The Rabbit on the Face of the Moon
Subtitle: Mythology in the Mesoamerican Tradition
Publisher: University of Utah Press
Published: January 15, 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 157
ISBN-13: 9780874805277
Subjects: Sociology, Social Studies; Literature - Classics / Criticism; Folklore & Mythology - Mythology; Sociology; Mexico; Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies - Tribes; Social Science / Folklore & Mythology; Folklore; Central America; Indian mythology; Indians of Mexico
Description: The Rabbit on the Face of the Moon is a collection of articles on mythology in the Mesoamerican tradition by Alfredo Lopez Austin, one of the foremost scholars of ancient Mesoamerican thought. Their span is diverse: myths and names, eclipses, stars, left and right, Mexica origins, Aztec incantations, animals, and the incorporation of Christian elements into the living mythologies of Mexico.

The title essay relates the Mesoamerican myth explaining why there is a rabbit on the moon's face to a Buddhist image and suggests the importance of the profound mythical concepts presented by each image. The eighteen pieces in this volume are unified by their basis in Mesoamerican tradition and provide a fascinating look into a system of milennia-old legends and beliefs.