Essay Comparing Popol Vuh And The Odyssey

Through out the reading that have been read in class, they all have some type or multiple types of archetypes with in them. These archetypes have been either very noticeable or farther under the surface, the stories, poems and folklore are not all the same by any means but they do have some similarities besides the fact that they are all old. Ranging from The Odyssey to The Popol Vuh. The way of describing which archetype is in the stories is by thinking of an onion, that layer by layer seeing the archetype is more under the surface than the last, so the most significate is a scapegoat that is within all six stories. The scapegoat is not always a person it more than likely is an idea the main character has when trying to go around their fears or even when making a simple decision. The respectable way to compare six different works would be like peeling an onion; one begins by peeling away at the layers, starting with the skin which is the simplest like The Odyssey, then The Pillowbook of Sei Shonagon, afterwards The Epic of Gilgamesh, following Poems of Catullus, later The Popol Vuh and lastly Lysistrata with all of the writings sharing a scapegoat to advance the plot of the story

Homer's great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy's struggle to be a man, a king's struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man's struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man's struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer's adventure.

Popol Vuh is the Creation Story Myth by the Mayans. It is a myth history of the Quiché Maya of central highland Guatemala. Once subjugated by Pedro de Alvarado in 1524 (Woodruff 97). It was originally written by the K’iché people in the ancient times (1554-1558 CE). It was believed that all books written at that time where hidden from Christian missionaries so the author has hidden identities but then found their works and destroyed. Only four works of the Yucatan Maya survive in the present day. The Dresden, Madrid, and Paris Codices and the Chilam Balam. And only one of the Quiche: The Popol Vuh. At the beginning of the 18th century Francisco Ximénez discovered the original book of Popol Vuh. He translated the only remaining sources of the book manuscript in Spanish. Francisco Ximénez is a parish priest of Chichicastenango in highland Guatemala. His work is now placed in the Newberry Library, Chicago. The Popol Vuh translated as “The Council Book” or “The Book of people” (The Book of the Mat). It is considered now as a sacred book of the Mayans because it serves as a priceless resource for understanding Maya religion, culture, and history. If any else books were still existing from the Las Casas, it is believed have not yet come to light. To understand this topic better, this paper will demonstrate some things about Popol Vuh and the story behind Xibalba.

Many forms of popular culture today are inspired by themes, characters, and other references in various types of classical literature. John Denver's song 'Calypso'; is about the relationship between men and women, and he bases this comparison on the relationship between Kalypso and Odysseus in Homer's the Odyssey. In 'Calypso'; Denver portrays women in general as being superior to men by using the beautiful and enchanting goddess, Kalypso, from Homer's epic. John Denver encompasses all women in his song by providing Kalypso as a universal symbol. Along with the relationship between Odysseus and Kalypso and men and women, there are other interpreted allusions from the Odyssey to Kalypso's song.

money. Cortez along with the Spaniards ultimately destroys the Aztecs in their quest for fortune

Ten years before the arrival of the Spaniards the Aztecs experienced eight bad omens described by Sahaguns informants. These accounts show how terrified the Aztecs were during this time, describing how, “the natives were overcome with terror, weeping and shouting and crying out.”6 In the following chapters the reports and experiences make you understand how the omens made the people of

Huichols or Wixarika are a group of indigenous people live in the rough and rocky terrain of central Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountain whose rituals and traditions have endured all the way through the centuries, even in the countenance of absurd unusual. In spite of the efforts to change them to Catholicism follow by the Spanish invasion of Mexico, the Huichols’ immobile live today is quite related to the time as their ancestors lived many centuries ago. Huichols’ religion engages in recreations of central role in their everyday lives. From the most ordinary job, to the majority consecrated rites, each activity has special symbols and those symbols allude to Huichols’ belief system “myth”. Myth is defined as “a sacred story that people

He knew the sheer ruin this would entail."(1). Here, the gods are discussing the crime committed by Aegisthus in courting another's wife and then killing Agamemnon upon his return.  The central theme in this book is definitely that of suffering and misery in existence, and there is no other character that knows this better than our hero, Odysseus. Odysseus is kept away from his home for 20 years. Every day, he experiences anguish in some form or the other.

