Aztec and Maya Myths by Karl Taube

Aztec and Maya Myths by Karl Taube

The myths of the Aztec and Maya derive from a shared Mesoamerican cultural tradition. This is very much a living tradition, and many of the motifs and gods mentioned in early sources are still evoked in the lore of contemporary Mexico and Guatemala. Professor Taube discusses the different sources for Aztec and Maya myths. The Aztec empire began less than 200 years before the Spanish conquest, and our knowledge of their mythology derives primarily from native colonial documents and manuscripts commissioned by the Spanish. The Maya mythology is far older, and our knowledge of it comes mainly from native manuscripts of the Classic period, over 600 years before the Spanish conquest. Drawing on these sources as well as nineteenth- and twentieth-century excavations and research, including the interpretation of the codices and the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing, the author discusses, among other things, the Popol Vuh myths of the Maya, the flood myth of Northern Yucatan, and the Aztec creation myths.

Karl Taube is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Riverside.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780292781306
ISBN 10	029278130X
Title	Aztec and Maya Myths
Author	Karl Taube
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University of Texas Press
Year published	1994-01-01
Number of pages	80
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable