The Popol Vuh

Download The Popol Vuh PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : New York : AMS Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 88 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Popol Vuh by : Lewis Spence

Download or read book The Popol Vuh written by Lewis Spence and published by New York : AMS Press. This book was released on 1908 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Maya and Aztec Mythology Rocks!

Download Maya and Aztec Mythology Rocks! PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Enslow Publishers, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1464503702
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (645 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Maya and Aztec Mythology Rocks! by : Michael A. Schuman

Download or read book Maya and Aztec Mythology Rocks! written by Michael A. Schuman and published by Enslow Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2012-09 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Read about the creation of people according to the Popol Vuh, the origin of the sun, moon, world, music, and four other important myths"--Provided by publisher

Maya Mythology: Myths and Folklore of the Mayan Civilization

Download Maya Mythology: Myths and Folklore of the Mayan Civilization PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Creek Ridge Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 82 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Maya Mythology: Myths and Folklore of the Mayan Civilization by : Sebastian Berg

Download or read book Maya Mythology: Myths and Folklore of the Mayan Civilization written by Sebastian Berg and published by Creek Ridge Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mayan people were natural storytellers, and their imagination knew no bounds. They took the traditional Mesoamerican versions of creation and the gods of the universe and molded them into their own, adding and shaping their unique version of mythology and folktales. This left us with a significant pantheon of gods and goddesses, each with a memorable and captivating story. The Mayans had an image of the universe and their place in it, and they told stories of gods and heroes that rival Greek Mythology.

Tales of the Plumed Serpent

Download Tales of the Plumed Serpent PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tales of the Plumed Serpent by : Diana Ferguson

Download or read book Tales of the Plumed Serpent written by Diana Ferguson and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Fascinated by the history and cultures of three highly developed ancient societies--the Mayans, followed by the Aztecs in Mesoamerica and the Incas farther south--Ferguson examines their artifacts and those of the Spanish conquistadors, in relation to the traditions preserved today by their many descendants...Part anthropological study, part history and part folklore... distills a huge amount of information to present a clear, uncluttered and rich resource."--"Publishers Weekly." "Fun, inspiring, educational, and all in all, a great read."--"The New Times."

Popol Vuh

Download Popol Vuh PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 0684818450
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (848 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Popol Vuh by :

Download or read book Popol Vuh written by and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1996 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most extraordinary works of the human imagination and the most important text in the native languages of the Americas, Popul Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life was first made accessible to the public 10 years ago. This new edition retains the quality of the original translation, has been enriched, and includes 20 new illustrations, maps, drawings, and photos.

Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya

Download Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300207174
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya by : Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

Download or read book Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya written by Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-25 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Translations and Orthography -- Introduction -- 1 Image and Text -- 2 Pictorial and Textual Sources -- 3 Mesoamerican Cosmogony -- 4 The Maiden -- 5 The Grandmother -- 6 The Sun's Opponents -- 7 The Sun -- 8 The Perfect Youth -- 9 The Father -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Illustration Credits -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z

Aztec and Maya Myths

Download Aztec and Maya Myths PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 9780292781306
Total Pages : 84 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (813 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Aztec and Maya Myths by : Karl Taube

Download or read book Aztec and Maya Myths written by Karl Taube and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Mayan Mythology

Download Mayan Mythology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Greenhaven Publishing LLC
ISBN 13 : 1420509500
Total Pages : 104 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (25 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Mayan Mythology by : Stephen Currie

Download or read book Mayan Mythology written by Stephen Currie and published by Greenhaven Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2012-05-04 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author Stephen Currie provides readers with an intriguing look at the mythology of the Mayan culture. He explains how the beliefs, values, and experiences of that culture are represented in its treasured stories. Topics covered include creation stories, myths of culture heroes such as the Hero Twins, and tales of the gods of maize, rain, and wind, as well as the malevolent spirits of the underworld, Xilbaba. This volume has a map of the Mayan civilization, a genealogy grid for the Hero Twins, a table of major characters with name pronunciations and brief descriptions, a glossary, sidebars, fact boxes, a bibliography of sources for further study, and a subject index.

