Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T17:22:42.155Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

VENUS LORE IN THE POSTCLASSIC MAYA CODICES: DEITY MANIFESTATIONS OF THE MORNING AND EVENING STAR

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2017

Gabrielle Vail
Gabrielle Vail*
Affiliation:
Research Laboratories of Archaeology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3120, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
*
E-mail Correspondence to: valid@email.unc.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study explores the mythology surrounding the appearances and disappearances of Venus from the sky and the role the morning and evening star aspects of Venus played in Maya divinatory and astronomical texts. Ethnographic and ethnohistoric sources link the morning star aspect of Venus with a series of bearded hunting deities. Representations of these figures—armed with the accoutrements of Venus—have recently been identified in the hunting almanacs of the Madrid Codex. Other codical manifestations of Venus include the rain deity Chaak, who appears as both the morning and evening star, and the merchant deity God M, who may have had evening star associations in certain contexts. Significant correspondences exist between the Maya Hero Twins of the Popol Vuh and the War Twins highlighted in creation narratives of Zuni culture, who correspond to the morning and evening star. The celestial roles of both sets of twins will be explored to better understand their function in ceremonial and calendrical contexts.

Type
Special Section: Mesoamerican Cultural Astronomy and the Calendar
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , Fall 2017 , pp. 475 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anders, Ferdinand 1967 Codex Tro-Cortesianus (Codex Madrid). Akademische Druck-und Verlagsanstalt, Graz.Google Scholar
Aveni, Anthony F. 2001 Skywatchers: An Updated and Revised Version of Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.Google Scholar
Barrera Vásquez, Alfredo, Bastarrachea Manzano, Juan Ramón, Sansores, William Brito, Salas, Refugio Vermont, Góngora, David Dzul, and Poot, Domingo Dzul (editors) 1980 Diccionario Maya Cordemex: Maya-Español, Español-Maya. Ediciones Cordemex, Merida.Google Scholar
Bierhorst, John (translator) 1992 History and Mythology of the Aztecs: The Codex Chimalpopoca. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.Google Scholar
Bill, Cassandra 1997 The Roles and Relationships of God M and Other Black Gods in the Codices, with Specific Reference to Pages 50–56 of the Madrid Codex. In Papers on the Madrid Codex, edited by Bricker, Victoria R. and Vail, Gabrielle, pp. 111–145. Middle American Research Institute, Publication No. 64. Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Blom, Frans, and LaFarge, Oliver 1926–1927 Tribes and Temples. 2 vols. Middle American Research Institute, Publication No. 1. Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Brasseur de Bourbourg, Charles E 1869–1870 Manuscrit Troano: Etudes sur le système graphique et la langue des Mayas. Imprimerie Impériale, Paris.Google Scholar
Bricker, Harvey M., and Bricker, Victoria R. 2011 Astronomy in the Maya Codices. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Bricker, Victoria R. 1991 Faunal Offerings in the Dresden Codex. In Sixth Palenque Round Table, 1986, Vol. VIII, edited by Robertson, Merle Greene and Fields, Virginia M., pp. 285–292. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.Google Scholar
Bricker, Victoria R., and Bricker, Harvey M. 1988 The Seasonal Table in the Dresden Codex and Related Almanacs. Archaeoastronomy 12: S1–S62.Google Scholar
Bruce, Robert D., Robles U., Carlos, and Ramos Chao, Enriqueta 1971 Los Lacandones: Cosmovisión Maya. Departamento de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Publicación 26. Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Bunzel, Ruth 1932 Introduction of Zuni Ceremonialism, Zuni Origin Myths, Zuni Ritual Poetry, Zuni Katcinas: An Analytical Study. Annual Report for the Bureau of American Ethnology 47:467–1086.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, Von del 1982 When Stars Came Down to Earth: Cosmology of the Skidi Pawnee Indians of North America. Ballena Press, Los Altos.Google Scholar
Christenson, Allen J. 2007 Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.Google Scholar
Cook, Garrett 1986 Quichean Folk Theology and Southern Maya Supernaturalism. In Symbol and Meaning Beyond the Closed Community: Essays in Mesoamerican Ideas, edited by Gossen, Gary, pp. 139–154. Institute for Mesoamerican Studies, State University of New York, Albany.Google Scholar
Cruz Guzmán, Ausencio, Josserand, Kathryn, and Hopkins, Nicholas 1980 The Cave of Don Juan. In Third Palenque Round Table, 1978, Part 2, edited by Robertson, Merle Greene, pp. 116–123. University of Texas Press, Austin.Google Scholar
Cushing, Frank Hamilton 1896 Outlines of Zuni Creation Myths. Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 13:3–45.Google Scholar
