What is the Popol Vuh?
Q: What is the Popol Vuh?
A: The Popol Vuh is a book written in the Classical Quiché language that contains mythological stories and a genealogy of the rulers of the Post-Classic Quiché Maya kingdom of highland Guatemala.
Q: What kind of stories does the Popol Vuh contain?
A: The Popol Vuh contains mythological stories of two Hero Twins: Hunahpu and Xbalanque, as well as a creation myth.
Q: What is the significance of the Popol Vuh?
A: The significance of the Popol Vuh is enormous since it is one of a small number of early Mesoamerican mythological texts — it is often considered the single most important piece of Mesoamerican literature.
Q: What is the Latin alphabet used for in the Popol Vuh?
A: The Latin alphabet is used to write the Classical Quiché language in the Popol Vuh.
Q: Has the original manuscript of the Popol Vuh been found?
A: No, the original manuscript of the Popol Vuh, which was written around 1550, has been lost.
Q: Is there a copy of the Popol Vuh that still exists today?
A: Yes, a copy of another handwritten copy of the Popol Vuh from the early 18th century exists today in Chicago.
Q: Was the Popol Vuh based on an original Maya codex?
A: It is thought that the Popol Vuh was based on an original Maya codex.