Gods of Sun and Sacrifice

Download Gods of Sun and Sacrifice PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Time Life Medical
ISBN 13 : 9780705435437
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (354 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gods of Sun and Sacrifice by : Tony Allan

Download or read book Gods of Sun and Sacrifice written by Tony Allan and published by Time Life Medical. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Cortes and his battle-weary Spanish soldiers first gazed on the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in 1519, they viewed the amazing culmination of 3,000 years of continuous cultural development. Aztec and Maya cities, temples, and palaces were in some ways like those found in Mesopotamia and Egypt: civilizations that had developed in isolation, free of outside influences. Here are the legends and stories of these two unique, ancient cultures.

Star Gods of the Maya

Download Star Gods of the Maya PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 0292778511
Total Pages : 558 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (927 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Star Gods of the Maya by : Susan Milbrath

Download or read book Star Gods of the Maya written by Susan Milbrath and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A prodigious work of unmatched interdisciplinary scholarship” on Maya astronomy and religion (Journal of Interdisciplinary History). Observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars played a central role in ancient Maya lifeways, as they do today among contemporary Maya who maintain the traditional ways. This pathfinding book reconstructs ancient Maya astronomy and cosmology through the astronomical information encoded in Pre-Columbian Maya art and confirmed by the current practices of living Maya peoples. Susan Milbrath opens the book with a discussion of modern Maya beliefs about astronomy, along with essential information on naked-eye observation. She devotes subsequent chapters to Pre-Columbian astronomical imagery, which she traces back through time, starting from the Colonial and Postclassic eras. She delves into many aspects of the Maya astronomical images, including the major astronomical gods and their associated glyphs, astronomical almanacs in the Maya codices and changes in the imagery of the heavens over time. This investigation yields new data and a new synthesis of information about the specific astronomical events and cycles recorded in Maya art and architecture. Indeed, it constitutes the first major study of the relationship between art and astronomy in ancient Maya culture. “Milbrath has given us a comprehensive reference work that facilitates access to a very broad and varied body of literature spanning several disciplines.” ―Isis “Destined to become a standard reference work on Maya archeoastronomy . . . Utterly comprehensive.” —Andrea Stone, Professor of Art History, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Daily Life in Maya Civilization

Download Daily Life in Maya Civilization PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Greenwood
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Daily Life in Maya Civilization by : Robert J. Sharer

Download or read book Daily Life in Maya Civilization written by Robert J. Sharer and published by Greenwood. This book was released on 1996-09-09 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: . For ease of use by students, the work is organized into chapters covering all aspects of Maya life and civilization: the foundations of Maya life and civilization; early, middle, and late Maya civilization; economy (food production and trade); social and political systems; writing and calendars; life cycle events; arts and crafts; and religion.

Popol Vuh: A Retelling

Download Popol Vuh: A Retelling PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Restless Books
ISBN 13 : 1632062410
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (32 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Popol Vuh: A Retelling by : Ilan Stavans

