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Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America
An excellent resource, Handbook of Mesoamerican Mythology introduces readers to the mythology of Mexico and Central America. Its chief focus is on Mexican Highland and Maya areas, as they were, and are, of utmost importance to Mesoamerican history.
An extensive and edifying introduction defines the nature of myth, the Mesoamericans as a people, and the cultural worldview that informed Mesoamerican mythology. The Handbook presents historical and mythological timelines, with each time period and cultural group fully defined. Also featured is a quick geographical and historical survey of Mesoamerica from the Paleoindian Era to the present, as well as a discussion of some of the challenges and possibilities that structure Mesoamerican studies. Moreover, an extensive reference list and a glossary of cultural and mythological terms are included, and pronunciation guides are given throughout. With an annotated bibliography that ranges from film to websites, fiction to poetry, and from introductory to scholarly works, the book is an all-embracing portal to its subject.
An extensive and edifying introduction defines the nature of myth, the Mesoamericans as a people, and the cultural worldview that informed Mesoamerican mythology. The Handbook presents historical and mythological timelines, with each time period and cultural group fully defined. Also featured is a quick geographical and historical survey of Mesoamerica from the Paleoindian Era to the present, as well as a discussion of some of the challenges and possibilities that structure Mesoamerican studies. Moreover, an extensive reference list and a glossary of cultural and mythological terms are included, and pronunciation guides are given throughout. With an annotated bibliography that ranges from film to websites, fiction to poetry, and from introductory to scholarly works, the book is an all-embracing portal to its subject.
354 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 25, 2023
This book an excellent compilation of interesting facts, but it is little more than that. It's contents are interesting and extremely academically rigorous. If you are looking for a reference book for an academic purpose, you found the right book.
This leads me to what the book doesn't do well, adding anything of its own except for an appeal that you view the myths contained not as interesting stories, but as an insight into several different cultures. That's what you get. You get insight into lots of different cultures, and no good storytelling whatsoever. This is at such an extreme that rather than presenting the various myths in chronological order, or sorted by culture, they are just listed alphabetically. Any pieces of stories are presented drily and limited to facts that be backed up with academic citations. If you want to actually enjoy the myths for their creativity, this is the wrong book.
This leads me to what the book doesn't do well, adding anything of its own except for an appeal that you view the myths contained not as interesting stories, but as an insight into several different cultures. That's what you get. You get insight into lots of different cultures, and no good storytelling whatsoever. This is at such an extreme that rather than presenting the various myths in chronological order, or sorted by culture, they are just listed alphabetically. Any pieces of stories are presented drily and limited to facts that be backed up with academic citations. If you want to actually enjoy the myths for their creativity, this is the wrong book.
August 9, 2018
Beginning my research on Mesoamerica with this book was an accidental miracle. Read this book!!
December 8, 2010
Suppose to read this for class but I fell asleep every time I tried.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews