Popol Vuh and Columbus: Creation Myths and Exploration
Popol Vuh: The Book of Council
The Popol Vuh, also known as the Book of Council or the Community Book, is a sacred text of the K’iche’ Maya people of Guatemala. Originally preserved through oral tradition, it was written down in the mid-seventeenth century by a native, possibly a former priest, using the K’iche’ language and Latin characters. The first translation into Spanish was made in the early eighteenth century by Francisco Ximénez, a parish priest in Chichicastenango. This manuscript, known as the Manuscript of Chichicastenango, was later acquired by the University of San Carlos Borromeo and translated into other languages, including German and French.
Christopher Columbus: A Brief Biography
Christopher Columbus, widely believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, on a date between August 26 and October 31, 1451, was a renowned explorer. His parentage is attributed to Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarrosa, humble weavers. Columbus began his seafaring career as a cabin boy. In 1477, while residing in Lisbon, Portugal, he married Philippa Perestrello Muñiz, with whom he had a son, Diego, in 1482. Following his wife’s death in 1484, Columbus traveled to Spain with his son and sought refuge in the Convent of La Rábida. The monks there embraced his theories and projects. In 1486, he presented his proposals to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in Alcalá de Henares, but a panel of experts rejected them. In 1488, he met Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, who bore him his second son, Ferdinand. With the assistance of Juan Pérez, a monk from La Rábida, Columbus secured the support of the Spanish monarchs, who agreed to finance his expedition. On April 17, 1492, the Capitulations of Santa Fe were signed, granting Columbus the title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea, viceroy of any lands he conquered, and ten percent of the wealth he brought back to Spain. On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, and on October 12, 1492, his crew made landfall on an island in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador. Columbus died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain, accompanied by his two sons and two loyal sailors.
Comparison: Bible and Popol Vuh
- Creation of the Universe: The Bible describes a single God as the creator, while the Popol Vuh attributes creation to multiple deities (difference).
- Initial State: Both texts depict an initial state with landmasses and water (similarity).
- Order of Creation: The Bible distinguishes between day and night, then water and land, while the Popol Vuh describes land first, followed by vegetation and rivers (difference).
- Creation of Animals and Humans: Both texts describe the creation of animals before humans (similarity).
- Creation of Humans: The Bible recounts a single creation of humans, while the Popol Vuh describes two failed attempts before successful human creation (difference).
- Role of Animals and Humans: The Bible portrays animals as subservient to humans, while the Popol Vuh suggests that humans were created to appease the gods (difference).
- Representation of Evil: The Bible uses the serpent to represent evil, while the Popol Vuh employs the macaw (difference).
Creation of Man According to the Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh recounts the creation of humans from mud. However, these initial humans were flawed: they melted, lacked strength, and could not move or speak coherently. They were quickly dissolved in water. The creators then fashioned wooden dolls that resembled humans, spoke, and populated the earth. They procreated but lacked souls, intellect, and memory of their creators. They walked aimlessly on all fours and fell out of favor with the gods. This was merely a trial, an attempt to create humans. These wooden beings were eventually destroyed by a great flood sent by the Heart of Heaven. The creators then used tzité to form the flesh of man and the belfry for the flesh of woman. However, these humans failed to acknowledge their creators and were punished. A heavy resin fell from the sky, and deities such as Xecotcovach, Camalotz, Cotzbalam, and Tucumbalam inflicted destruction upon them. This punishment was a consequence of their failure to honor their creators, the Heart of Heaven, also known as Huracán. As a result, the earth was plunged into darkness, and a black rain fell day and night.
Relationship Between 16th-Century European Writers and Indigenous Legends
Christopher Columbus’s logbook marks the beginning of Hispano-American literature. It contains the first written observations of the American landscape and its inhabitants. Chroniclers emerged, captivating European readers with descriptions of the newly discovered world. These chronicles often blended factual accounts with elements of European legends and fables, such as the myth of the Amazons. Writers sought to portray the vast and unfamiliar world, emphasizing the exotic and unknown. They combined personal testimonies with information gathered from Indigenous peoples. This fusion of reality and fiction reflects the interplay between historical facts and imagination that characterized the 15th century.