Download or read book Popol Vuh: A Retelling written by Ilan Stavans and published by Restless Books. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An inspired and urgent prose retelling of the Maya myth of creation by acclaimed Latin American author and scholar Ilan Stavans, gorgeously illustrated by Salvadoran folk artist Gabriela Larios and introduced by renowned author, diplomat, and environmental activist Homero Aridjis. The archetypal creation story of Latin America, the Popol Vuh began as a Maya oral tradition millennia ago. In the mid-sixteenth century, as indigenous cultures across the continent were being threatened with destruction by European conquest and Christianity, it was written down in verse by members of the K’iche’ nobility in what is today Guatemala. In 1701, that text was translated into Spanish by a Dominican friar and ethnographer before vanishing mysteriously. Cosmic in scope and yet intimately human, the Popol Vuh offers invaluable insight into the Maya way of life before being decimated by colonization—their code of ethics, their views on death and the afterlife, and their devotion to passion, courage, and the natural world. It tells the story of how the world was created in a series of rehearsals that included wooden dummies, demi-gods, and eventually humans. It describes the underworld, Xibalba—a place as harrowing as Dante’s hell—and relates the legend of the ultimate king, who, in the face of tragedy, became a spirit that accompanies his people in their struggle for survival. Popol Vuh: A Retelling is a one-of-a-kind prose rendition of this sacred text that is as seminal as the Bible and the Qur’an, the Ramayana and the Odyssey. Award-winning scholar of Latin American literature Ilan Stavans brings a fresh creative energy to the Popol Vuh, giving a new generation of readers the opportunity to connect with this timeless story and with the plight of the indigenous people of the Americas. Praise for Popol Vuh: A Retelling: “Salvadoran illustrator Larios provides lush images to accompany stories of the Earth and the underworld, Xibalba, and the animals and gods that inhabit them…. A beautiful interpretation of pivotal Central American history told through contemporary illustration and language.” —Kirkus Reviews “In these pages you will find an adroit retelling of a complex and often confusing tale with a vast and bewildering cast of characters. Approaching the Popol Vuh with a fresh eye and the necessary erudition, Ilan Stavans, the distinguished scholar of Hispanic culture, nimbly conveys the content and the sense of the original, retaining its magic and fascination, while rendering it more accessible to a wider readership. Popol Vuh: A Retelling artfully presents the case for the centrality of this magisterial story to the cultural consciousness of the Americas and for the urgency of its message.” —Homero Aridjis, from the foreword "At a time when so many of us ask ourselves about the end of the world as we know it, few books could be more relevant than this sacred text of the Maya. In a mesmerizing, illuminating new translation, Ilan Stavans brings to contemporary readers this lyrical epic, with its messages from a lost civilization obsessed, as ours should be, with the inevitable cycles of catastrophe and change. The Popol Vuh encourages us to contemplate the perpetual conflict between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, so that we may find the wisdom to emerge as better people." —Ariel Dorfman, author of Death and the Maiden "Popol Vuh is one of the seminal foundational 'texts' of the Americas before it became 'America'—and one so few of us really know much about. Again, Ilan Stavans is infusing the US of A with the cultures and stories that have been traditionally erased or ignored and forgotten. All I can say is, another amazing Stavans project!" —Julia Alvarez "The Popol Vuh is the great book of creation of the Maya K'iche' culture, and Ilan Stavans has embarked on an intrepid adventure of recreation; he returns to a myth of origin to endow it with vibrant topicality, proving that rewriting a legend is a way of bewitching time." —Juan Villoro, author of God Is Round “Many translators, scholars, and poets have brought us close to the radiant eminence of our Mayan origin story, the Popol Vuh. None touch its wondrous dynamism and epic elegance like Stavans and Larios. Free of the formal constraints of the K’iche’ original, Stavans’s delivers a masterful retelling that invites us into chimeric dreams: from the mischievous first peoples and the quests of those grown from seeds, to hybrid creatures and demi-god twins with battles lost and won. Larios’s dexterous admixture of cool washes and vibrant color palettes along with a K’iche’-inspired line-work aesthetic, further unzip our minds to a shared ancestral imaginary. Only my Guatemalan abuelita could cast such storytelling spells over me. Together, Stavans and Larios invite us all to dance as the children we once were and will become. A gift!” —Frederick Luis Aldama, author of Long Stories Cut Short: Fiction from the Borderlands “Ilan Stavans's retelling of this ancient and sacred story of the Mayan people is as exquisitely written as it is necessary.” —Eduardo Halfon, author of Mourning Praise for Ilan Stavans: “Ilan Stavans is an inventive interpreter of the contemporary cultures of the Americas…. Cantankerous and clever, sprightly and serious, Stavans is a voracious thinker. In his writing, life serves to illuminate literature—and vice versa: he is unafraid to court controversy, unsettle opinions, make enemies. In short, Stavans is an old-fashioned intellectual, a brilliant interpreter of his triple heritage—Jewish, Mexican, and American.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr. “…in the void created by the death of his compatriot Octavio Paz, Ilan Stavans has emerged as Latin America’s liveliest and boldest critic and most innovative cultural enthusiast.” —The Washington Post “Ilan Stavans has done as much as anyone alive to bridge the hemisphere’s linguistic gaps.” —The Miami Herald “A canon-maker.” —The Chronicle of Higher Education “Ilan Stavans is a maverick intellectual whose canonical work has already produced a whole array of marvels... His incisive essays are redefining Jewish literature.” —The Forward “Ilan Stavans is the rarest of North American writers—he sees the Americas whole. Not since Octavio Paz has Mexico given us an intellectual so able to violate borders, with learning and grace.” —Richard Rodriguez “In the multicultural rainbow that is contemporary America, no one may be more representative of the state of the union than Ilan Stavans.” —Newsday “Ilan Stavans may very well succeed in becoming the Octavio Paz of our age.” —The San Francisco Chronicle “A virtuoso critic with an exuberant, encyclopedic, restless mind.” —The Forward “Ilan Stavans has the sharp eye of the internal exile. Writing about the sometimes reluctant reconquista of North America by Spanish-speaking cultures or the development of his own identity, he deals with both the life of the mind and the life of the streets.” —John Sayles “Lively and intelligent, eclectic, sharp-tongued.” —Peter Matthiessen “I think Stavans has one of the best grips around on what makes Spanish America tick.” —Gregory Rabassa “Ilan Stavans is a disciple of Kafka and Borges. He accepts social identity broadly, in the most cosmopolitan terms… His impulse is to broaden, not to narrow; he finds understanding through complication of identity, not through the easy gestures of ethnic politics.” —The New York Times “Ilan Stavans has established himself as an invaluable commentator of literature.” —Phillip Lopate

