Customer Reviews

Rabinal Achi: A Mayan Drama of War and Sacrifice

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This book is the follow up to the Popol Vuh (the Mayan Bible) by bestselling translator and author Dennis Tedlock. This is a beautiful and careful translation of a wonderful Mayan text which like his Popol Vuh will surely win translation prizes.

Tedlock spent many years studying the language, culture, and shamanic traditions of the highland Maya in Guatemala. Together with his wife he underwent a shamanic apprenticeship and later videotaped several performances of this dance drama. This is the only remaining pre-Columbian Mayan play in existence and as such it is a cultural treasure which this transaltor has treated with great respect. The dozens of photographs and line art bring the book alive!

I was taking a theatre class at Hunter College and was doing a presentation on the Spanish influence in the Americas. There is one Mayan drama that is still performed today. I discovered author and title of this book from my professor. The book was not available at the library and coming to Amazon, I found it. And unlike other historical text books, this was real steal, came in on time, and was in excellent condition.