Cushing, Frank Hamilton 1901 Zuni Folktales. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York.Google Scholar
Förstemann, Ernst 1880 Die Maya Handschrift der Königlichen öffentlichen Bibliothek zu Dresden. Mit 74 Tafeln in Chromo-Lightdruck. Verlag der A. Naumannschen Lichtdruckeret, Leipzig.Google Scholar
Förstemann, Ernst 1906 Commentary on the Maya Manuscript in the Royal Public Library of Dresden. Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 4, No. 2. Harvard University, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Gates, William 1933 The Madrid Maya Codex. Maya Society, Publication 21. Maya Society at The John Hopkins University, Baltimore.Google Scholar
de Landa, Diego 1978 Yucatan Before and After the Conquest. Translated by Gates, William. Dover, New York.Google Scholar
Milbrath, Susan 1999 Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. University of Texas Press, Austin.Google Scholar
Miller, Arthur G. 1982 On the Edge of the Sea: Mural Painting at Tancah-Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Miller, Mary, and Taube, Karl 1993 An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. Thames and Hudson, New York.Google Scholar
Redfield, Robert, and Villa Rojas, Alfonso 1934 Chan Kom: A Maya Village. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Publication No. 448. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
de Rosny, Leon 1888 Codex Peresianus. Manuscrit hiératique des anciens Indiens de l'Amérique Centrale, conservé a la Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. Bureau de la Société Américaine, Paris.Google Scholar
Schele, Linda, and Grube, Nikolai 1997 The Dresden Codex. In Notebook for the XXIst Maya Hieroglyphic Workshop, pp. 79–247. Department of Art and Art History, the College of Fine Arts, and the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas, Austin.Google Scholar
Šprajc, Ivan 1993 The Venus-Rain-Maize Complex in the Mesoamerican World View: Part I. Archaeoastronomy 18:S17–S70.Google Scholar
Seler, Eduard 1904 Venus Period in the Picture Writings of the Borgian Codex Group. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 28:355–391.Google Scholar
Stevenson, Matilda 1904 The Zuni Indians: Their Mythology, Evening Esoteric Fraternities, and Ceremonies. Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 23:3–634.Google Scholar
Stone, Andrea 1983 The Zoomorphs of Quirigua, Guatemala . Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Art History, University of Texas, Austin.Google Scholar
Stuart, David 2005 The Inscriptions from Temple XIX at Palenque. Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Taube, Karl 1992 The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan. Studies in Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology, No. 32. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Tedlock, Dennis 1992 The Popol Vuh as a Hieroglyphic Book. In New Theories on the Ancient Maya, edited by Danien, Elin C. and Sharer, Robert J., pp. 229–240. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Tedlock, Dennis 1996 Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. Simon and Schuster, New York.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. Eric S. 1930 Ethnology of the Maya of Southern and Central British Honduras. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. Eric S. 1967 Maya Creation Myths (Part 2). Estudios de Cultura Maya 6:15–44.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. Eric S. 1970 Maya History and Religion. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.Google Scholar
Vail, Gabrielle 1997 The Deer-Trapping Almanacs in the Madrid Codex. In Papers on the Madrid Codex, edited by Bricker, Victoria R. and Vail, Gabrielle, pp. 73–110. Middle American Research Institute, Publication No. 64. Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Vail, Gabrielle, and Hernández, Christine 2013 Re-Creating Primordial Time: Foundation Rituals and Mythology in the Postclassic Maya Codices. University Press of Colorado, Boulder.Google Scholar
Villa Rojas, Alfonso 1969 The Mayas of Yucatan. In Handbook of Middle American Indians: Vol. 7, Ethnology, Part 1, edited by Vogt, Evon, pp. 244–275. University of Texas Press, Austin.Google Scholar
von Nagy, Christopher L. 1997 Some Comments on the Madrid Deer-Hunting Almanacs. In Papers on the Madrid Codex, edited by Bricker, Victoria R. and Vail, Gabrielle, pp. 27–71. Middle American Research Institute, Publication No. 64. Tulane University, New Orleans.Google Scholar
Young, M. Jane 1992 Morning Star, Evening Star: Zuni Traditional Stories. In Earth and Sky: Visions of the Cosmos in Native American Folklore, edited by Williamson, Ray and Farrer, Claire, pp. 75–100. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.Google Scholar
Young, M. Jane, and Williamson, Ray 1981 Ethnoastronomy: The Zuni Case. In Archaeoastronomy in the Americas, edited by Williamson, Ray, pp. 183–191. Ballena Press, Los Altos.Google Scholar