Mesoamerican Mythology

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.

Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca were never friends. But the two gods unite to defeat Tlatecuhtli, the demon caiman of the sea. This book introduces readers to Mesoamerican mythology, describing the gods and their contribution to Earth's creation. Readers follow the thrilling battle between them which leads to the creation of the sky and land.

The myths of the Aztec and Maya derive from a shared Mesoamerican cultural tradition. This is very much a living tradition, and many of the motifs and gods mentioned in early sources are still evoked in the lore of contemporary Mexico and Guatemala. Professor Taube discusses the different sources for Aztec and Maya myths. The Aztec empire began less than 200 years before the Spanish conquest, and our knowledge of their mythology derives primarily from native colonial documents and manuscripts commissioned by the Spanish. The Maya mythology is far older, and our knowledge of it comes mainly from native manuscripts of the Classic period, over 600 years before the Spanish conquest. Drawing on these sources as well as nineteenth- and twentieth-century excavations and research, including the interpretation of the codices and the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing, the author discusses, among other things, the Popol Vuh myths of the Maya, the flood myth of Northern Yucatan, and the Aztec creation myths.

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.

Alphabetically listed entries identify and explain the characters, events, important places, and other aspects of South American and Meso-American mythology.

In graphic novel format, presents three mythological tales from the Aztec and Mayan peoples.

In order to understand the course of economic and social disintegration in the Soviet Union, various questions were put to Soviet officials and economic and other policy advisors of the 1980s. This text assembles the analyses of key issues and turning points into a history of the systemic collapse.

This book discusses the origins of Aztec myths and how some of these myths have been manipulated over time. The book details the major gods found within the mythology along with some of the most memorable tales, such as creation of the world and the making of humanity. Readers learn how Aztec myths have penetrated popular culture.