Illustrated with scores of drawings and halftone photos, this guidebook to the mythology of Mexico and Central America focuses mainly on Mexican Highland and Maya areas, due to their importance in Mesoamerican history.

Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings an ancient Mesoamerican creation myth to life Long ago, the gods of Mesoamerica set out to create humans. They tried many times during each sun, or age. When all their attempts failed and the gods grew tired, only one did not give up: Quetzalcóatl—the Feathered Serpent. To continue, he first had to retrieve the sacred bones of creation guarded by Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. Gathering his staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament for good luck, Feathered Serpent embarked on the dangerous quest to create humankind. Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings to life the story of Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica. With his instantly recognizable, acclaimed art style and grand storytelling, Tonatiuh recounts a thrilling creation tale of epic proportions.

Myths: tales of creation and destruction, death and rebirth, gods and heroes, the sacred origins of peoples, the forces of nature. Each society's mythology is unique, echoing throughout its arts and beliefs. Handbooks of World Mythology explore these mythologies in depth, offering insight into the complex interrelations of myth, history, and culture. Designed for general readers and students, each illustrated handbook offers: A lengthy overview that introduces the reader to the evolution of the culture's belief system; A chronology that clarifies the working and purpose of time and mythic time within the culture; A-to-Z entries that address major deities, characters, themes, rituals, and beliefs of the society in cultural context; Annotated bibliographies of introductory and scholarly publications, websites, fiction and poetry, and film; Glossary of cultural and mythological terms; Thorough subject index for fast and easy access to content; The dead entering the underworld on the backs of yellow dogs-turquoise snakes bursting into flames-gods creating humans from corn and water, Mesoamerican mythology is full of such fascinating events. This guide covers all of Mesoamerica from ancient times to the present, including the interweaving of mythology and Christianity within each culture. The book features: An introduction, providing background for the culture and placing the mythology in social and historical context; A discussion of time and how it functions historically and in mythology; An annotated bibliography, pointing the beginning researcher to the best print and nonprint sources on the topic. An ideal introduction to the subject, the handbook explores how the Mesoamerican peoples shaped their myths according to their geographical, historical, and social milieus. Critically acclaimed introduction of broad scope to the myths of Mesoamerica from ancient times to the present. An introduction and reference for students, teachers, and general readers, focusing on pre-conquest Mexican highland and Maya areas, with small forays into Oaxaca and other nearby locations. Read (religious studies, DePaul U.) and Maya archaeologist Gonzalez examine Mesoamerican mythmakers and cultural history; mythic timelines; deities, themes, and concepts; and annotated print and nonprint resources.

If you're looking for a captivating collection of Inca Myths, then keep reading... This book includes four captivating manuscripts: Maya Mythology: Captivating Maya Myths of Gods, Goddesses and Legendary Creatures Aztec Mythology: Captivating Aztec Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures Inca Mythology: Captivating Inca Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures Central American Mythology: Captivating Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures of Ancient Mexico and Central America In the first part of this book, you'll find the following Maya myths and topics covered Two Creation Myths The Downfall of Seven Macaw The Boyhood Deeds of Hunahpu and Xbalanque Ballgames in Xibalba The Deaths and Resurrections of Hunahpu and Xbalanque The Man Who Became a Buzzard How the Sun and Moon Became Man and Wife Rabbit Gets His Drink And many more! In the second part of this book, you'll find the following Aztec myths and topics covered The Legend of the Suns The Deeds of Mixcoatl The Origin of Maize and the Creation of Pulque The Fall of Xochiquetzal The Fate of Souls Huitzilopochtli and the Founding of Tenochtitlan Huemac Plays the Ball Game And many more! In the third part of this book, you'll find the following Inca myths and topics covered Stories of the Gods Inca Political Myths Five Andean Folktales and an Inca Play And much, much more! In the fourth part of this book, you'll find the following Central American myths and topics covered Olocupinele Creates the World (Dule/Cuna, Panama) Watakame' and the Great Flood (Wixáritari/Huichol, Mexico) Yomomuli and the Talking Tree (Yoeme/Yaqui, Mexico) How the Sea Was Made (Cabécar, Costa Rica) Mother Scorpion's Country (Miskito, Nicaragua) The Childhood of the Sun and the Moon (qne-a tnya-e/Chatino, Mexico) The Invisible Hunters (Miskito, Nicaragua) The King of the Peccaries (Bribri, Costa Rica) How Opossum Stole Fire (Mazatec, Mexico) Uncle Rabbit and Uncle Tiger (Nicaragua) And much, much more! So if you want to learn more about these four mythologies, click "buy now"!

Introduces the mythology of the Mayans and Aztecs.

Mesoamerica provides menacing serpents, superhuman gods, and heroic twins for this spellbinding title that covers myths from Aztec and Mayan cultures. These mesmerizing stories are bookended by front and back matter that introduce characters, explain Mesoamerican mythology, and provide information on other mythical figures whose stories are not told.

The authors of Masks of the Spirit present modern English translations of the important myths of the Olmec, Toltec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, along with the strange imagery of the original codices and stallae. Illustrated with 100 photographs (25 in color) of crucial monuments, murals, masks, and friezes.

Do you know that the Mayans believed that the Earth was flat with four poles supporting the sky? Or that the Inca Emperors were thought to be the direct descendant of the sun god himself? The early Mesoamericans were a mysterious bunch. In this book we will dive deep into their world of Myths and captivating stories of the creation of the world, adventures of heroes and even love stories between goddess and mortal. Some of the stories in this book are: Classic Mayan Myths including: the Great Giants of the Earth the Defeat of the Great Crocodile the Origin of the Maize and People the Hummingbird Suitor and More Fascinating Incan Myths including: Myth of Creation the Flooding of the New World the Shepherd and the daughter of the Sun the Rod of Gold and more Captivating Aztec Myths including: Origin of Heaven and Earth the Birth of Huitzilopochtli the Restoration of the Sky and Earth the Creation of the Fifth Sun and more Get this book and indulge yourself in the fascinating world of the Ancient Mesoamerican Mythology today!

Published in 1990 under the title Los mitos del tlacuache, this is the first major theoretical study of Mesoamerican mythology by one of the foremost scholars of Aztec ideology. Using the myth cycle of the opossum and the theft of fire from the gods as a touchstone, López Austin constructs a definition of myth that pertains to all of Mesoamerican culture, challenging the notion that to be relevant such studies must occur within a specific culture. Shown here is that much of modern mythology has ancient roots, despite syncretism with Christianity, and can be used to elucidate the pre-Columbian world view. Analysis of pre-Columbian myths can also be used to understand current indigenous myths. Subtopics include the hero and his place in the Mesoamerican pantheon, divine space and human space, mythic event clusters, myth as truth, and the fusion of myth and history.

This nuanced account explores Maya mythology through the lens of art, text, and culture. It offers an important reexamination of the mid-16th-century Popol Vuh, long considered an authoritative text, which is better understood as one among many crucial sources for the interpretation of ancient Maya art and myth. Using materials gathered across Mesoamerica, Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos bridges the gap between written texts and artistic representations, identifying key mythical subjects and uncovering their variations in narratives and visual depictions. Central characters—including a secluded young goddess, a malevolent grandmother, a dead father, and the young gods who became the sun and the moon—are identified in pottery, sculpture, mural painting, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. Highlighting such previously overlooked topics as sexuality and generational struggles, this beautifully illustrated book paves the way for a new understanding of Maya myths and their lavish expression in ancient art.