[Aztlan] New research on FAMSI - Cacao as Fish in the Mythology and Symbolism of the Ancient Maya

[Sandy Mielke]

Hello Mesoamericanists,

 

New research published on the FAMSI website:

 

The Recipe for Rebirth: Cacao as Fish in the Mythology and Symbolism of the
Ancient Maya
Michael Grofe shares his interdisciplinary analysis of metaphors and puns
for cacao within the sacred literature of the Maya. In the K'iche' Popol
Vuh, the head of Hun Hunahpu is likened to a calabash gourd, and in Classic
Period iconography, to a cacao pod. This association with cacao continues in
Hun Hunahpu's offspring, the Hero Twins. Their self-sacrifice in the
underworld parallels the stages of cacao processing: entrance into the
underworld (burial, fermentation), burning (roasting), grinding of their
bones on a metate, and pouring them into water. Subsequently, the twins are
reborn as two fish. The association between cacao and fish can subsequently
be traced through mythology and iconographic representations, providing
insight into the metaphorical value of cacao as a potent symbol of rebirth.
Click here to view The Recipe for Rebirth: Cacao
<http://www.famsi.org/research/grofe/index.html>  as Fish in the Mythology
and Symbolism of the Ancient Maya or

http://www.famsi.org/research/grofe/index.html. 

 

 

Saludos a todos,

 

Sandy Mielke, 

Website Administrator/Programmer

Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. 

http://www.famsi.org <http://www.famsi.org/>  

http://www.famsi.org/spanish/