20. The Alphabet Arrives in the Lowlands

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Note on the Pronunciation of Mayan Words xi
5. Introduction 1
6. PART ONE
7. 1. Learning to Read 13
8. 2. Early Mayan Writing 25
9. 3. The Skilled Observer from Maxam 31
10. 4. From the Time of Gods to the Time of Lords 43
11. 5. Cormorant and Her Three Sons 59
12. 6. Temple of the Sun-Eyed Shield 76
13. 7. Temple of the Tree of Yellow Corn 86
14. 8. Lady Shark Fin and the Evening Star 97
15. 9. The Rattlesnakes of the City of Three Stones 106
16. 10. Drawing and Designing with Words 113
17. 11. Graffiti 120
18. 12. The Question of the Beginning and End of Time 130
19. 13. The Mouth of the Well of the Itza 137
20. 14. Writing on the Pages of Books 146
21. 15. Signs of the Times 165
22. 16. Moon Woman Meets the Stars 186
23. 17. The Power of the Great Star 203
24. 18. Thunderstorm 213
25. 19. Diagrams of the Days 229
26. PART TWO
27. 20. The Alphabet Arrives in the Lowlands 239
28. 21. The Books of Chilam Balam 248
29. 22. Understanding the Language of Suyua 262
30. 23. Song of the Birth of the Twenty Days 274
31. 24. Conversations with Madness 286
32. 25. The Alphabet Arrives in the Highlands 297
33. 26. A Way to See the Dawn of Life 305
34. 27. Blood Moon Becomes a Trickster 320
35. 28. The Death of Death 337
36. 29. The Human Work, the Human Design 354
37. 30. We Saw It All, Oh My Sons 361
38. 31. The Count of Days 377
39. 32. Man of Rabinal 386
40. Epilogue 399
41. Notes 403
42. Bibliography 425
43. List of Mayan Texts and Translations 441
44. List of Figures 443
45. List of Maps 446
46. Illustration Credits 447
47. Index 451