Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the Quiché Maya - Mesoweb

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Guatemala City. An Austrian traveler named Carl Scherzer saw it there in 1854 and had a copy made to take with him back to Europe. In part, Scherzer commissioned this copy to be made due to the poor condition of the manuscript. He described it as having been “written in such light ink that the original might very well become illegible and useless in a few years” (Scherzer 1856, 9). Lamentably, this faded copy of the Ximénez transcription of the Popol Vuh has since vanished from public records. Scherzer published Ximénez’s Spanish version of the text in 1856, the first time the Popol Vuh had appeared in print. The book was greeted with a great deal of excitement in Europe and America, where interest in ancient cultures was widespread. In 1861, four years after Scherzer’s book, the Quiché version of the Popol Vuh was published for the first time, along with a rather flowery French translation by Father Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg. This publication was based on yet another copy of the Ximénez transcription which Brasseur had obtained from a Quiché man, named Ignacio Coloch, who resided in the town of Rabinal. This manuscript is of supreme importance because it is the oldest known Quiché version of the Popol Vuh text which has survived. Ximénez was in charge of the parish of Rabinal from 1704-1714, immediately following his years in Chichicastenango. It is unknown whether Ximénez prepared the “Rabinal Manuscript” during this period of his ministry or brought it with him from Chichicastenango. The Rabinal Manuscript of the Popol Vuh bears the cumbersome title, Empiezan las historias del origen de los Indios de esta provincia de Guatemala, traduzido de la lengua quiché en la castellana para más comodidad de los Ministros del Sto. Evangelio, por el R.P.F. Franzisco Ximénez, Cura doctrinero por el Real Patronato del Pueblo de Sto. Thomás Chuilá (Beginning of the histories of the origin of the Indians of this province of Guatemala, translated from the Quiché language to Spanish for the greater convenience of the Ministries of the Holy Gospel, by the Reverend Father Franzisco Ximénez, Parish Priest for the Royal Patronage of the Town of Santo Tomás Chuilá). It is handwritten in a clear, flowing cursive 32
script arranged in two columns, Quiché on the left and Ximénez’s Spanish translation on the right. Fortunately the ink used has remained well-preserved, and the paper is in remarkably good condition with almost no lacunae due to stains, tears or holes. It was placed at the end of a series of linguistic studies made by Ximénez which he entitled Arte de las tres lenguas Cacchiquel, Quiché y Tzutuhil (Art of the three languages Cacchiquel, Quiché and Tzutuhil). These studies include a brief grammar, confessional, and Catechism in each of the three languages. Brasseur brought the Rabinal Manuscript to Europe as part of a large corpus of native American documents which he had collected in his travels through Mexico and Guatemala. The bound volume containing the Ximénez transcription of the Popol Vuh was purchased after Brasseur’s death by the American collector, Edward E. Ayer, who eventually donated it to the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois, where it is catalogued as Ayer MS 1515. The Poetic Nature of the Popol Vuh: The Popol Vuh is not only the most important highland Maya text in terms of its historical and mythological content, it is also a sublime work of literature, composed in rich and elegant poetry. In this respect it can be compared with other great epic poems of the ancient world such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata of India, or the Iliad and Odyssey of Greece. Quiché poetry is not based on rhyme or metrical rhythms, but rather the arrangement of concepts into innovative and even ornate parallel structures. Seldom are the authors content with expressing a single idea without embellishing it with synonymous concepts, metaphors, or descriptive epithets. The Quiché poet is much like the composer of classical music who begins with a simple melody and then weaves into it both complementary and contrasting harmonies to give it interest and depth. Thus endless variations on a given theme are possible. Books such as the Popol Vuh were not simply records of dry history, but universal declarations of the purpose of the world and man’s place in it. The written words were thus 33
