Il mondo dei Maya

by Victor Wolfgang von Hagen

A comprehensive look at Mayan civilization describes social and political organization, customs, religion, art, architecture, and the life-styles of common people and the ruling classes

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Native Americans, Anthropology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Victor Wolfgang von Hagen (February 29, 1908 - March 8, 1985) was a US-American explorer, archaeological historian, anthropologist, and travel writer who traveled the South Americas with his wife, Christine. Mainly between 1940 and 1965, he published a large number of widely acclaimed books about the ancient people of the Inca, Maya, and Aztecs.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative. Excellent source material. =)

[J.D. Steens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though dated somewhat, Von Hagen gives a good overview of Mayan history and culture. Particularly impressive are the descriptions of the monumental Mayan buildings, the ceremonial cities and urban centers and the long, raised roads that connected them together. Particularly striking is his description of the ritualized human sacrificial practices.* The Spanish conquest of the Maya, brutal as it was, seemed no more brutal than one it replaced.

*”The chacs were four old, honored men ‘to aid the priest.’ The nacom was the one who cut open the chests of the sacrificial victims and jerked out the beating hearts.” The priest’s “hair, left long, was unkempt, unwashed, and ‘stinky’ from the blood of [human] sacrifice….The gods had to be nourished, like any other living beings, and as the gods proceeded necessarily from the Maya brain they were human and imperfect. If rain was withheld or disease appeared, it was because the gods were not properly propitiated. Blood and, most of all, throbbing human hearts were cherished by the gods. War yielded prisoners for sacrifice; in addition women and children were immolated….A victim marked for sacrifice was painted blue, that famous Maya blue which is found on murals and stone carvings….If one was to be sacrificed by the arrow ceremony…he was tied in crucifix fashion to a wooden frame high off the ground, and they ‘danced a solemn dance abut him.’ The priest wounded the victim in the place of shame (that is, the penis), and the blood that dripped from the wound was smeared on an idol nearby….Another form of sacrifice was to throw the ‘selected one’ into wells. The great cenote at Chichen Itza was the best known depository” that contained “the skeletal remains of men, women, and children.”

[Jerimy Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding presentation of what Mayan culture may have been like. Von Hagen details many facets of Mayan life based on written documentation from archeologists, historians, and explorers. He also uses Aldous Huxley as a backdrop thematic writer and challenges many of his arguments about the Mayan civilization. I will keep this brief, because there are many interesting things explored about how the Mayans lived, what they ate, their monetary system, hierarchal system, how they dealt with outsiders and how they survived constant war among their own peoples. I highly recommend this book for people interested in archeology, travelling, ancient civilizations, history, and travel books.

[Ici93 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bona primera aproximació a la història maia.

[Camilla Passaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esauriente, pratico, ricco, accompagnato da utili illustrazioni. Ottimo.

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

gracias a quien hizo este libro por proporcionarme la bibliografía, que es mínima, para mi tfg

[Marianne Villanueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was 23, my grad school roommate and I took a public bus from Mexico City to Merida. This book was our guide to the World of the Maya. Hung on to that copy. Amazing. I'm re-reading.

[Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Research leading to an outline of Mayan culture and its practices, family designs, styles, ceremonies, food culture etc. Dry tone, thankfully.

[Lannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the anthropological understanding of the Maya peoples way back when scholarship was still pretty primitive. Take everything in here with a grain of salt.

[Arwen56]

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