The Principle Integral to Maya Life and Civilization the Twins Finally Understand
The Hero Twins are the characters that originate from Maya mythology. The Maya text Popol Vuh, one of the few currently remaining, mentions their story. 1 The two twin boys traveled to the underworld to meet the Lords of Death. It is worth mentioning that the Twins learned from their ancestors’ mistakes and understood that they need to pass the gods’ tests set up for them. For instance, they used their wit to pass one of the trials and had a mosquito bite fake wooden gods. Thus, they learned a religious principle of seeing gods as sacred beings, integral to Maya’s life and civilization.
The Major Symbolic Elements in the Story of the Hero Twins
Ancient civilizations and cultures are often associated with specific symbolic elements and characters with a sacred meaning. The Maya stories widely utilize symbolism and abstraction, and the Story of the Hero Twins is not an exception.2 For instance, it is notable that tribal symbols are of particular importance in the story. Hunahpuh’s main symbols are sun and pronghorn antlers, while the Twins are associated with deer symbols. Besides, symbolic elements such as the moon, rabbits, and jaguar skin patches are mentioned in the story. Therefore, such components were incorporated into the Maya civilization and culture.
Similarities and Differences in the Way That Gods, Humans, and Animals are Portrayed in the Story of the Hero Twins and the Epic of Gilgamesh
In both stories, the hero dynamic is crucial since the heroes rely on each other. Siblings in both pieces of writing have a brotherly bond and develop battle skills. However, the families described in the stories are different since the Twins seem devoted to their ancestors, and Gilgamesh shows a weaker connection to his family.3 The gods are presented as the opposite of animals, namely, immortal and powerful, while animals are destined to die.
Bibliography
Bentley, Jerry, and Ziegler, Herbert, and Heather Streets-Salter. Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, Volume I: From the Beginning to 1500. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2015.
Meta Religion, “Popol Vuh,” Web.
Miller, Mary Ellen, and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames & Hudson, 1997.
Footnotes
- Meta Religion. “Popol Vuh.” Web.
- Jerry Bentley, Herbert Ziegler, and Heather Streets-Salter, Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, Volume I: From the Beginning to 1500, 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw Hill, 2015), 110-127.
- Mary E. Miller and Karl Taube, An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya (London: Thames & Hudson, 1997), 55.