Page 1 and 2: Mesoweb Publications POPOL VUH Sacr
Page 3 and 4: modern usage were invaluable. I pur
Page 5 and 6: aqän us (mosquito legs) who was vi
Page 7 and 8: The word he used was k'astajisaj, m
Page 9 and 10: origin, transforming the poet into
Page 11 and 12: the Indians from their former relig
Page 13 and 14: Maya such that few are literate in
Page 15 and 16: text that have been published. In t
Page 17 and 18: newcomers, led by the Cavec-Quiché
Page 19 and 20: Cavec Quiché lineage that produced
Page 21 and 22: As outlined in the text, the Quich
Page 23 and 24: Precolumbian Popol Vuh: In the prea
Page 25 and 26: Popol Vuh was based as an ilb'al, m
Page 27 and 28: missionaries. During the early deca
Page 29 and 30: History of the Popol Vuh Manuscript
Page 31: had long since eclipsed Santa Cruz
Page 35 and 36: properly read apart from the litera
Page 37 and 38: 7. Epithetic Parallelism: The assoc
Page 39 and 40: Masker, K'ojaj, Sun Lord, K'enech A
Page 41 and 42: Merely shaped they are called. Xa b
Page 43 and 44: Come here then my work, Sa'j la rec
Page 45 and 46: Orthography: The Quiché version of
Page 47 and 48: Since the sixteenth century, a numb
Page 49 and 50: throat is closed and air forcefully
Page 51 and 52: Here we shall gather the manifestat
Page 53 and 54: These collectively are evoked and g
Page 55 and 56: Shelterer, 29 Twice Midwife and Twi
Page 57 and 58: sides, 40 as it is said, by the Fra
Page 59 and 60: Quetzal Serpent. In their essence,
Page 61 and 62: “How shall it be sown? When shall
Page 63 and 64: sky was set apart. The earth also w
Page 65 and 66: Heart of Sky and Heart of Earth, Fr
Page 67 and 68: Then was the framing, the making of
Page 69 and 70: it be sown. May it dawn so that we
Page 71 and 72: If this is to be the provider and t
Page 73 and 74: who had given them birth and given
Page 75 and 76: Thus they caused the face of the ea
Page 77 and 78: Then spoke also their griddles and
Page 79 and 80: “I am great. I dwell above the he
Page 81 and 82: 161 Yiqoxik is literally “to be s
Page 83 and 84:
Zipacna was he that sustained the g
Page 85 and 86:
pellet straight from his blowgun in
Page 87 and 88:
“They are not, thou lord. These a
Page 89 and 90:
THE DEEDS OF ZIPACNA AND THE FOUR H
Page 91 and 92:
“How far are you into it?” he w
Page 93 and 94:
On the third day, they started in o
Page 95 and 96:
“Please take pity on me. I will n
Page 97 and 98:
It was simply because of Hunahpu an
Page 99 and 100:
Then the boys used a twist drill to
Page 101 and 102:
and Xbalanque. But we shall tell on
Page 103 and 104:
Now it was on the path leading to X
Page 105 and 106:
These, then, are they whose names a
Page 107 and 108:
These messengers were the owls 249
Page 109 and 110:
THE DESCENT OF ONE HUNAHPU AND SEVE
Page 111 and 112:
Thus the Xibalbans laughed again. T
Page 113 and 114:
Thus there are many trials in Xibal
Page 115 and 116:
Thus they restricted themselves. Al
Page 117 and 118:
“Thus may it be so, as I have don
Page 119 and 120:
man.” 283 “Who is responsible f
Page 121 and 122:
Thus she collected the sap, the sec
Page 123 and 124:
“From where have you come? Do my
Page 125 and 126:
Thus she called upon the guardians
Page 127 and 128:
Thus she went to see the maize plan
Page 129 and 130:
Thus they were ignored 327 by Hunah
Page 131 and 132:
“Our birds do not fall down here.
Page 133 and 134:
THE FALL OF ONE BATZ AND ONE CHOUEN
Page 135 and 136:
“We tried, our grandmother, and a
Page 137 and 138:
Then they gave instructions to an a
Page 139 and 140:
The first of these were the puma an
Page 141 and 142:
Straightaway you will go up to wher
Page 143 and 144:
Immediately then they sealed it, an
Page 145 and 146:
“Very well then, but I see that y
Page 147 and 148:
“Tell it then,” they said to th
Page 149 and 150:
Thus Hunahpu planted one, and Xbala
Page 151 and 152:
“What, Skull Staff? What is it?
