The Popol Vuh: The Maya Story of Creation

Explore the Maya story of creation as recorded by the K'iche Maya and see how the Maya saw the world around them.

[asianthor]

Archaeologists for a long time had thought that the Popol Vuh that was found in the Kiche highlands of Guatemala had been tainted by the Spaniards in the 1500s, but in the early 2000s in the Preclassic Maya ruins of El Mirador, Guatemala, archaeologists found the Maya creation story on a 300 BC stucco panel wall adorned with the Maya creation story like the Popol Vuh book read that was found 1, 900 years later in the Kiche highlands of Guatemala. That is fascinating.

[BeyondEcstasy]

American civilizations are underappreciated, just like this channel.

[ironrose]

28:43 I love that the 3rd human's name is "Not Right Now." It makes this old man smile to think of a scene where the gods are worn out from creating the first three people so when the third person asks to be named, the gods tiredly wave them away saying "Not right now."

[GabsareSarg]

Im originally from Mexico. When I read the Popol Voh in 6 grade I hardly understood it. It is so amaizing! Mayan mithollogy is so underappreciated even in Mexico. I guess because it is very complex and difficult to understand. I appreciate so much the effort you put to share all this information. Its amaizing. Thank you!

[hectorfox]

Thank you for providing these videos and work! I am Guatemalan, and I really appreciated two specific aspects of this video: 1) you made sure to mention right from the start that this is a K'iche' text and therefore shouldn't be assumed to represent every one of the many, many Maya nations; and 2) that you concluded the video by showing some of the metaphorical connections between the stories and the astronomy and agricultural practices--I think that's a really key aspect for people to understand, even though I know it can be very challenging to learn and teach!

[spirithawk]

I'm Afro American and have been fascinated with all Meso American Peoples Pre Columbian .
The Maya, Olmec and Oaxacan are my favorites. I remember learning in school a small bit on them and the Azteca, Inca and Mapuche but the books explained from a heavily biased pro Spanish POV (Manifest Destiny, Doctrine of Discovery ) in terms of their ways and subjugation was good for them. Same as with my ancestors brought here from West Africa.
This brings so much energy to counter the status quo and give strength and renewal to Indigenous People of the Americas no matter their lineage.

[tothboy]

I like how you mentioned that there are other versions of the Hero Twins. I have read about and researched some of them, the ones I am familiar with include: Hahgwehdiyu and Hahgwehdaetgah (Iroquois mythology); Enumclaw and Kapoonis (Cherokee mythology); Glooskap and Malsumis (Abenaki, Algonquin, and Penobscot mythology); First Creator/Coyote and Lone Man (Mandan (Siouan) mythology); Nayenezgani and Tobadzhistshini (Navajo mythology); Iatiku and Nautsiti (Acoma mythology); Chata and Chicksah (Choctaw mythology); Coyote and Puma Chemchuevi mythology); Coyote and Cirape (Crow mythology); Sanyu.xav and her two boys (I don’t know their names) (Yuma mythology of California); Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl (Aztec mythology); Boinayel and Marohu (Taino mythology, Caribbean); Makunaima and his brother (I don’t know his name) (Carib mythology of Guiana, South America); Tuminikar and Duid (Guiana, South America).

[LautaroArgentino]

I'm from Argentina and we had to read the Popol Vuh for our literature class once. We read myths from all around the world but I really enjoyed the Popol Vuh specifically, I wish it were better known worldwide. We usually just focus on Greek and Roman mythology here, but I had a cool teacher haha

[roverworld]

Thank you for posting. I'm originally from Yucatan and worked as a translator for anthropologist and historians working for the State University. I got to really admire Mayan culture.
Mayans are still here and as long as they here their culture will remain alive. Papadzules anyone?

[v.marcoq.]

The fact that this is the first video essay I've seen about the Popol Vuh that's made with such detail and care brings a huge smile to my face. Thanks for your time and for sharing our history.

[miguecq]

While my country (Nicaragua) was never a mayan territory our elders would always be frightened by seeing or hearing owls around, and they would say to us that their presence meant that somebody in the neighborhood was going to die, I never understood why until now, truly amazing how this ancient belief still survives.

[Andres-uwkf]

So cool You dedicated a Channel and too a History and topic not much discussed or known in the world 🇬🇹🇲🇽🇺🇸

[Astronic]

Humans and their imagination really is fascinating. All cultures invented so different and rich creating stories just by using their mind. I find this one in particular extra creative.

[dirremoire]

I've been binge-watching your content for a week, ever since YouTube recommended your channel. I must say I am impressed with the breadth and quality of your work. 👍👍

[noobpro]

So many cultures have roughly the same story i wouldn't be surprised if these stories go all the way back to the awakening of mankind.

[salinagrrrl]

It would be great to see an animated version of this.

[cristopherj]

Thank you so much, I'm mexican and is still so hard to find any explanation or comprehensive retelling of our past, and so it's hard to motivate people to look into it so it keeps getting cloudier and cloudier, but I hope people finally start to get interested and uncover more. 💜🇲🇽

[huascar]

I recently subscribed to this channel and I am amazed and grateful that the great civilizations of The Americas (pre-European) are finally getting such intricate and respectful analyses. Thank you very much!

[ironman.]

LOVED it I lived in Guatemala in the late 50's for 6 years and remember some of what you spoke of I remember Hunapuh a friend named his dog that!

[canadiankewldude]

The complexity of Kukulkan also extends to his stature among the ancient Mayan gods. In some stories, he is a creator deity - not only of the Earth but of the failures that came before the modern world. In other stories, Kukulkan is the chief among all of the Mayan deities, taking on a role as a priest-king of the god.