This book is an anthology of Mesoamerican literature from pre-Columbian times to the present. It starts with some of the Maya stelae and codices, for example, and then proceeds from there. Just starting it but so far it is very interesting.
That sounds really interesting. I've been meaning to read some pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican literature. I wonder if I can find it in the public library or if I'll have to go the university library. Thanks for sharing.
Fascinating. I personally prefer discussion of works in the non-fiction area, but many, if actually most members on this forum seem to be interested only in fiction works. But that book seems to bridge the gap in a way, because it is a sociological/historical study as well as book of stories, from another culture. I believe the original Maya language is called Quechua and the Aztec language is Nahuatl. It would be nice to see a revival of extinct languages and cultures, especially ones that were wiped out in such a brutal way.
I think the Nahua were a fairly wide-ranging group, of whom the Mexica or Aztec were the most prominent. And yes, they spoke Nahuatl. The Maya had a number of different languages depending on the group (geographically) and, I believe, the time period. Quiche is the most dominant of these languages still spoken today, but there are people who still speak others, including Cho'lan, which was a dominant language long ago, but isn't as widely used today. @CosmicHallux: I don't know if you'll find that in a public library or not. You might be able to find a copy of the Popol Vuh, which is the Maya creation myth, and which is interesting. There are also some good books, like A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya, by Linda Schele (Schele died in the late 90s, but was a prominent figure in deciphering Maya hieroglyphs).
