2. Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post
Classic K'iche' kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The
title translates as "Book of the Community", "Book of Counsel",
or more literally as "Book of the People". Popol Vuh's prominent
features are its creation myth, its diluvian suggestion, its epic
tales of the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué,[and its
genealogies. The myth begins with the exploits of
anthropomorphic ancestors and concludes with a regnal
genealogy, perhaps as an assertion of rule by divine right.
As with other texts (e.g., the Chilam Balam), a great deal of Popol
Vuh's significance lies in the scarcity of early accounts dealing
with Mesoamerican mythologies. Popol Vuh's fortuitous survival
is attributable to the Spanish 18th century Dominican friar
Francisco Ximénez.
3. Structure
Popol Vuh encompasses a range of subjects that includes creation, ancestry, history, and
cosmology. There are no content divisions in the Newberry Library's holograph, but
popular editions have adopted the organization imposed by Brasseur de Bourbourg in
1861 in order to facilitate comparative studies.Though some variation has been tested by
Tedlock and Christenson, editions typically take the following form:
Preamble
A brief statement attesting to the antiquity of the mythistory, its perpetuation in oral
form, and its post-conquest writing.
Part 1
Account of the creation of living beings. Animals are created first followed by humans.
The first humans of earth and mud soak up water and dissolve. The second humans are
created from wood, "but they did not have souls, nor minds."They lose favor with the
gods who cause them to be beaten and disfigured before receiving a deluge of heavy
resin.
Hero twins. Exploits of hero twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué also known as Hunter and
Jaguar deer.
Their defeat of Vucub-Caquix and his sons Zipacná and Cabracán, presentation of ball-
game motif.
4. Part 2
Lineage of principal figures. Xpiyacoc and Xmucané beget Hun
Hunahpú and Vucub Hunahpú; Hun Hunahpú .
Their defeat of Vucub-Caquix and his sons Zipacná and Cabracán,
presentation of ball-game motif. and Xbaquiyalo beget Hunbatz and
Hunchouén.
Demise of Hun Hunahpú and Vucub Hunahpú and origin of hero twins
Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. They are summoned to the underworld of
Xibalbá for playing their ball game too noisily. They are killed; Hun
Hunahpú's head is placed in a calabash tree. This skull later
impregnates Xquic, daughter of a Xibalbé lord, by spitting into her
hand. She flees the lords and lives with Xmucané where she gives birth
to "Hero Twins" Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. Mistreated by their half-
brothers Hunbatz and Huchouén, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué trick them
into climbing a tree. Hunbatz and Huchouén transform into monkeys.
Rediscovery of ball game and defeat of the lords of Xibalbá. Upon
finding the father's equipment suspended from the ceiling, Hunahpú
and Xbalanqué are also summoned to Xibalbá for playing too
boisterously. They outwit the lords and ascend to the night sky as
constellations.
5. Part 3
Creation of humans, migration, and first dawn. Animals gather white
and yellow corn from which the gods create Balam-Quitze, Jaguar
Night, Naught, and Wind Jaguar. Their four wives are later created
while they sleep. Their descendants travel to Tulán Zuiva to await the
first dawn. The god Tohil gives fire, but it is extinguished by hail. Tohil
requires concessions to restore their fire, but the K'iche' hide
themselves in smoke and obtain their fire without conditions. The
K'iche' rise to prominence over the other tribes. The first dawn appears,
dries out the land, and turns original animals to stone. Distinct
languages evolve.
Part 4
Migration and division. The K'iche' travel into the mountains, find
Q'umarkaj where Q'uq'umatz (the feathered serpent lord) raises them
to dominance. Gucumatz institutes elaborate rituals. Cities are
founded, significant architectural structures emerge to which
fortifications are later added. Inter-tribal strife ensues. Anthropological
correlation to terminal classic period (roughly 790 - 1000 CE).
Genealogy. States the lineages of several tribal rulers leading up to the
Spanish conquest.
