--- product_id: 1692948 title: "Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality, Translated from the Original Maya Text" price: "€ 51.80" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1692948-popol-vuh-the-sacred-book-of-the-maya-the-great store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Spiritual Insight Cultural Heritage Ancient Text Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality, Translated from the Original Maya Text **Price:** € 51.80 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📚 Discover the Soul of the Maya! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality, Translated from the Original Maya Text - **How much does it cost?** € 51.80 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1692948-popol-vuh-the-sacred-book-of-the-maya-the-great) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Rich Illustrations:** Visually captivating artwork enhances your reading journey. - • **Cultural Connection:** Bridge the gap between past and present spirituality. - • **Authentic Translation:** Experience the original Maya text in a modern context. - • **Unlock Ancient Wisdom:** Dive into the profound teachings of the Maya. - • **Essential for Scholars:** A must-have for anyone passionate about Central American history. ## Overview Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya is a meticulously translated masterpiece that unveils the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of the Maya civilization. This essential text offers readers a unique glimpse into ancient beliefs, myths, and the profound wisdom that has shaped Central American spirituality. ## Description The Popol Vuh is the most important example of Maya literature to have survived the Spanish conquest. It is also one of the world’s great creation accounts, comparable to the beauty and power of Genesis. Most previous translations have relied on Spanish versions rather than the original K’iche’-Maya text. Based on ten years of research by a leading scholar of Maya literature, this translation with extensive notes is uniquely faithful to the original language. Retaining the poetic style of the original text, the translation is also remarkably accessible to English readers. Illustrated with more than eighty drawings, photographs, and maps, Allen J. Christenson’s authoritative version brings out the richness and elegance of this sublime work of literature, comparable to such epic masterpieces as the Ramayana and Mahabharata of India or the Iliad and Odyssey of Greece. Review: AP World History Review: Fantastic book on the history of the Maya - In Popol Vuh, anonymous Mayan authors excellently combine both the history and the lore of the Quiché Maya to tell the story of their origin and explain their existence as well as explain why things in the world happened the way that they did. As an AP World History student, I found this book incredibly intriguing. The way that Christenson translated this from the original language was not only fluid but captured the voice of the Maya. Their unique tone and style is clear and contributes a rustic feel that helps the reader clearly visualize the events being described. Both the adventures of the various Mayan gods and the tales of wars between the Quichés and the so-called nations offer an interesting read and an insight to early Central American culture. Popol Vuh has a clear purpose. As stated in the preamble, it is to "...tell the ancient stories of the beginning, the origin of all that was done in the citadel of Quiché, among the people of the Quiché nation." The authors do this well, of course. They clearly illustrate how the earth, the animals, and the different versions of people (mud, wood, etc) were created and what purpose they served in the order of things. Animals, for example, were created to be eaten and humans were created to praise the gods. Then, slightly out of order, the stories of various human-like gods, including Hunahpu and Xbalanque, are told. These stories describe why things happen the way they do. They give explanations to things such as the size of the macaw's eyes and the wideness of the whippoorwill's mouth. Finally, Popol Vuh gives an account of the early history of the Quiché Maya. All of these combined complete a tale of the ancient stories of the beginning, as the authors reference them in the preamble, as well as the origin of the Quiché Maya and their people. Review: AP World History - This book was very fun to read! There were many parts of the book where I got confused about what was going on, but a quick reread of the section cleared things up. Christenson completed his goal of given these ancient authors their voice once more. The different writing styles throughout the piece kept it interesting as well. This Mayan story of creation had many dark twists and turns, such as when the gods were not pleased with the people created out of trees, so the sentenced to death by sending a large flood to wipe them out. I would recommend this book to people that are interested in the ancient Mayan culture and the religion surrounding them. The Popol Vuh goes into great detail of way the gods that purposed throughout the text should be worshiped and even have human sacrifices for. This polytheistic religion was very intriguing to learn about. I ended up doing some researching of my own after completing the book. Overall, I thought that the Popol Vuh was an excellent book and I couldn't stop reading it after I started. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #599,970 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #4 in Popol Vuh #143 in Native American Religion #1,815 in Literary Criticism & Theory | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 194 Reviews | ## Images ![Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality, Translated from the Original Maya Text - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71q1PCh40oL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ AP World History Review: Fantastic book on the history of the Maya *by K***K on October 18, 2014* In Popol Vuh, anonymous Mayan authors excellently combine both the history and the lore of the Quiché Maya to tell the story of their origin and explain their existence as well as explain why things in the world happened the way that they did. As an AP World History student, I found this book incredibly intriguing. The way that Christenson translated this from the original language was not only fluid but captured the voice of the Maya. Their unique tone and style is clear and contributes a rustic feel that helps the reader clearly visualize the events being described. Both the adventures of the various Mayan gods and the tales of wars between the Quichés and the so-called nations offer an interesting read and an insight to early Central American culture.Popol Vuh has a clear purpose. As stated in the preamble, it is to "...tell the ancient stories of the beginning, the origin of all that was done in the citadel of Quiché, among the people of the Quiché nation." The authors do this well, of course. They clearly illustrate how the earth, the animals, and the different versions of people (mud, wood, etc) were created and what purpose they served in the order of things. Animals, for example, were created to be eaten and humans were created to praise the gods. Then, slightly out of order, the stories of various human-like gods, including Hunahpu and Xbalanque, are told. These stories describe why things happen the way they do. They give explanations to things such as the size of the macaw's eyes and the wideness of the whippoorwill's mouth. Finally, Popol Vuh gives an account of the early history of the Quiché Maya. All of these combined complete a tale of the ancient stories of the beginning, as the authors reference them in the preamble, as well as the origin of the Quiché Maya and their people. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ AP World History *by A***T on December 4, 2014* This book was very fun to read! There were many parts of the book where I got confused about what was going on, but a quick reread of the section cleared things up. Christenson completed his goal of given these ancient authors their voice once more. The different writing styles throughout the piece kept it interesting as well. This Mayan story of creation had many dark twists and turns, such as when the gods were not pleased with the people created out of trees, so the sentenced to death by sending a large flood to wipe them out.I would recommend this book to people that are interested in the ancient Mayan culture and the religion surrounding them. The Popol Vuh goes into great detail of way the gods that purposed throughout the text should be worshiped and even have human sacrifices for. This polytheistic religion was very intriguing to learn about. I ended up doing some researching of my own after completing the book. Overall, I thought that the Popol Vuh was an excellent book and I couldn't stop reading it after I started. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful *by L***A on October 17, 2024* It is one of the few works of indigenous literature to survive the purges by the Spanish. The Popol Vuh should be read in every Indigenous literature class --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1692948-popol-vuh-the-sacred-book-of-the-maya-the-great](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1692948-popol-vuh-the-sacred-book-of-the-maya-the-great) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-07-09*