Discovered in a church in Chichicastenango in 1701, the Popol Vuh remains an essential document for the Maya of today. The stories happen in real and identifiable places in the highlands of Guatemala, thus linking the past and present of Maya people directly to the land where they live. Now available in a paperback Spanish-language edition, this book is the first authoritative children's version of the ancient and sacred text.

Popol Vuj (Spanish Edition)

Montejo, Víctor

Literature & Fiction

Demco Media

Elilal, exile, is the condition of thousands of Mayas who have fled their homelands in Guatemala to escape repression and even death at the hands of their government. In this book, Victor Montejo, who is both a Maya expatriate and an anthropologist, gives voice to those who until now have struggled in silence--but who nevertheless have found ways to reaffirm and celebrate their Mayaness.
Voices from Exile is the authentic story of one group of Mayas from the Kuchumatan highlands who fled into Mexico and sought refuge there. Montejo's combination of autobiography, history, political analysis, and testimonial narrative offers a profound exploration of state terror and its inescapable human cost.

Voices from Exile: Violence and Survival in Modern Maya History

History

Americas

University of Oklahoma Press

The legend of El Q'anil, the "Man of Lightning," stands alongside such classic Maya literary artifacts as Popol Vuh and Chilam Balam but has been preserved only through the oral tradition of the Jakaltek Maya. In this tale, the young man Xhuwan Q'anil brings lightning to his people in order to save them from destruction. He undertakes a journey of adventure, participates in a great war, and is subsequently immortalized. It is a story that all Jakaltek children learn, one that reinforces their identity by showing that their people have a hero who lives in each Jakaltek Maya today. Víctor Montejo, who was raised in Maya culture and knows its lore intimately, compiled several versions of the legend in Guatemala during the height of paramilitary operations in that country in the 1980s. His contemporary reconstruction lovingly preserves this legend and reflects concern for the survival of Maya culture in the face of oppression. Just as the Maya people of western Guatemala continue to pray for peace at the sanctuary of Q'anil, the legend of the Man of Lightning affirms a culture's enduring traditions. In this edition, the text is presented in English, Spanish, and Jakaltek Maya to secure its deserved place in world literature.

El Q'anil: Man of Lightning (Volume 46) (Sun Tracks)

United States

University of Arizona Press

One of the few Maya documents to survive the Spanish conquest, the Popol Vuh describes the creation of the Maya universe and of humans. It tells the tale of the Hero Twins, who defeated the gods of the underworld in a ball game, and details the legendary history of the Quiche Maya rulers until their imprisonment and torture by the Spanish. Equivalent to the Bible and the Greek and Roman mythologies, the Popol Vuh is the essential text of Mayan culture. Here, vivid images and captivating text will fascinate children.

Popol Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya

Children's Books

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS *

Popol Vuj: libro sagrado de los mayas

One of the few Maya documents to survive the Spanish conquest, the Popol Vuh describes the creation of the Maya universe and of humans. It tells the tale of the Hero Twins, who defeated the gods of the underworld in a ball game, and details the legendary history of the Quiche Maya rulers until their imprisonment and torture by the Spanish. Equivalent to the Bible and the Greek and Roman mythologies, the Popol Vuh is the essential text of Mayan culture. Here, vivid images and captivating Spanish text will fascinate children.

Biographies

Discovered in a church in Chichicastenango in 1701, the Popol Vuh remains an essential document for the Maya of today. The stories happen in real and identifiable places in the highlands of Guatemala, thus linking the past and present of Maya people directly to the land where they live. Now available in a paperback Spanish-language edition, this book is the first authoritative children's version of the ancient and sacred text.

This popular folktale with Spanish origins features W’itz Ak’al, the Lord of the Woods, a cacique (king) who commands both the natural world and the city; and his beautiful daughter, Blanca Flor, who also can command the forces of nature to get her way. When a suitor arrives to court her, he must survive a series of trials set by Blanca’s father to prove his worth. Deer instead of horses act as both animal servants and the alter egos of the king and queen. Wonderfully magical, White Flower with its strong female protagonist is set at the time of the classic Maya civilization, with gorgeous watercolor images of pyramid-cities in lush jungles.

White Flower: A Maya Princess

This popular folktale with Spanish origins features W’itz Ak’al, the Lord of the Woods, a cacique (king) who commands both the natural world and the city; and his beautiful daughter, Blanca Flor, who also can command the forces of nature to get her way. When a suitor arrives to court her, he must survive a series of trials set by Blanca’s father to prove his worth. Deer instead of horses act as both animal servants and the alter egos of the king and queen. Wonderfully magical, Blanca Flor with its strong female protagonist is set at the time of the classic Maya civilization, with gorgeous watercolor images of pyramid-cities in lush jungles.

Blanca Flor: Una princessa Maya, Spanish-Language Edition (Spanish Edition)

TESTIMONY: DEATH OF A GUATEMALAN VILLAGE is an eyewitness account by a Guatemalan primary school teacher detailing one instance of violent conflict between the indigenous Maya people and the army. An accidental clash between the village's "civil patrol" and a Guatemalan army troop leads to the execution or imprisonment of many villagers. Written in clear, direct prose, this account reads like an adventure story while conveying an historical reality.

Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village

Curbstone Pr

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Montejo, Víctor. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Montejo, Víctor

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Montejo, Víctor. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Popol Vuj (Spanish Edition)

Voices from Exile: Violence and Survival in Modern Maya History

Voices from Exile: Violence and Survival in Modern Maya History

El Q'anil: Man of Lightning (Volume 46) (Sun Tracks)

Popol Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya

Popol Vuj: libro sagrado de los mayas

Popol Vuj: libro sagrado de los mayas

White Flower: A Maya Princess

Blanca Flor: Una princessa Maya, Spanish-Language Edition (Spanish Edition)

Testimony: Death of a Guatemalan Village