In the first week of the semester, we discussed how every text we read comes to us in translation, sometimes through translations of several different languages before arriving at English. The Popol Vuh, sometimes rendered Pop Wuj, is an extreme case of this, and the story of how the text survived ancient times, the Spanish conquest and modern translation is full of twists and turns.
The Maya language is a complex language much older than English. The ancient Mayan civilization developed a glyphic system for writing down their oral tradition, for keeping time, and naming days, some of whom you will encounter in the story of the hero twins in Xibalba. It’s tempting to compare the glyphs to an alphabet, but though the Maya do use the alphabet we are familiar with to “spell” out their words, the original language is not an “alphabetic” one. I am still learning and working to understand this, so here, I’m going to share some of my sources and questions and thoughts with you. Use this material as it is helpful to your own exploration of the ancient Mayan culture and cosmology.
Consider: does HOW we speak and name our world shape the world itself? How does our language and way of speaking affect our relationship to the world and one another?
In the examples below, you can see both pictures and Mayan glyphs:
Dennis Tedlock, whose translation we are reading, also has a book on Maya literature* that is helping me get to know the language a little bit. . . It’s important to note, today the Maya language is spoken in Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and parts of Mexico and there are at least 30 different Maya languages! The one we encounter in the Popol Vuh is the Ki’che’ Maya language. I’ve taken some of the images of glyphs, logographs and syllables and put them here for you to see:
*2000 Years of Mayan Literature, published 2010 – you can get it as an ebook from our library!
I also appreciate parts of the intro to Allen Christenson’s 2003 translation. Particularly, his story in the Translator’s Preface of his encounter with elders of the Ki’che’ community on a stormy evening (pgs 4-15).
When the words of the ancestors are read, or spoken aloud, it is as if that person had returned from death to speak again. Reading ancient texts is therefore a very delicate matter, filled with peril if the words are not treated with sufficient respect.
Allen J. Christenson, “Translators Preface” Popol Vuh
I audited a class in Spring 2020 on the contemporary cultural expressions of Abya Yala* (the indigenous name for the Americas) where I read the Maya writer Victor Montejo. His article “Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth” discusses the ecocentric (rather than anthropocentric) cosmology of the Maya, starting with the description of creation in the Popol Vuh. As you now turn to the story of the Hero Twins, Hunapu and Xbalanque and their quest in the underworld Xibalba, pay attention to the role of corn.
Corn, or maize, which originated in the fertile valleys of Central America 10,000 years ago . . . plays a central role in Maya culture. It is considered a sacred substance (komi’ ixim or our mother corn), and traditionally men and women showed it extraordinary respect.
Victor Montejo, “Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth”
Just this week, I got an email newsletter with a photo essay by Rowen White (Mohawk), “Three Sisters – Gifts from the daughter of Original Wisdom.” It connects with the Maya reverence for corn, and the Cherokee “Corn Woman Spirit” story we read, and though the Mohawk and Cherokee cultures are different, this is a point of resonance, and a testimony to how the ancient stories live and hold meaning in the world today.
And here is how the complexity and beauty of Maya language is alive and well today, through art. Walter Paz Joj, is “an ajtz’ib (a Maya Kaqchikel scribe), a designer, musician and community leader in Pan Ajache’l (Sololá, Iximulew/Guatemala).” One of his pieces is below, follow the hyperlink to more of his work: “Walter Paz Joj: Illustrations with Tzi’ib’ and Heart”
For Your Journal
Continue the practice of noting what you notice, what you wonder and the questions that arise as you read. If all of the text seems important enough to highlight, try devising a system or method. An example might be different colors for passages that make sense, passages that don’t make sense, passages that inspire you, passages that alarm you. You might have different method. Experiment and pay attention to the method that you feel gives you the best grasp of both the text and, most importantly, your questions about it.
This passage and story is a particularly challenging one for scholars and students alike. Write down your questions! Questions about characters, words, events, questions about why, how and who.
