The K'iche' Maya creation story preserved in the
sixteenth-century manuscript "Popol Vuh" describes the origin of
the world and its people in a setting long assumed to be the
Guatemalan central highlands. Now a scholar with a deep knowledge
of Maya history shows that all of these mythological events
occurred at specific locations and that this landscape was the
template for the Maya worldview.
Examining the primary Maya deities, Karen Bassie-Sweet links
geographic features to gods and beliefs. She reconstructs key
elements of the "Popol Vuh" to argue that the three volcanoes
around Lake Atitlan were the three thunderbolt gods and that the
lake was the center of the world. She also shows that the Maya view
of the creation of humans is centered on corn and examines core
beliefs about the corn cycle to propose that the creation myth was
established much earlier in Maya history than previously supposed.
Generously illustrated, "Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator
Deities" is a detailed ethnohistorical analysis of Maya religion,
cosmology, and ritual practice that convincingly links mythology to
the land. A comprehensive treatment of Maya religion, it provides
an essential resource for scholars and will fascinate any reader
captivated by these ancient beliefs.
General
Imprint: |
University of Oklahoma Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
The Civilization of the American Indian Series |
Release date: |
November 2008 |
First published: |
November 2008 |
Authors: |
Karen Bassie-Sweet
|
Dimensions: |
254 x 178 x 28mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards / With dust jacket
|
Pages: |
384 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8061-3957-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8061-3957-9 |
Barcode: |
9780806139579 |
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