Page 153 and 154:
Thus they entered first into the Ho
Page 155 and 156:
Thus the Xibalbans threw down their
Page 157 and 158:
“Look after our flowers with all
Page 159 and 160:
HUNAHPU AND XBALANQUE IN THE HOUSE
Page 161 and 162:
Thus they pleaded for wisdom all th
Page 163 and 164:
“Fine,” replied the Grandfather
Page 165 and 166:
Thus the twins were able to retriev
Page 167 and 168:
“You will then reply, ‘Certainl
Page 169 and 170:
THE RESURRECTION OF HUNAHPU AND XBA
Page 171 and 172:
to be prodded because they just wal
Page 173 and 174:
“Now kill a person. Sacrifice him
Page 175 and 176:
And then they declared their names.
Page 177 and 178:
called masters of harm 441 and vexa
Page 179 and 180:
then little more was said. He did n
Page 181 and 182:
THESE were the names of the animals
Page 183 and 184:
called Paxil and Cayala came the sw
Page 185 and 186:
THE MIRACULOUS VISION OF THE FIRST
Page 187 and 188:
to move about. We know much, for we
Page 189 and 190:
eginning. 495 Thus were the framing
Page 191 and 192:
The beginning of the Tamub and the
Page 193 and 194:
Uchabahas 517 and the Ah Chumilahas
Page 195 and 196:
of Sky, Heart of Earth. May our sig
Page 197 and 198:
THE ARRIVAL AT TULAN 546 THIS, then
Page 199 and 200:
Nicacah Tacah 554 was the name of t
Page 201 and 202:
their fire came to nought. Then Bal
Page 203 and 204:
THE NATIONS ARE DECEIVED INTO OFFER
Page 205 and 206:
Now when they came from Tulan Zuyva
Page 207 and 208:
mountain today is called Chi Pixab.
Page 209 and 210:
Mahucutah, who observed a great fas
Page 211 and 212:
came to be. Hacavitz it was called.
Page 213 and 214:
But these, the gods, were comforted
Page 215 and 216:
the Cakchiquels, the Ah Tziquinahas
Page 217 and 218:
This they sang concerning the blood
Page 219 and 220:
them. They gave thanks before them
Page 221 and 222:
They did the same before the deersk
Page 223 and 224:
“Conquer many lands. This is your
Page 225 and 226:
There was a river where they would
Page 227 and 228:
our hearts that they have come unto
Page 229 and 230:
of Tohil. Thus said Tohil, Auilix,
Page 231 and 232:
For the lords felt it was the sign
Page 233 and 234:
THE NATIONS ARE HUMILIATED 656 THUS
Page 235 and 236:
mere carved wood with the precious
Page 237 and 238:
Thus they became disoriented 668 be
Page 239 and 240:
Balam Acab of the Nihaibs also had
Page 241 and 242:
disappearance clear when they vanis
Page 243 and 244:
their lordship. Thus they received
Page 245 and 246:
THE MIGRATIONS OF THE QUICHÉS 705
Page 247 and 248:
Then they investigated the mountain
Page 249 and 250:
There were only two swollen 722 gre
Page 251 and 252:
And yet again they began to feast a
Page 253 and 254:
with one another and split apart. T
Page 255 and 256:
Councilor of the Stacks; 744 Emissa
Page 257 and 258:
Lord Emissary; 760 Great Lord Stewa
Page 259 and 260:
Cucumatz became a truly enchanted l
Page 261 and 262:
name of the other. These accomplish
Page 263 and 264:
arrows that were the means of shatt
Page 265 and 266:
Along with Ah Cabracan, 797 Chabi C
Page 267 and 268:
united. 811 The Tamub and the Iloca
Page 269 and 270:
Nihaibs. 822 Auilix was the name of
Page 271 and 272:
of Tohil, as well as before the fac
Page 273 and 274:
you place them on green roads and o
Page 275 and 276:
Nor was it merely a few of the nati
Page 277 and 278:
Tecum 851 and Tepepul were the nint
Page 279 and 280:
Tecum 860 and Tepepul 861 paid trib
Page 281 and 282:
THE GREAT HOUSES OF THE CAVEC LORDS
Page 283 and 284:
THE DYNASTY OF NIHAIB LORDS 869 THE
Page 285 and 286:
THE DYNASTY OF AHAU QUICHÉ LORDS 8
Page 287:
But this is the essence of the Quic
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Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the Quiché Maya - Mesoweb

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