#RecomendaciónLiteraria

Popol Vuh, Anónimo

Si quieren conocer una de las historias más ricas y sorprendentes del continente americano, tienen que leer este texto fundamental que rescata los mitos de el origen del mundo y la historia del pueblo maya quiché. El libro que conocemos hoy se salvó de la destrucción gracias a que fue transcrito a escondidas en idioma quiché con caracteres latinos a principios del siglo XVI, y luego traducido al castellano por el fraile Francisco Ximénez a inicios del siglo XVIII. Olvídense de los relatos aburridos, esta obra es una narración épica llena de batallas, magia natural y descripciones detalladas sobre cómo los dioses intentaron crear la vida varias veces antes de tener éxito con los hombres hechos de maíz.

La parte más emocionante del relato sigue las aventuras de los hermanos gemelos Hunahpú e Ixbalanqué, dos jóvenes cazadores que bajan al peligroso inframundo de Xibalbá para enfrentar a los crueles señores de la muerte. Usando la inteligencia, el juego de pelota y astutos trucos en lugar de la fuerza bruta, los gemelos logran vencer los castigos de las casas del tormento y suben al cielo convertidos en el sol y la luna.

— A. Eldritch, Periodista, Locutor, podcaster y bloger del fediverso

Alt text via @altbot y @TeLoDescribot

#Literatura #Mitología #PopolVuh #CulturaMaya #HistoriaAmericana

#datocurioso

¿Sabían que el Xibalbá no era considerado un lugar de castigo eterno similar al infierno, sino un reino de transformación necesario para el ciclo de la vida?

En la mitología de la cultura maya quiché, el nombre Xibalbá se traduce directamente como el Lugar del Miedo o Lugar del Susto. El libro sagrado del Popol Vuh describe detalladamente que este mundo subterráneo estaba gobernado por 12 deidades de la muerte y la enfermedad, conocidos como los Señores de Xibalbá, bajo el mando principal de Hun-Camé y Vucub-Camé. El camino para ingresar a este reino estaba lleno de obstáculos físicos peligrosos, ríos de sangre y de agua, así como casas de tormento específicas, entre las que destacaban la Casa Oscura y la Casa del Frío.

A diferencia de las creencias religiosas traídas de Europa, los antiguos habitantes de la península de Yucatán no veían este espacio subterráneo como un destino de condena para los pecadores. Para la cosmovisión maya, el paso por las 9 regiones del inframundo era una ruta que casi todas las almas debían recorrer durante un periodo de 5 años para purificarse antes de alcanzar el descanso o renacer. Las entradas físicas a este plano sagrado se ubicaban en las profundidades de la selva, utilizando las cuevas y los más de 7000 cenotes de la región como portales directos hacia el inframundo, lugares donde los arqueólogos modernos han descubierto ofrendas de cerámica y restos óseos que confirman la realización de rituales antiguos.

Ahora  bien, para todos los amantes de la música y las producciones independientes, es altamente recomendado seguir la cuenta oficial de @Xibalba dentro del Fediverso. Un espacio y proyecto de @Fando que funciona como un excelente difusor de la cultura sonora mexicana, dedicándose por completo a compartir y dar visibilidad a un programa radiofónico enfocado exclusivamente en la música hecha en México 🇲🇽 de diversos géneros y épocas.

Las transmisiones se pueden sintonizar en vivo todos los días martes en punto de las 12:00 de la tarde, tomando como referencia el horario del centro de la Ciudad de México, lo que equivale a la zona horaria internacional UTC/GMT -6 horas. Seguir este proyecto y a su creador es una excelente manera de conocer nuevas propuestas musicales, conectar con las tradiciones y apoyar los espacios de radio independiente.

— A. Eldritch, Periodista, Locutor, podcaster y bloger del fediverso

Alt text via @altbot y @TeLoDescribot

#MúsicaMexicana #Radio #Cultura #Fediverso #México

— A. Eldritch, Periodista, Locutor, podcaster y bloger del fediverso

Alt text via @altbot y @TeLoDescribot

#Xibalba #MitologíaMaya #Historia #PopolVuh #Cultura #MúsicaMexicana #Radio #Fediverso #México #programaderadio

Xibalba

Xibalba roughly translates to “place of fright.”

This is the K’iche’ (A Mayan language of the K’iche’ people of the central highlands of Guatemala & Mexico) named the Underworld in a Maya(n) mythology. The underworld is known as Mitnal in Yucatec, a Mayan language spoken in the Yucatan Peninsula.

In the 16th century, Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba, was traditionally held to be a cave in the area of Cabon, Guatemala. Cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba. In some Mayan areas, the Milky Way is viewed as the road to Xibalba.

Xibalba is described in the Popol Vuh (A text recounting the mythology & history of the K’iche’ people of Guatemala. This is 1 of the Maya peoples who also inhabit Mexican states) as a court below the surface of the earth associated with death & with 12 gods, or powerful rulers, known as the Lords of Xibalba.

