Customer Reviews

Warriors, gods & spirits from Central & South American mythology (World mythologies series)

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Gifford offers us a unique assortment of myths and legends representative of a widely diverse set of cultural traditions spanning from "south of the Border" to the virtual igloos of Tierra del Fuego. A wide array of peoples, ranging from the highly stratified and ritualized (e.g., the Aztec [who, BTW, called themselves the Mexica] and the Maya) to neolithic forest peoples (I forget the specific tribes, but comparable to, say, the Sharanahua or the Yanomamo or the Jivaro). The stories are intriguing; a spectrum of unfamiliar animals are anthropomorphized to yield a truly unique set of deities; and, to say the least, the hand-painted color illustrations are utterly breathtaking and should richly contribute to younger readers' enjoyment of the stories.

By the way, if you thought you recognized the cover image (supra) of the eagle and the serpent atop the cactus, you thought correctly. That archetype--which announced to the Mexica that they had found their homeland, the high-altitude swamp in which they were to erect their capital--forms the seal of the green, white, and red flag of Los Estados Unidos de Mexico.