“Proud of itself / is the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. / Here no one fears to die in war. This is our glory…” (Joseph and Henderson, 61). The Aztec mythology claims their god Huitzilopochtli ordered them to leave the seven caves to find new land they would call home. They traveled many years until they found the eagle with a serpent on his mouth standing on top of a cactus. There the Aztecs were to build a temple for the god of war and of the sun, Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs were tried by many but they learned to become skillful warriors, which allowed them to survive for many years. They were not afraid to die and their warriors were skillful, tactical, and one of the best in its time. They were landscapers, amazing architects, mathematicians, poets, but most importantly skillful warriors. The Aztecs were religious people, which also made them very superstitious. They believed they lived in a cyclical world and the world would come to end if their sun god was not satisfied, which meant performing many human sacrifices. They believed their god Quetzalcoatl would return one day to take back what belonged to him. The Aztecs were rich in culture, they had a great civilization, and were survivors. They built an empire in a swampy island others refused to claim. The Aztecs are viewed by many people as violent and to sometimes an inhumane culture; however, they were simply trying to survive. Amongst many other aspects of their culture the battlefield was very important and a great

The Popol Vuh is a collection of historical mythos of the K’iche’ Maya, a group that still lives in the Guatemalan highlands. Popol Vuh translates as either, “Book of Council” or in proper K’iche’ “Book of Events” or “Book of the People”, and tells the creation mythos of the K’iche’ peoples, an epic tale of Hero Twins Hunahpú and Xbalanqué, along with a series of genealogies.

The Story of Popocatepetl and Ixtachuati take place in Tenochtitlan, an ancient Aztec city, that is now Mexico City. The City is complex, and has many strengths and flaws. A non fiction text will be compared to the legend, to see the similarities and differences.

Talking about the Valley of Mexico the two that form the are Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl. The mountain twins. The brother and sister I guess. The real legends of Tenochtitlan is these

The life of a God, forever bliss, complete happiness: Odysseus slights all of these things in order for him to return to his loving wife and son. The concept of true commitment was a very commendable quality for a Greek hero to possess. With this character trait, Odysseus models the ideal husband, father, and leader. Unfortunately, in today’s society, one rarely encounters such outstanding morality. Being raised in an explicit society, a decrease in certain morals has become fashionable. In particular, the college experience has become accepted as the “wild times” of one’s life. Certain activities ordinarily shunned are now perceived as a learning experience when involving a college student. Drugs and alcohol abuse are commonplace around

Throughout vast journeys of many heroes, no other hero had a more complex journey than Odysseus. This journey is called The Odyssey, written by Homer. It is an epic poem or story told of a hero name Odysseus on a 20-year voyage trying to get back home from the Trojan War. The great epic poem known as The Odyssey and attributed to Homer was probably first written down around the eighth century BC, but the origins of the ancient story in myth, legend, and folklore and art appear to be much older. Greek Epic Hero When you think about Greek Epic heroes, Odysseus will most likely come to mind. Odysseus is the main character in Homer's poem "The Odyssey." "The Odyssey" is a narrative poem that describes Odysseus' adventures

The practice of bloodletting and human sacrifice ritual is undoubtedly important in the life of the Mayans. The bloodletting allows the ruler the ability to communicate with the Gods and their ancestors. While the human sacrifice is connected to the continuation of the cosmos and the resurrection of the agricultural seasons. A summary and a discussion of the book Popol Vuh is presented, on the topic of reassurance theme of human sacrifice is addressed in this paper. The examination of how bloodletting and human sacrifice is crucial to the Mayan culture, and how these rituals provided the stability of social and political aspect of the Mayan society.