[Aztlan] Popol vuh

[John Major Jenkins]

Hi,

I'd also add, for those interested in the astronomical content of Maya
mythology, that Dennis Tedlock's 1985 translation --- updated in '96 ---
went far beyond translation work to identify astronomical references in
the Popol Vuh. For example, the dark-rift in the Milky Way is the "Black
Road" that spoke to the Hero Twins ---the road to the underworld that
they and their father had to pass through. Similarly, the Crossroads in
the Popol Vuh is the cross formed by the Milky Way and the ecliptic, and
is clearly the one at this dark-rift near Sagittarius, rather than the
one in Gemini above Orion emphasized in Linda Schele's work.
Christensen's translation is good but lacks pointers to astronomy. For
more in depth treatment concerning the wider context of what the Popol
Vuh is, one should study Dennis Tedlock's recent Rabinal Achi book as
well as Ruud van Akkeren's Place of the Lord's Daughter.

While on this topic, can anyone clarify how the carved monuments of
Izapa fit into this picture? They are dated to 400 BC - 50 AD yet
clearly contain Hero Twins, First Father, and Seven Macaw actions. Stela
25, for example, is a clear depiction of Seven Macaw in his tree holding
the arm of Hunahpu --- an episode recorded in the 1550s in the Popol
Vuh. This image has also been associated with the Classic Period vase
showing Hunahpu shooting, with his blowgun, at Seven Macaw in the tree. 

 

John Major Jenkins

 

 


-----Original Message-----
From: aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org
[mailto:aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org] On Behalf Of Travis Nygard
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 1:40 PM
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org
Subject: [Aztlan] Popol vuh

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Travis Nygard <tnygard at gmail.com>
Date: Oct 5, 2006 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] Popol vuh
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org


Brasseur de Bourbourg's French edition is fully downloadable in google
books.  As you probably know, google is scanning the public domain
books at the U of CA, Harvard, U of MI, NY Public, Oxford, Stanford,
and the U Complutense.  It is already a good resource, and they are
scanning more every day.

http://books.google.com
Click "Full view books."

Travis

--------

Title:
        Popol vuyh. Le livre sacré et les mythes de l'antiquité
américaine,
avec les livres héröiques et historiques de Quichés ...
Publisher:

Author(s):
        Brasseur de Bourbourg
Publication Date:
        1861
Pages:
        367

On 10/3/06, Randa Marhenke <randa at armory.com> wrote:
> Whoever it was that wanted a copy of the Popol vuh manuscript, please
write
> me--I may be able to help.
>
> Randa
> _______________________________________________
> Aztlan mailing list
> Aztlan at lists.famsi.org
> http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/aztlan
>


--
---

Travis Nygard
ten2 at pitt.edu
tnygard at gmail.com


-- 
---

Travis Nygard
ten2 at pitt.edu
tnygard at gmail.com

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