Book recommendations for mythology?

by Feathered_Serpent8

Greeting! I was going through the reading list and didn’t see any listing of books of any form of mythology. Could I get some recommendations please? I’d prefer mesoamerica as that’s my favorite civilization and so far, what I’ve read has been.... contradicting. That being said, I’d love any book recommendation for any form of mythology.

Cozijo

Are specifically looking for something in particular? As in creation myths, or overall folklore? To begin, perhaps the most famous myth in Mesoamerican scholarship is the K’iche’ Maya story of the Popol Vuh (Popol Wuj), a 16th century narrative about the beginning of time, elements of which can be traced back to the Early Formative period. There are many books (and movie) versions of the story, I particularly recommend Dennis Tedlock’s Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of The Mayan Book of The Dawn of Life and The Glories of Gods and Kings. However, if you are capable of reading Spanish I really recommend a newer translation made by to giants in the field of ethnohistory, James Mondloch and Robert Carmack, titled Popol Wuj: Nueva Traducción y Comentarios. This last version can be found for free here

Another important books about the topic include:

  • Enrique Florescano (1999). The myth of Quetzalcoatl.
  • David Freidel, Linda Schele & Joy Parker (1993). Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman’s Path.
  • Miguel Leon-Portilla (1963). Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind
  • Alfredo Lopez Austin, (1993). The Myths of the Opossum: Pathways of Mesoamerican Mythology
  • Jason Gonzalez & Kay Read(2000). Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America.

What have you read about Mesoamerica that is contradicting?