We are going to work on illustrating some of the passages in class together, so feel free to start some sketching in your journal and bring it to class.
*Thanks and credit to Dr. Juan Sanchez Martinez for his class and recommendations: Tedlock’s 2000 Years, Victor Montejo, and Walter Paz Joj.
Featured header image is from a vessel depicting the destruction of one of the Lords of Xibalba.
Bailey Creech
While this text is very complex and has a lot of depth, I still found it enjoyable to read. I understand that to better understand it I’d have to read it many more times but with the understanding that I have of it now I’m focused on the arrogance of the gods, which i believe is similar to the other creation stories we have read. They not only attempted to just kill the hero twins, but they made it into a game for their entertainment purposes.
Leslee Johnson
Yes, isn’t the game interesting? I wonder what that says about the Maya view of life in general – a high stakes game that involves all sorts of tricks? Maybe!
Emily Alexander
I found the text to be pretty entertaining, but there was just so much of it. I thought it was really interesting that the gods weren’t quite all-powerful/all-knowing. To me this whole thing feels like a game or a sick joke. Like with the gods making humans just to destroy them. Over and over. And with them wanting to kill the hero twins. Instead of just wacking them, they make it entertaining by playing with them before following through. I’d have to read this a million times more because I feel like I missed a lot.
Kayla
I completely agree with your viewpoint on the gods and wanted to add that I thought it was interesting they summoned the twins in the first place. Why does it matter to them so much when they could just as easily let it go? The text was extremely dense and even with my note taking I probably could’ve read it a million times more also.
Leslee Johnson
There are people who have read it a million times and are still deciphering. ;’)
Leslee Johnson
Ooh – I like your idea about it all being a “sick joke.” That makes sense in the universe of the Popul Vuh. I also know there is a lot of humor in it that is hard to pick up on from our position and in translation. But don’t the last couple years kinda feel like a sick joke some of the time?
Ian Valiante
After reading this story once I knew I had to read 3-4 more times to even begin to comprehend the depth of it. I tried to take everything being said as a metaphor, something that has shaped beliefs. An example of this would be when the lords of Xibalba heard the twins playing ball and their first thought was they needed to die. I interpreted this as the story saying that the lords were petty. Or they represented some sort of negative world view that people should avoid if possible. I could be heavily oversimplifying or I could be completely off the mark. Thats part of the charm about this story. There’s so much left up to interpretation. One question I’d have is how far off this text is from the original oral story.
Mahmoud B
I agree about the part where so much of the story is left to interpretation. I think it really speaks to how the culture and oral story telling worked.
Leslee Johnson
That’s a good question. I think we may miss some of what the riginal tellers and now traditional mayans get as humor – and don’t forget the cyclical nature of it all as well – they are summoned underground to rise again . . . connection to life cycle of corn and seasons. . .
Julia
I really enjoyed reading this story but I know I missed many things and I need to read it again to get a better understanding of it. I have some questions for the story, mostly regarding the behavior of the gods. why did the gods get upset that the animals couldn’t speak when they were the ones who created them. why get upset at all of their creations for not worshiping them such as the wooden people when then again they are the creations of the gods. The gods never give their creations any sort of guidance and instead just try to destroy them when they fail to meet their expectations. to me it almost seems like his is deliberate, like the gods are purposefully creating beings that wont live up to their ideals so that they can destroy them. Its almost as if they are making punching bags to direct their anger at as well as justify their actions in their own minds. that would help explain why they are so determined to kill the twins but this is just my initial thoughts and I need to read through the story again to get a better understanding.
Madeline Thornton
I agree with you about how it doesn’t make sense why the gods created all of these things only for the gods to be disappointed by them. Which doesn’t make sense since they are the ones who created them. We can also relate this to all of the different religions we have today.
Leslee Johnson
Right! Can we ask – what purpose do the lords of Xibalba serve the larger narrative – blood and pus and lots of yucky natural things. . . forces seeking death for the hero twins (who also serve a greater purpose, perhaps) who are destined to return to life. . .
