Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya

Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya was produced by Patricia Amlin in 1987. We've all heard the story "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." According to the Mayan people before the time of Christ there is another story all together. The film is unlike any other I have seen before. With the absence of any animated characters like in Disney movies, all the images used are those of Mayan paintings and drawings that withstood the test of time. Let us ponder perhaps that this "myth" is actually the truth. Don't get me wrong I'm not an atheist, yet this story made me question all the biblical teachings I've been taught growing up. What if the account of The Popol Vuh is accurate? Was it God who created the Heavens and Earth, or was it MAGIC? Let us take a look!

We are first introduced to Heart of Sky and Heart of Earth, the creators of the world. They wanted obedient followers, therefore, they called upon the grandmother Xmucane and the grandfahter Xpiyacoc to create a race. The first creation was unsuccessful, although the Mud people were obedient to their Lords they were unable to multiple, leading to their destruction. Attempt number two was also unsuccessful. The Wooden people, unlike the Mud people, were extremely disobedient. They disrespected the Lords, abused their resources, animals were without hearts or minds. This too lead to their destruction. Parallel to the story of Noah and the Ark, there too was a great flood which wiped out all creation. The only survivors were the monkeys.

Mud People

Wooden People

Much like our knowledge of Satan, One Death, Seven Death sought to sicken and destroy everything. After hearing of a ball game on Earth the Lords of Xibalba (underworld) summoned One Hunter, Seven Hunter. Unknowingly the two walked into their own death trap. After arriving the two sat upon a platform and burned to death. Following the death of One Hunter, Seven Hunter the head of One Hunter was cut off and hung from a tree, which manifested into a tree full of fruits and gordes. This came to be known as the "forbidden" tree. Once again we encounter a parallel to The Bible in reference to "The tree of knowledge of good and evil". Just as Eve is deceived and eats from the tree, we meet Little Blood, daughter of The Lord of Xibalba does the same. One Hunter uses her to carry on his legacy. Little Blood was given the gift of life and was pregnant with the hero twins, Hunter and Jaguar Deer.
                          

As heroes you would be under the impression that they would always do the right thing and strive to keep the peace. Stop right there, you must know that the Hero Twins, Hunter and Jaguar Deer are the complete opposite. They use trickery all the time to ensure they get their way. Instant gratification is believed to be a motivation for the brothers. They used their trickery to; eventually change their older brothers into monkeys, grow crops in order for their grandmother to feed them, and send their mother on a never ending journey to get water.

We are all aware of the saying "history repeats itself". Even in the time of the Popol Vuh this theory remains true. Like their fathers before them Hunter and Jaguar Deer discover their true calling, ball players. With the help of Rat, who revealed the calling to the twins, a new ball game is started. As before the Lords of Xibalba heard the game and wanted to have a game of their own, therefore, a summons was sent for the twins to venture to Xibalba. Unlike their fathers, the twins once again use their trickery to survive. They were able to survive all the trials of Xibabla; the hot plate, keeping their cigars and fire lit all night, the house of knives, the house of cold, house of jaguars, house of bats, and finally winning the ball game. In the end the brothers die by jumping in the fire, yet five days later, much like Jesus they come back to life since having their ashes scattered in the river. In doing so the twins become heroes after showing off their ability to die and come back to life as well as kill other things and bring them back to life. Being curious the Lords of Xibalba also wanted to experience death and be brought back to life. SERIOUSLY!!! After seeing the twins survive all the trials they actually believed Hunter and Jaguar Deer would allow this. Goes to show that even the cruelest of people can still see the good in others. Although, this was not the case. This was the ultimate defeat of Xibalba.

For anyone interested in a film that will make you question whether a myth is actually a myth, this is the film for you. It will also make you question religion, as it did myself. Of course it requires an open mind and an ability to adapt to non-traditional filming. In my opinion I believe that if having no prior knowledge of the Mayan culture, this film would have captivated me and cased me to be extremely perplexed. To find out and formulate your own opinion, Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya is available for viewing on YouTube.