The 1st among the Mayan death gods ruling Xibalba were: Hun-Came (“One Death”) & Vucub-Came (“Seven Death”). Though Hun-Came is the elder of the 2.

The remaining 10 Lords are often referred to as demons & are given commission & domain over diverse forms of human suffering: to cause sickness, starvation, fear, destitution, pain, & ultimately death.

These Lords work in pairs: Xiquiripat (“Flying Scab”) & Cuchumaquix (“Gathered Blood”), who sickens people’s blood. Ahalpuh (“Pus Demon”) & Ahalgana (“Jaundice Demon”), who cause people’s bodies to swell up. Chamiabac (“Bone Staff”) & Ahalttcob (“Stabbing Demon”), who hide in the unswept areas of people’s homes & stab them to death. Xic (“Wing”) & Patan (“Pack strap”), who cause people to die coughing up blood while out walking on a road.

The remaining residents of Xibalba are thought to have fallen under the dominion of 1 of these Lords, going about the face of the Earth to carry out their listed duties.

Xibalba was a large palace, & several individual structures located within Xibalba are described or mentioned in the Popol Vuh. Chief among these was the council place of the Lords, the 5 or 6 houses that served as the 1st tests of Xibalba, & the Xibalba ball court. Also mentioned are the homes of the Lords, gardens, & other structures, indicating that Xibalba was at least a great city.

Xibalba seems to be rife with tests, trials, & traps for anyone who comes into the city. Even the roads to Xibalba were filled with obstacles: 1st, a river filled with scorpions, a river filled with blood, & then a river filled with pus.

Beyond these was a crossroads where travellers had to choose from among 4 roads that spoke in an attempt to confuse & beguile. Upon passing these obstacles, 1 would come upon the Xibalba council place where it was expected visitors would greet the seated Lords.

Realistic mannequins were seated near the Lords to confuse & humiliate people who greeted them, & the confused would then be invited to sit up on a bench, which was actually a hot cooking surface. The Lords of Xibalba would entertain themselves by humiliating people in this fashion before sending them into 1 of Xibalba’s deadly tests.

The city was home to at least 6 deadly houses filled with trials for visitors. The 1st was the Dark House, a house that was completely dark inside. The 2nd was the Rattling House/Cold House, full of bone-chilling cold & rattling hail. The 3rd was the Jaguar House, filled with hungry jaguars. Tht 4th was the Bat House, filled with dangerous shrieking bats. The 5th was the Razor House, filled with blades & razors that moved about of their own accord. In another part of the Popol Vuh, a 6th test, the Hot House, was filled with fires & heat, is identified. The purpose of these trials/tests was to either kill or humiliate people placed into them if they couldn’t outwit the test.

Xibalba was home of a famous ballcourt in which the heroes of the Popol Vuh succumbed to the trickery of the demons in the form of a deadly, bladed ball, as well as the site in which the Mayan Hero Twins outwitted the gods & brought about their downfall.

According to the Popol Vuh, the residents of Xibalba at 1 point enjoyed the worship of the people on the surface of the Earth who offered human sacrifice to the gods of death.

Over the span of time covered in the Popol Vuh, the gods of Xibalba are tricked & finally humiliated into accepting lesser offerings from above by the Maya Twins, who got superpowers after they were burnt & their ashes thrown into a magical river.

The role of Xibalba & its inhabitants after their great defeat at the hands of the Hero Twins is unclear. Although it seems to have continued its existence a dark place of the underworld long after.

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I've listened to Popol Vuh's Bruder Des Schattens-Sohne Des Lichts and Nosferatu soundtrack albums a lot but finally digging deeper into their catalogue with these two albums. Any recommendations?

#PopolVuh #Germanmusic #Krautrock #ambientmusic #Electronicmusic #Moog #DiskUnion #Nosferatu

Mes écoutes de la semaine du 09 February 2026

#OrenAmbarchi, #CrysCole, #KeithRowe, #FéliciaAtkinson, #BardoPond, #TheBartlebees, #Bégayer, #NicolaeBrînduş, #Clogs, #DaleCooperQuartetAndTheDictaphones, #DedalusEnsemble, #Ensemble0, #ExodusSexus, #France, #Hydroplane, #Hyperculte, #TheIcicleWorks, #Jessamine, #ChuckJohnson, #Metrotone, #TheeOhSees, #Pavement, #PeterParkerExperience, #PopolVuh, #ReignOfFerns, #TonyRolando, #RomeoSuspect, #Stereolab, #SunburnedHandOfTheMan, #Supersilent, #Swell, #TheoryOfGhosts, #Various, #Vindicatrix, #FloraYinWong, #SébastienRoux

#music #record

Djong Yun - Ave Maria (1972)
Ripubblicato come bonus nella ristampa del 2004 dell'album Hosianna Mantra dei Popol Vuh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QFps8LkoI8&list=RD1QFps8LkoI8&start_radio=1

#rock #ambient #classical #spirituale #DjongYun #PopolVuh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6hOQl974Q0&list=RDd6hOQl974Q0&start

#musica #ambient #rock #PopolVuh #TantricSongs