The Popol Vuh is the name given to one of the Sacred Books of the Ancient Maya. Originally written in Quiché by one or several indigenous people shortly after the Spanish Conquest (sometime in the middle of the 16th century), it was later found by the Spanish priest Francisco Ximénez who translated it into Spanish. The manuscript relates the story of the creation of man, the adventures of the semi-gods Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué and, lastly, the origin and rise to power of the Quiché Maya, who dominated that region of the Maya Highlands until shortly before the Spanish Conquest. Although the Popol Vuh tells the story of the indigenous people of Guatemala, it is commonly studied as part of Pre-Columbian Mexican History and Literature, possibly because parts of it are conserved to this day among indigenous groups in southern areas such as Chiapas. The Popol Vuh is a worthwhile read because it gives insight into the ways that the Maya people believe that the world and human beings came into existence. Though it is unclear if the Mayans were influenced by the Christian teachings of the Spaniards or if Ximénez interpreted the text according to his Christian religious beliefs, it is interesting to note that in many ways the Popol Vuh resembles the Biblical Book of Genesis.
Following is a brief overview of the first two parts of the Popol Vuh which tell the story of the creation myth of Man and the World.
The first section of the Popol Vuh begins by introducing the Heart of Heaven (the Creator), also known as Gucumatz or Hurricane, who existed before anything else. The Heart of Heaven by means of his Word creates the Earth, the water and mountains, and later deer, birds, and other animals. But the Heart of Heaven was not pleased with the animals because they did not speak or praise him, and for this reason he made the animals to eat other animals as their food.
Next, the Heart of Heaven uses mud to create man. But this also fails since the mud was soft, shapeless, and could not withstand water. Also, mankind was dumb, without any brains. Later, he tries making men out of wood. But although these men are able to reproduce, they are incapable of feeling and understanding, and are unable to recognize their Creator. Now, the Heart of Heaven punishes mankind by destroying him through a great flood from which he is unable to escape. Finally, the men of wood are converted into long-tailed monkeys, which is the only remaining sign of them.
Here, the Popol Vuh leaves the topic of the creation of human beings (this will later be perfected in the third section in which the first Quiché people are made out of corn), and shifts its focus to supernatural beings. The Lord of the Underworld known as Vucub Caquix, whose children are Zipacná and Cabracán, becomes overly proud of his riches, which angers the twin semi-god brothers Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué, who resolve to kill Vucub Caquix. When the evil god rips off one of Hunahpú´s arms, and then begins to suffer a toothache, the twins are able to recover the arm by having some old wise men replace Vucub Caquix´s teeth with kernels of white corn, remove part of his eyes, and take his precious adornments, which kills him. Something similar occurs with Zipacná, as he had killed “the 400 young men” who had previously tried to destroy him for becoming too powerful. The twins kill Zipacná by burying him in a cave and “the 400 young men” become the stars in the sky.
Cabracán is the last to suffer excess pride and is killed when the twins feed him a bird that has been poisoned with special earth. With this concludes the first part of the Popol Vuh.
The second part of the Quiché manuscript begins the story of the immaculate conception of and adventures of the two twin semi-gods Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué. Before this, however, we learn that the twins are the sons of Hun Hunahpú who, along with his brother Vucub Hunahpú were once summoned by the Lords of the Underworld (Xibalbá) to play a ballgame with them. The brothers follow the path into the Underworld and are tricked into greeting false statues made to resemble the Lords of Xibalbá and to burn themselves by sitting on a bench made of molten rock. After failing other tests such as maintaining sticks of tobacco and resin burning an entire night, the brothers are sacrificed and buried.
At the burial place, however, something strange occurs: a tree springs up and sprouts heads instead of fruit. Xquic, the daughter of one of the Lords of the Underworld, notices the tree, talks with it, and becomes impregnated when the skull of Hun Hunahpú spits in her hand. From this are born the Hero Twins Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué.
One of Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué´s first tasks is to outsmart their half brothers Hun-Batz and Hun-Choven, who are envious and refuse to share food with their brothers. Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué do away with them by forcing the brothers to climb a tree in order to catch some birds, then changing them into monkeys.
Later, the brothers must cultivate maize. They are successful in clearing the field, but are surprised to see that their work is undone overnight by a few wild animals that cause the plants to rise up once again. The only animal they are able to catch doing this is the rat, who informs them that their true destiny is not to cultivate maize, but to play ball, as their father Hun Hunahpú once did. The brothers then locate the ball-playing equipment and practice their newfound vocation.
From here, history repeats itself. The Lords of Xibalbá hear Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué playing ball and warn their grandmother of this by means of a flea. The Twins then send a mosquito to sting the Lords of the Underworld and in this way learn their real names. By doing so, when the Twins are summoned to the Underworld in order to play ball with the evil Lords, they are able to bypass the statues and greet the real Lords by their names. They are also able to avoid sitting on the boiling bench, and attach lightning bugs to the ends of the tobacco and ocote in order to create the illusion that they were burning all night long. The Lords of Xibalbá are impressed and put them to other tests, but in the House of Bats Hunahpú´s loses his head when it is cut off by the bat Camazotz. Later, however, the head is recovered during the ballgame with the Lords of the Underworld.
When Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué are presented with a burning bonfire which they must jump over, they decide to sacrifice themselves by jumping into the fire instead. But, unlike their father, the Twins are resurrected and now appear to have greater powers than before. Knowing that the Twins are now able to kill animals and people and then to bring them back from the dead, the Lords of the Underworld ask for themselves to be sacrificed and resurrected. The Twins sacrifice the evil Lords, but do not restore them to life, thus destroying them forever. Afterwards, Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué rise to the Heavens, where they become the Sun and the Moon.
Today, the complete version of the Popol Vuh is an easily obtainable text available in many different languages and formats, including illustrated and children’s versions. In addition, Patricia Amlin´s award-winning video recording entitled “Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya,” offers an entertaining animated version of the story.
