The splendor of the Maya : a journey into the shadows at the dawn of creation / Nancy Swift Furlotti ; foreword by Michael Escamilla.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Furlotti, Nancy Swift, Author.

Contributor:

Escamilla, Michael, writer of foreword.

Series:

Carolyn and Ernest Fay series in analytical psychology ; http://id.loc.gov/resources/hubs/fad36c58-c8f8-d1ef-56f3-4cb52ba0048c no. 23.

Carolyn and Ernest Fay series in analytical psychology ; twenty-three

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Popol vuh.

Quiché literature--History and criticism.

Quiché literature.

Maya mythology--Psychological aspects.

Maya mythology.

Quiché Indians--Religion--Psychology.

Quiché Indians.

Creation--Mythology--Guatemala.

Creation.

Jungian psychology.

Physical Description:

xvi, 249 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A&M University Press, [2026]

Summary:

"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.

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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version Furlotti, Nancy Swift Splendor of the Maya

ISBN:

9781648433016

1648433014

OCLC:

1534012295