Popol Vuh

Popol Vuh
The Mythic and Heroic Sagas
of the Kiches of Central America
translated by Lewis Spence

Includes bonus chapters on Mythology and Religion of Ancient Mexico. When the Spanish took over Central America in the 16th and 17th centuries they made certain to destroy the writings and holy books of the native Mayans in an effort to convert them to Christianity. Few texts survived, yet one did of the highest importance. It is called The Popol Vuh. It is the creation story of the Mayan culture and, according to the author, this was the first English rendering of that text. It tells the story of a great flood, gods who created mankind, and a number of other interesting parallels to mythologies from around the world.

This is the "Genesis" of the mysterious Mayas and should be essential reading for those interested in our ancient past. The book also contains three bonus chapters from Spence on mythology and religion from ancient Mexico. All of the gods and deities are fully explained and at times compared to those from Greece, Rome and Egypt. All told, this is a fascinating collection of mythology from Central America and Mexico.