The Myths of the Opossum
Subtitle: Pathways of Mesoamerican mythology
By: Alfredo López Austin ; translated by Bernard R. Ortiz de Montellano, Thelma Ortiz de Montellano.
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Published: 1993
Place of publication: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Language: eng
Translation of: Los mitos del tlacuache
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 421
ISBN-13: 9780826313942
Subjects: Indian mythology -- Mexico.; Indian mythology -- Central America.; Indians of Mexico -- Folklore.; Indians of Central America -- Folklore.; Opossums -- Folklore.
Description: Published in 1990 under the title *Los mitos del tlacuache*, this is the first major theoretical study of Mesoamerican mythology by one of the foremost scholars of Aztec ideology. Using the myth cycle of the opossum and the theft of fire from the gods as a touchstone, the author constructs a definition of myth that pertains to all of Mesoamerican culture, challenging the notion that to be relevant such studies must occur within a specific culture. Shown here is that much of modern mythology has ancient roots, despite syncretism with Christianity, and can be used to elucidate the pre-Columbian world view. Analysis of pre-Columbian myths can also be used to understand current indigenous myths. Subtopics include the hero and his place in the Mesoamerican pantheon, divine space and human space, mythic event clusters, myth as truth, and the fusion of myth and history.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [381]-412) and index.