Gods of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas

Download Gods of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : MetroBooks (NY)
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 122 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gods of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas by : Timothy Roland Roberts

Download or read book Gods of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas written by Timothy Roland Roberts and published by MetroBooks (NY). This book was released on 1996 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a brief overview of these cultures, their customs, religion, gods, heroes, and legends.

The First People: A Play Based on Mayan Mythology

Download The First People: A Play Based on Mayan Mythology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN 13 : 1508139717
Total Pages : 24 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (81 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The First People: A Play Based on Mayan Mythology by : Joanne Randolph

Download or read book The First People: A Play Based on Mayan Mythology written by Joanne Randolph and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2018-12-15 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For years the Mayan civilization flourished. Even today, their stories still live on around the world. This stimulating play offers a fresh take on a Mayan myth about the first people. Accompanied by bright illustrations, the accessible text tells the tale through the use of concise dialogue, easy for readers of many levels to follow along with. The innovative design and captivating content of this book are sure to keep readers turning the pages.

Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator Deities

Download Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator Deities PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN 13 : 0806185198
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (61 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator Deities by : Karen Bassie-Sweet

Download or read book Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator Deities written by Karen Bassie-Sweet and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2014-10-22 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The K’iche’ Maya creation story preserved in the sixteenth-century manuscript Popol Vuh describes the origin of the world and its people in a setting long assumed to be the Guatemalan central highlands. Now a scholar with a deep knowledge of Maya history shows that all of these mythological events occurred at specific locations and that this landscape was the template for the Maya worldview. Examining the primary Maya deities, Karen Bassie-Sweet links geographic features to gods and beliefs. She reconstructs key elements of the Popol Vuh to argue that the three volcanoes around Lake Atitlan were the three thunderbolt gods and that the lake was the center of the world. She also shows that the Maya view of the creation of humans is centered on corn and examines core beliefs about the corn cycle to propose that the creation myth was established much earlier in Maya history than previously supposed. Generously illustrated, Maya Sacred Geography and the Creator Deities is a detailed ethnohistorical analysis of Maya religion, cosmology, and ritual practice that convincingly links mythology to the land. A comprehensive treatment of Maya religion, it provides an essential resource for scholars and will fascinate any reader captivated by these ancient beliefs.

Mesoamerican Mythology

Download Mesoamerican Mythology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 : 9781094609973
Total Pages : 324 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (99 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Mesoamerican Mythology by : Matt Clayton

Download or read book Mesoamerican Mythology written by Matt Clayton and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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"!

Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Maya

Download Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Maya PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN 13 : 1448848369
Total Pages : 145 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (488 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Maya by : Timothy Laughton

Download or read book Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Maya written by Timothy Laughton and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2011-08-15 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From stepped temples to exquisite stone carvings and jewelry, the ancient prophetic culture of Mesoamerica is vividly revealed within these pages. This book is a richly illustrated introduction to the civilization of the Maya people, the longest-lived and most widely spread of the great cultures of pre-Columbian America. Their tremendous artistic legacy can still be seen today in spectacular temple complexes, which continue to inspire awe and fascination. This civilization continues to capture and beguile the imagination, thanks to the mysteries of its prophecies, the secrets of its cryptic language, and the astonishing accuracy of its astronomer-priests in charting the movements of stars and planets. Readers will see that the glory of Maya art extends to intricate stone carvings, breathtakingly vivid wall paintings, and exquisite jewelry, many of these inspired by the rich body of Mayan mythology and religion.