these captivating, accessible accounts reveal Brasseur de Bourbourg's true accomplishments and offer an unrivaled view of the birth of Mesoamerican studies in the nineteenth century. Brasseur's writings not only depict Central America and Mexico through the eyes of a European traveler at a key moment, but also illuminate the remarkable efforts of one man to understand and preserve Mesoamerica's cultural traditions for all time.

General

Imprint:	University of Oklahoma Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	American Exploration and Travel Series
Release date:	July 2017
Authors:	Charles Etienne Brasseur De Bourbourg (
Editors:	Katia Sainson
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 25mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover - Cloth over boards
Pages:	304
ISBN-13:	978-0-8061-5502-9
Categories:	Books > Arts & Architecture > Antiques & collectables > Books, manuscripts, ephemera & printed matter Books > Language & Literature > Language & linguistics > Translation & interpretation > General Books > Language & Literature > Literature: texts > Essays, journals, letters & other prose works > General Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Sport & Leisure > Travel & holiday > Travel & holiday guides > General Books > History > American history > General Books > Travel > Travel & holiday guides > General Promotions
LSN:	0-8061-5502-7
Barcode:	9780806155029

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