Myths of Central and South America: Maya, Aztecs, Incas, and Others

The civilizations of pre-Columbian America (the advanced Maya, the warlike Aztecs, the mysterious Nasca, and others) left behind many mysteries that scholars still have yet to unravel. Where did the inhabitants of the thriving Maya cities suddenly go, leaving all their possessions behind? Why did the Nasca people build mysterious "runways" in the desert, visible only from above? Why did the highly developed Aztecs, Maya, and Toltecs worship such bloodthirsty gods? However, we do know something about these mysterious people, thanks to depictions on ancient structures, indigenous codices, and records by Christian missionaries. We know that these peoples had a complex belief system based on myths that rival the imagery of the poems of Homer and ancient Indian epics. This book will introduce you to the history, daily life, and mythology of the ancient civilizations of Central and South America: you will learn how the Maya gods created humans from corn, how the Aztec gods created them from their blood, what the cocoa god Ek-Chuah looks like, and why Aztec righteous people turn into hummingbirds after death.