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Popol Vuh

 Popol Vuh
type
TVTItem
 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh
 Popol Vuh
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PopolVuh
 Popol Vuh
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The Popol Vuh (meaning "Book of the People"), recorded by Spanish priest Francisco Ximénez after a lost but presumably real Mayan work, is the most complete piece of Mesoamerican narrative that survives to this day. It narrates the beliefs of the Quiché (K'iche'), one of the most successful of the tribes that descended from the Maya, living in what is today Guatemala. It is one of the major sources of Mayan Mythology.Important to note about the Popol Vuh (and included in most versions as a preamble) is the story of the book itself. It was written after the Spanish Conquest of the Maya, in midst of the process of Christianization on the land, which means there is a heated debate about the reliability of its contents. The mainstream opinion is that it is a reasonably faithful recording of native beliefs with only some inevitable Christian influences, although others are more skeptical. Ximénez recorded both the original text in K'iche Mayan and his own translation, but it is still unclear whether the original source was another written codex or an oral recitation, or how old or reliable was this source in the first place.The first part recounts the creation of the universe. Tepeu and Gucumatz (Quiché version of Quetzalcoatl/Kukulcán, Tepeu is more widely disputed but some equate him to the Aztec Tezcatlipoca) create the trinity god Huracán, who creates the earth and everything on it. In order to have someone to praise them, the first race of men is created out of wood, but the gods soon find out they can't think and destroy them with a flood. Then the narration gets distracted and follows the adventures of twin folk heroes Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué as they cause (on orders from Huracán) the downfall of the proud demon/god/primitive man (again, interpretations vary) Vucub-Caquix, who pretended to be the real sun, followed by an account of the murder of the two sons of Vucub-Caquix, Zipacná and Cabracán, also by the hands of the twins; the first one due to his (kinda justified) murder of a group of 400 young men that became Motz, aka the stars, and the second one for shaking mountains and general douchebaggery.The second part tells the saga of Hun-Hunahpú, father of the heroic twins of the first part, and his brother Vucub-Hunahpú, as they are tricked and killed by the Thirteen Lords of Xibalbá, the Maya version of the underworld. The story then tells of how Ixquic, daughter of one of the Lords, becomes pregnant via the tree that had grown over Hun-Hunahpú's corpse and gives birth to Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué, who eventually defeat the Lords of Xibalbá in retaliation, after which they become the sun and the moon.The third part of the story goes back to Tepeu and Gucumatz, who finally manage to create the first four men out of corn, and the first four women later. The story then tells the division of the first tribes and their lineages. At the end of the chapter the author explains the necessity of human sacrifice for the Quiché, in honor of their patron god of fire Tohil (who happens to have a lot of similarities to the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli, though some believe this is a coincidence).The fourth part deals with the struggles of the Quiché with the other tribes, the lineage of their rulers and of the cult of Tohil. At the end, a certain noteworthy event known as the Spanish Conquest happens and the Quiché meet their doom.
 Popol Vuh
fetched
2023-04-29T17:27:56Z
 Popol Vuh
parsed
2023-04-29T17:27:56Z
 Popol Vuh
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Popol Vuh / int_1c79ae8c
type
Those Two Guys
 Popol Vuh / int_1c79ae8c
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Those Two Guys: A rare heroic example in Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué. Also notable in that pretty much every single charater is part of a duo, including the fathers, the mentors, and the gods. Even most of the Lords of Xibalbá are described in duos.
 Popol Vuh / int_1c79ae8c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Popol Vuh / int_1c79ae8c
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1.0
 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_1c79ae8c
 Popol Vuh / int_225d8ff9
type
Ambiguously Human
 Popol Vuh / int_225d8ff9
comment
Ambiguously Human: It is never specified what Vucub-Caquix and his sons really are, same with Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué and most characters.
 Popol Vuh / int_225d8ff9
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_225d8ff9
 Popol Vuh / int_4e3d253b
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Downer Ending
 Popol Vuh / int_4e3d253b
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Downer Ending: The Quiché civilization is conquered and most of their beliefs are forgotten after they are converted.
 Popol Vuh / int_4e3d253b
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_4e3d253b
 Popol Vuh / int_50b05d30
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Disproportionate Retribution
 Popol Vuh / int_50b05d30
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Disproportionate Retribution: The 400 young men decide to kill Zipacná after he helps them moving a log. It is widely believed that they really did it because he helped with a condescending attitude but that's still pretty extreme.
