Details

Subject(s)

• Popol vuh [Browse]
• Quiché literature—History and criticism [Browse]
• Maya mythology—Psychological aspects [Browse]
• Quiché Indians—Religion—Psychology [Browse]
• Creation—Mythology—Guatemala [Browse]
• Jungian psychology [Browse]
• Indigenous Studies [Browse]

Writer of foreword

• Escamilla, Michael [Browse]

• Escamilla, Michael [Browse]

Series

• Carolyn and Ernest Fay series in analytical psychology ; no. 23. [More in this series]
• Carolyn and Ernest Fay series in analytical psychology ; twenty-three [More in this series]

Summary note

"Explore the collective unconscious from a different angle and perspective than we have seen in the European, Slavic, Celtic, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern cultures," says series editor Michael Escamilla in the foreword to Nancy Swift Furlotti's The Splendor of the Maya: A Journey into the Shadows at the Dawn of Creation. This examination and amplification of K'iche' Maya creation mythology from Mesoamerica fills a gap in Jungian literature by illustrating the contributions to the collective psyche of an important indigenous American culture with which readers may not be familiar. Furlotti's work offers an interesting juxtaposition with the prevailing Western scientific-rationalistic views that have typified psychological inquiry for the past two-and-a-half centuries. Contrasting with the mostly linear orientation of Western scientific and literary traditions, Maya mythology and culture are typified by a cyclical view of time, creation, and experience coupled with an understanding of humanity as in community with-rather than hierarchically superior to-the natural world. Turning to Popol Vuh, or "Dawn of Life," the Maya creation myth that details the repeated creation and destruction of the world, Jungian analyst and scholar Furlotti seeks "to extract the psychological meaning of the myth that may be pertinent to both the collective understanding of myth as well as the individuals' process of what Jung described as individuation." She points toward archetypal meanings contained in the Maya conception of the cosmos, finding points of connection with more universal symbols and understandings. Noting how a culture's myths move hand in hand with its development, Furlotti forges connections with ancient wisdom to reconnect with the foundational metaphors that guide all human experience. The Splendor of the Maya brings fresh perspectives to the collective, often unconscious associations that link the human psyche across time and culture"-- Provided by publisher.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• Revisiting the Well at the Dawn of Life
• Difficulties Working with the Text
• Understanding Myths
• Time, Space, Cosmos, and Divination
• A Synopsis of the Popol Vuh Creation Myth
• Amplification of a Section of the Myth
• Comparative Themes
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1. Glossary
• Appendix 2. Literature Review.

Show 7 more Contents items

ISBN

• 9781648433016
• 1648433014 (hardcover)

LCCN

2025022450

OCLC

1534012295

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...