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Transcript of Maya Mythology and Prophecy - Rutgers Universityrutchem.rutgers.edu/~kyc/Teaching/Files/264/1025...
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Maya Mythology and Prophecy
Vincent O’Donnell, 2010
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Preservation of Mayan MythologyPreservation of Mayan Mythology
• Most texts were destroyed by y ySpanish
• The surviving• The surviving texts: Popol Vuh( hé)(Quiché) and Chilam Balam
Diego De Landa, a very bad man.
(Yucatán)
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History and Discovery of Popol VuhHistory and Discovery of Popol Vuh• In 1558, a Maya transcribed the Popol Vuh into the
Quiche language Almost two centuries later aQuiche language. Almost two centuries later, a priest, Father Francisco Ximenez, found the manuscript in his church in Chichicastenango, Guatemala and translated it into Spanish
• Discovered circa 1701 by Francisco Ximénez• He transcribed and translated manuscript in parallel
Quiché and Spanish columns. Eventually ended up at the Universidad de San Carlos of Guatemala.
• Ximénez’s source is said to be a phonetic manuscript borrowed from a parishoner, speculated p p , pto be a phonetic rendering of an oral recitation by Pedro de Alvarado during his 1524 conquest.
• Sat around for awhile in the library until 1854 when two European scholars, Moritz Wagner and Carl Scherzer copied the Spanish content from the lastScherzer, copied the Spanish content from the last half of the manuscript and published it upon returning to Europe.
• In 1855, French Abbot Charles Étienne de Brasseurde Bourbourg also found the writings in the university library Instead of copying it however heuniversity library. Instead of copying it, however, he “absconded” with it and took it back to France.
• When Brasseur died, volume was sold to Edward E. Ayer in 1874. Donated to The Newberry Library in 1897. Scherzer, Carl, ed. Las historias del origen de los indios de esta provincia de
Title page of Ximenez’s manuscript, ca 1701
• Manuscript went into obscurity until it was rediscovered at The Newberry by Adrián Recinos in 1941, who is credited for publishing the first direct edition since Scherzer and Wagner.
Scherzer, Carl, ed. Las historias del origen de los indios de esta provincia de Guatemala. Vienna: Carlos Gerold e hijo. 1857
BRASSEUR DE BOURBOURG, CHARLES ÉTIENNE, ed. Popol vuh. Le livre sacré et les mythesde l'antiquité américaine, avec les livres héroïques et historiques des Quichés. Paris: Bertrand. 1861
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• Ximénez’s manuscript at Newberry library isNewberry library is faded, stained, contains few “organizationalfew organizational divisions” and frequently lacks punctuation and capitalization, making editing and transcribing the manuscript a slightthe manuscript a slight mystery and estimable challenge.challenge.
• Side‐by‐side Quiché (left column) and Spanish ) p(right)
Tedlock, Dennis (1992). "The Popol Vuh as a Hieroglyphic Book". In Elin C. Danien, Robert J. Sharer, University of Pennsylvania. University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. New theories on the ancient Maya. Volume 77 of University Museum monograph. University Museum Symposium Series. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. ISBN 0924171138.
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• Dispute over origin of textof text.
•Ximenez’sconvoluted claims.
•Do you think he ki itwas making it
up?
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Part I of Popol Vuh: Account of the Creation of Living Beings
St t ith id f Q i hé• Starts with idea of nothingness.
• Only sky and sea.
QuichéAre utzijoxik wa‘ek‘a katz‘ininoq,k‘ k h
Spanish
Esta es la relación de cómoy y• Tepeu (“sovereign”)
and Gucumatz(“plumed serpent
k‘a kachamamoq,katz‘inonik,k‘a kasilanik,k‘a kalolinik
todo estaba en suspenso,todo en calma,en silencio;( plumed serpent
god”)• “There shall be
neither glory nor
k a kalolinik,katolona puch upa kaj.
todo inmóvil,callado,y vacía la extensión del cielo.
neither glory nor grandeur in our creation and f ti til th
[Translation]This is the account of howll iformation until the
human being is made, man is f d”
all was in suspense,all calm,in silence;
all motionlessformed” all motionless,all pulsating,and empty was the expanse of the sky.