 Popol Vuh / int_50b05d30
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_50b05d30
 Popol Vuh / int_575fd5e2
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Dark Is Not Evil
 Popol Vuh / int_575fd5e2
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Dark Is Not Evil: Interestingly, the Lords of Xibalbá are associated with darkness and play an antagonistic role, but they aren't as explicitly evil as Vucub-Caquix. This is because they represent death and illness, hence they are hateful but never killed, as opposed to the punishment of Vucub-Caquix and sons.
 Popol Vuh / int_575fd5e2
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_575fd5e2
 Popol Vuh / int_9203bf6
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Arc Number
 Popol Vuh / int_9203bf6
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Arc Number: The Quiché really liked the number 2. They loved it almost as much as they loved the number 4.
 Popol Vuh / int_9203bf6
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_9203bf6
 Popol Vuh / int_9ccedbed
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Single-Minded Twins
 Popol Vuh / int_9ccedbed
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Single-Minded Twins: Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué could easily be one single person, as well as many of the many duos that appear in story.
 Popol Vuh / int_9ccedbed
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
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 Popol Vuh / int_a6cda066
type
Rule of Three
 Popol Vuh / int_a6cda066
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Rule of Three: If you count their first attempt trying to make animals into talking, thinking and praising them, Tepeu and Gucumatz do not succeed into making real humans until their third time.
 Popol Vuh / int_a6cda066
featureApplicability
1.0
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 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
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 Popol Vuh / int_b7920c43
type
Lost in Translation
 Popol Vuh / int_b7920c43
comment
Lost in Translation: Lions and tigers are mentioned, which in fact did not exist in the area. Somewhere along the translations the real animals mentioned were lost. They may stand in for jaguars and ocelots, which actually lived in the area.
 Popol Vuh / int_b7920c43
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1.0
 Popol Vuh / int_b7920c43
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_b7920c43
 Popol Vuh / int_bd2812b5
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Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence
 Popol Vuh / int_bd2812b5
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Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué, as well as the 400 young men.
 Popol Vuh / int_bd2812b5
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_bd2812b5
 Popol Vuh / int_dd3969b
type
Hijacked by Jesus
 Popol Vuh / int_dd3969b
comment
Hijacked by Jesus: Not as prevalent as one may think for an Indian work post-conquest, but some similarities are jarring. Women are created while men sleep, the mother of the hero is a virgin, etc.
 Popol Vuh / int_dd3969b
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1.0
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_dd3969b
 Popol Vuh / int_e543a655
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Light Is Not Good
 Popol Vuh / int_e543a655
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Light Is Not Good: Vucub Caquix the demonic macaw tyrannises the world by claiming to be the sun and moon. The hero twins put a stop to this (and become the real sun and moon later on).
 Popol Vuh / int_e543a655
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1.0
 Popol Vuh / int_e543a655
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_e543a655
 Popol Vuh / int_e8e56799
type
Blue-and-Orange Morality
 Popol Vuh / int_e8e56799
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Blue-and-Orange Morality: Not as prevalent as with the Aztecs, but the Quiché still made their share of human sacrifices.
 Popol Vuh / int_e8e56799
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1.0
 Popol Vuh / int_e8e56799
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_e8e56799
 Popol Vuh / int_fb6b207f
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You Killed My Father
 Popol Vuh / int_fb6b207f
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You Killed My Father: Hunahpú and Ixbalanqué to the Thirteen Lords of Xibalbá.
 Popol Vuh / int_fb6b207f
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1.0
 Popol Vuh / int_fb6b207f
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_fb6b207f
 Popol Vuh / int_fe64d5a1
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Evil Is Petty
 Popol Vuh / int_fe64d5a1
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Evil Is Petty: Vucub-Caquix and sons.
 Popol Vuh / int_fe64d5a1
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 Popol Vuh
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Popol Vuh / int_fe64d5a1
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ItemName
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Popol Vuh / int_name
 Popol Vuh / int_name
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Popol Vuh

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Designated Villain / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
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Grows on Trees / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Impossible Task / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Legend / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Mexican Media / int_8d5c2bc8
 Mythology Tropes
seeAlso
Popol Vuh
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Temple of Doom / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
The Old Gods / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Toothy Bird / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh
hasFeature
Turn Out Like His Father / int_8d5c2bc8
 Popol Vuh (Music)
seeAlso
Popol Vuh