Leslee Johnson
Interesting connection between the two different passages, Julia. One thing that may not stand out is that the creator gods and the Lords of Xibalba are not the same. And maybe we are missing something about the cultures understanding of and acceptance of death?
Monica Goedl
I enjoyed reading the creation story and found it interesting. I find it fascinating that we are able to read this story since only a small portion of the Mayan population was left after they were forced off their land and slaughtered. The gods in this story seemed to have created others just to praise them. They proved themselves to not be perfect or “all- powerful” because of their failed attempts in creating life. I have several questions about this story such as: ” How can the animals send a message if they were unable to talk?”, ” why did the gods not allow the humans to be perfect and dumb them down at the end of the story?”, and ” How can the gods speak animals into existence but not people?” Although the story is quite entertaining, there are some logistic errors. Something within the story that did make sense was that the gods created 2 sets of people to produce offspring. This makes more sense in the way that they now have more options of who to mate with so that no genetic mutations would occur.
Leslee Johnson
Good points, Monica. Especially regarding your first point, it makes it all the more impressive that over 6 million Maya live and love and work today. Excellent questions and observations.
dana
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. While I enjoyed reading it I didn’t understand a lot of it, I have lots of questions regarding certain situations. Most of the questions I have about this story and more logistical and specific. For example, I was confused as to why their were only 2 females present? And why is it that the Xibalba were so determined on the twins death? I think these questions are more literal and not the ‘real’ questions we should be asking. They are tiny details in a much bigger story with deeper meaning, but it is hard to understand that and put away with our own views on the world.
I think in order to understand this text better we need to read it from an outside point of view, when reading it from the view of a very curious adult in the modern world it’s hard to thoroughly enjoy and submerge ourselves within the text because of our questions.
Daysha Chaney
I agree with the fact that we need to read this from an outside point of view in order to understand it. If we look at it using our own, or a more logical one to us, then we will be too focused on where the story doesn’t add up instead of what they want us to get from it. It does start to become difficult to ignore said questions, though. However, some questions I have found to be helpful in understanding the text even more such as wondering if in their culture they believe in resurrection along with reincarnation, or if it is just resurrection with some exceptions to enhance the entertainment of those in the audience.
Leslee Johnson
Well said! It’s hard to underestimate the value of kind of bracketing, or putting aside our logical impulse and biases when it comes to this story and so many from the ancient world. Interesting question about entertainment and audience! you are right, there is some showmanship in this story!
Leslee Johnson
Yes, well said. We can also learn some important things about ourselves and our own worldview from our questions.
Ziyanah Alexander
I enjoyed the story for the most part, but was left with many questions. Here are a few of the main ones:
In the first part when the different animals are getting eaten so that they can travel faster to give the message it is seen as peaceful thing and a way of life. Did the Mayans see the circle of life as peaceful/normal? It seems so different than our culture which sees it as violent and sad.
Why did the plant the corn in the middle of the house? The fact that the narrator pointed out that it was not on fertile land makes it seem as if the boys knew what they were doing, as if they wanted the maize to not come to harvest.
I was curious as to why a reason was not given for why they did not burn in The House of Fire. Reasons are given for how they survived the other houses, but I did not see one for the room full of fire.
Towards the end of the story, it says in one line that the boys father had been killed long ago, but in the next line, it says they went to see the face of their father. I do not fully understand if they are seeing of the face of their dead father or what is going on.
Ash
I wondered about why they didn’t burn in the House of Fire as well. There wasn’t really any reasoning for how they survived the House of Fire and the House of Cold. I thought that maybe since we know that they are more than human, whatever they are species-wise is just not susceptible to those temperatures. Or that they have control over it.
Leslee Johnson
Excellent questions, Ziyanah. I think you are expressing an important insight about how the Mayans see the circle of life contrasted with the way we typically see death. That relates to your last question too about the face of a long dead father. Interesting!