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Creation Myth continuedCreation Myth, continued• Earth was made first then• Earth was made first, then
animals, and then humans. • Humans
1st attempt: mud– 1st attempt: mud• Result: soak up water and
dissolve– 2nd attempt: wood
• Result: no souls or minds means they lose favor with Gods who eventually cause them to be beaten and disfigureddisfigured
• 3rd attempt of maize proved successful because men “talked, conversed, saw, and heard, walked, grasped things; they were good and handsome men, and their figure was the figure of a
Maya maize god
figure was the figure of a man.”
Source: Goetz p.11‐42
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Hero TwinsTwins• Oldest Maya myth to be
preserved in its entirety. I t t b ll tif
• First meeting • Important ball game motif
introduced• Quiché names: Hunahpu and
Xbalanque
between Hero Twins and Lord of Underworld illustrated q
• Story begins that their father and uncle are summoned to Xibalba (the underworld) by the Lords of the Underworld
on vase (above).
the Lords of the Underworld. The father and uncle are killed, pregnant mother flees from Xibalba. The twin sons grow up to get revengegrow up to get revenge, defeating the lords of the Underworld in the ballgame. Painting the Maya Universe: Royal Ceramics of the Classic Period. Dorie
Reents‐Budet. Durham: Duke University Press. 1994. page 356. Photograph Justin Kerr 1183
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The Xibalan BallgamesThe Xibalan Ballgames
• Mayan rulers emulated heroism of Hero twins on ball field.
• Ballgame storyh // b / h? DjLUDMTJ• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjLUDMTJnAI– Ancient Mayan ball game played by hitting a heavy rubber ball through a stone ring with only the g g yhips.
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Popol Vuh: Iconographic AntecedentsPopol Vuh: Iconographic Antecedents
• Many of characters and episodes from Popolfrom PopolVuh depicted on Mayaon Maya ceramics
Howler Monkey God (top), Divine Gods creating universe (bottom)
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Mythological Underpinnings of Caves, Pyramids and Temples
• Caves connected by• Caves, connected by Cenotes (bodies of water connected underground)
id d dconsidered sacred “doors to the underworld”
• Validity of Popol Vuhy preinforced with discovery of frieze at Chiapas in 1997 –WAS written by Freize at templeyIndian converts.
• Temple of Kukulkan(Quetzalcóatl) –named after plumed
Freize at temple at Xunantunich(above), Temple of Kukulkan at named after plumed
serpent god– 9 levels
Chichen Itza
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Mythological and Cosmological Underpinnings of Caves Pyramids and Templesof Caves, Pyramids and Temples
Pyramids at
• Pyramids are perfectly aligned
Pyramids at Teotihuacán, Mexico
Pyramids are perfectly aligned to reflect planets
• The all‐encompassing Ceiba tree d ld h i l
Ceiba Tree
represents underworld, physical world and spiritual world
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Popol Vuh in Modern ContextPopol Vuh in Modern ContextF i fi ti l Th H t d M b L i• Famous science‐fiction novels The Haunted Mesa by Louis L’Amour and A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engel both borrow myths and legends from the Popol Vuh.
• Modern animated version of creation myth by Patricia Amlin shown in many an educational context: http://youtu be/lnjpJADFcZchttp://youtu.be/lnjpJADFcZc
• German 70s Progressive Rock Band influenced by Mayan legends and rhythms: http://youtu.be/DON‐CogKcfk
• Modern day Mayans (20,000 living in southern California) infuse Catholic teachings with traditional beliefs contained in the Popol Vuh.in the Popol Vuh.
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Chilam Balam: Book of Prophecy, History and Myth
• Historical texts and prophecies p ptied to Mayan calendarcalendar.
