The Popol Vuh, the Mythic and Heroic Sagas of the Kichés of Central America

Originally printed in 1908, this translation of "The Popol Vuh" is from Lewis Spence. This book has footnotes and appendixes. "THERE is no document of greater importance to the study of the pre-Columbian mythology of America than the 'Popol Vuh.' It is the chief source of our knowledge of the mythology of the Kiché people of Central America, and it is further of considerable comparative value when studied in conjunction with the mythology of the Nahuatlac, or Mexican peoples. This interesting text, the recovery of which forms one of the most romantic episodes in the history of American bibliography, was written by a Christianised native of Guatemala some time in the seventeenth century, and was copied in the Kiché language, in which it was originally written, by a monk of the Order of Predicadores, one Francisco Ximenes, who also added a Spanish translation and scholia. "The name 'Popol Vuh' signifies 'Record of the Community,' and its literal translation is 'Book of the Mat,' from the Kiché words 'pop' or 'popol,' a mat or rug of woven rushes or bark on which the entire family sat, and 'vuh' or 'uuh,' paper or book, from 'uoch' to write. The 'Popol Vuh' is an example of a world-wide genre - a type of annals of which the first portion is pure mythology, which gradually shades off into pure history, evolving from the hero-myths of saga to the recital of the deeds of authentic personages. It may, in fact, be classed with the Heimskringla of Snorre, the Danish History of Saxo-Grammaticus, the Chinese History in the Five Books, the Japanese 'Nihongi,' and, so far as its fourth book is concerned, it somewhat resembles the Pictish Chronicle."