Maya History and Religion (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

943 Pages·1990·5.03 MB·English

by  J. Eric Thompson

Maya History and Religion Civilization of
title:
the American Indian Series ; V. 99
author: Thompson, John Eric Sidney.
publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
isbn10 | asin: 0806122471
print isbn13: 9780806122472
ebook isbn13: 9780585169804
language: English
subject Mayas.
publication date: 1990
lcc: F1435.T496 1970eb
ddc: 972.81/016
subject: Mayas.
Page i
Maya History and Religion
The Civilization of the American Indian Series
Page iii
Maya History and Religion
J. Eric S. Thompson
Foreword by
David M. Pendergast
and
Elizabeth Graham
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS : NORMAN AND LONDON
Page iv
BY J. ERIC S. THOMPSON
Ethnology of the Mayas of Southern and Central British Honduras
(Chicago, 1930)
Archaeological Investigations in the Southern Cayo District, British
Honduras (Chicago, 1931)
Mexico before Cortez (New York, 1933)
Excavations at San José, British Honduras (Washington, 1939)
Maya Hieroglyphic Writing: An Introduction (Washington, 1950;
Norman, 1960)
The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization (Norman, 1954, 1966)
Thomas Gage's Travels in the New World (ed.) (Norman, 1958)
A Catalog of Maya Hieroglyphs (Norman, 1962)
Maya Archaeologist (Norman, 1963)
Maya History and Religion (Norman, 1970)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 7288144
ISBN: 0-8061-2247-1
Maya History and Religion is Volume 99 in The Civilization of the
American Indian Series.
Copyright © 1970 by the University of Oklahoma Press, Norman,
Publishing Division of the University. All rights reserved.
Manufactured in the U.S.A. First paperback printing, 1990.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Page v
Contents
Foreword xi
by David M. Pendergast and Elizabeth Graham
Introduction xv
Pronunciation and Place Names xxxi
1. Putun (chontal Maya) Expansion in Yucatan and the 3
Pasión Drainage
Introduction 3
The Home and Culture of the Putun 5
The Putun Itza in Yucatan 10
Kukulcan and Toltec Influences at Chichen Itza 22
Putun Incursions into the Upper Usumacinta and 25
Pasión Drainages
Eastern Acalan and "Lacandon" in the Colonial Period 27
Eastern Acalan: Martyrdom of Fathers Vico and López 32
(1555)
The Eastern Acalan Move West 36
Putun Influences on the Pasión (Late Classic Period) 38
Putun Occupation at Seibal (Late Classic Period) 41
Concluding Remarks 43
2. The Maya Central Area at the Spanish Conquest and 48
Later: A Problem in Demography
Introduction 48
Newly Introduced Diseases and Depopulation 52
Page vi
Depopulation in the Colonial Period 54
Depopulation in the Central Area 58
Linguistic Inferences 72
Expansionist Versus Static Groups 73
Conceivable Protohistoric and Post-Classic Parallels 79
3. The Eastern Boundary of the Maya Area: Placements 84
and Displacements
4. Tobacco among the Maya and their Neighbors 103
Introduction 103
Archaeological Material 106
Tobacco in Colonial and Modern Times 108
Powdered Tobacco and Lime 110
Tobacco as an Offering 112
Smoking for Pleasure 114
Tobacco in Divination 115
Personification of Tobacco 116
Medicinal Uses of Tobacco 118
Tobacco as a Talisman 120
Tobacco and War 121
Tobacco with Burials 121
Summation 122
5. Trade Relations Between Maya Highlands and 124
Lowlands
Introduction 124
Past and Present Trade Routes 126
Merchants and Their Dealings 136
Trade Goods 138
Highland Exports 139
Lowland Exports 146
Some General Consideration 156
6. Lowland Maya Religion: Worship 159
General Consideration 159
Magic 165
Priests and Prayermakers 167
Man's Relation to the Gods 170
Preparation for Ceremonies 172
Page vii
Sacrifices 175
Ritual Purity 184
Hallucinatory Drugs in Prophecy and Divination 185
Idols 187
Prayers 191
Cosmological Notions 194
7. Lowland Maya Religion: The Major Gods 197
Characteristics of Maya Gods 198
Creation Gods 200
The Creator's Spouse: Ix Chebel Yax 206
Itzam Na, Iguana House 209
Sun God and Moon Goddess 233
The Sun God 235
The Moon Goddess 241
Gods of the Planet Venus 249
Rain GodsThe Chacs 251
Rain GodsThe Chicchans and the Workers 262
Lacandon Rain Gods 265
Rain Gods of the Tzotzil 267
Wind Gods 270
Earth and Thunder GodsThe Tzultacah 272