• Creation h lmythology tied to
k’atun 11 Ahau• Mayan Medicine
Chilam Blam de Chumayel, ca 1775
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ChilamsChilams"This is the remembrance of how Hunab Ku, supreme Deity with Oxlahum Tihu third deity• Chilams: “That
which is
supreme Deity, with Oxlahum Tihu, third deity, immense deity, came . . . to say his word to the Ah Kines, Sacerdotes‐of‐the‐solar‐cult, Prophets Chalames Balames Wizard‐
mouth” – “That which
Prophets, Chalames Balames, WizardInterpreters . . . the speaking taking place in the house of the Chilam, Interpreter. These words were of a warning and advisory nature,– That which
prophesizes”
B l
words were of a warning and advisory nature, their meaning revealed . . .. The reason why it is called Chilam Interpreter is because the Chilam Balam, Wizard‐Interpreter, went to • Balam:
“jaguar” or
, p ,bed stretched out, without moving or getting up from where he threw himself, in his own house. But no one saw the face or the form
“wizard” and size of who was talking on top of the house, straddling it . . . . They said that HunabKu, supreme Deity . . . ."
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Chilam Balam: Book of the Prophesies
• “Th h h f th• “Those who have no father or who have no house” – Refers to the act of
prophesizing while lyingprophesizing while lying down with back on the ground
• “Those who say they willThose who say they will come to enter Christianity[…] they will be swept away”swept away
• “How it will be will be seen. It will be the time of pain, weeping and misery. Originally written as prophecies pain, weeping and misery. It is what is to come.” about the return of Quetzalcóatl
(Kukulkán, the plumed serpent god), the meaning was changed
K’atun = 7200 daysafter Spanish conquest to be interpreted as predicting the arrival of the Spanish.
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Chilam Balam continuedChilam Balam, continued• M h f h t k• Much of what we know
about the Chilam Balamcan be credited to Mayanists BarreraMayanists Barrera Vásquez and Silvia Rendón
• Compiler: Juan José Hoil• Compiler: Juan José Hoil(name appears on p. 81 of manuscript)
• Allusive nature of text• Allusive nature of text accounts for some conjecture upon transcriptiontranscription
• “Book of Gods” contains majority of mythical allusionsallusions.
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Sources• BARRERA VÁSQUEZ, ALFREDO and SILVIA RENDÓN (translators), El Libro de los Libros de Chilam Balam.
Traducción de sus textos paralelos.Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1948. • GOETZ, DELIA, and MORLEY, SYLVANUS GRISWOLD, ed. Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Ancient Quiché
Ad iá i (1 d ) N U i i f Okl h 19 0Maya By Adrián Recinos (1st ed.). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1950.• LOW, DENISE "A comparison of the English translations of a Mayan text, the Popol Vuh" (reproduced
online). Studies in American Indian Literatures, Series 2 (New York: Association for Study of American Indian Literatures (ASAIL)) 4 (2–3): 15–34. Summer/Fall 1992.
• http //www lost civilizations net/mayan religion popol vuh html• http://www.lost‐civilizations.net/mayan‐religion‐popol‐vuh.html• http://hubpages.com/hub/Maya‐Archeology‐and‐the‐Yucatan• http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/caribarch/ceiba.htm• STROSS, BRIAN. "Review of Patricia Amlin (1989), Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya.
A i t d i (60 i ) U i it f C lif i t B k l E t i M di C t " A iAnimated movie (60 min.). University of California at Berkeley, Extension Media Center.". American Anthropologist, New Series 93 (1): 258–259. (1991)
• http://www.jstor.org/stable/681573. Retrieved 2009‐08‐03..• XIMÉNEZ, FRANCISCO Historia de la provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala de la orden de
predicadores Vol 1/2 Mexico: Consejo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes de Chiapas (1701)predicadores. Vol. 1/2. Mexico: Consejo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes de Chiapas (1701)