RLBcB552 Gods of Maya Codices

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2022
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s) (plus 1 for the colloquium). Recommended Type of Completion: k (colloquium). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jakub Špoták, PhD. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Matouš Vencálek
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 22. 9. to Thu 20. 10. Thu 14:00–17:40 B2.113
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course examines the contents of three extant Maya books, referred to as codices. The Maya recorded information in the form of hieroglyphic writing and iconographic scenes on a variety of media, such as stone stelae, panels, wall translations, and pottery. Their books were made from the underbark fibers of the wild fig tree, and so this material was relatively rapidly decomposable in the tropical region where the Maya lived. Therefore, the extant codices are exclusively from the postclassic period. The content and the pantheon of deities found in the codices correspond to this. In addition to an introduction to the Maya codices, listeners will learn about the basic deities and figures that we have in the codices. Thematic sections of the codices, such as the Venus Tablets or the constellation pages, will also be introduced and discussed.
Syllabus
  • 1. Technical specifics of Maya codices (structure of codices, Maya calendar, hieroglyphic writing),
  • 2. Maya codices - Dresden and Madrid codices, Paris codex, Grolier codex and the problem of forgeries - Liberec codex,
  • 3. Schellhas's classification of the gods (figures, buildings and other objects in the codices),
  • 4. The gods in the codices I. - Chaahk the rain god, K'ihnich Ajaw the sun god, and Itzamnaai the supreme god
  • 5. Gods in the Codices II - Ixiim the god of corn, K'awiil the god of abundance and power, Aj Kimi the god of death and the underworld, Ahkan.
  • 6. Gods in Codices III - The moon goddesses Chak Chel and Ix Chel, the generic god K'uh. Gods of the Pawajtuni.
  • 7. Seasonal almanacs in the codices
  • 8. Constellation pages in the Paris Codex P.23-24
  • 9. Venus tables in the Dresden Codex D.24, D.46-50.
  • 10. Eclipse tables in the Dresden Codex D.51-58.
  • 11. Ceremonies of the bearers of the years and the celebration of the New Year I.
  • 12. Ceremonies of the bearers of the years and the celebration of the New Year II
Literature
    required literature
  • ŠPOTÁK, J. Bohovia mayských kódexov. Skriptum. Bratislava: Stimul, 2019.
  • TAUBE, K. The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan. Dumbarton Oaks, 1992.
    recommended literature
  • ŠPOTÁK, J. The Paris Codex: Complex Analysis of Ancient Maya Manuscript. Dizertačna práca. Bratislava: Univerzita Komenského, 2015.
  • MILBRATH, S. Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars. University of Texas Press, 1999.
  • LOVE, B. The Paris Codex: Handbook for a Maya Priest. University of Texas Press, 1993.
    not specified
  • VAIL, G. & HERNÁNDEZ, C. Re-Creating Primordial Time. Foundation Rituals and Mythology in the Postclassic Maya Codices. The University Press of Colorado, 2013.
  • BRICKER, H. & BRICKER, V. Astronomy in the Maya Codices. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, volume 265. American Philosophical Society, 2011.
  • STONE, A. & ZENDER, M. . Reading Maya Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Maya Painting and Sculpture. Thames and Hudson, 2011.
  • VILLACORTA, A. & VILLACORTA, C. Códices Mayas. Tipografia Nacional, 1933.
  • VAIL, G. & AVENI, A. The Madrid Codex. New Approaches to Understanding an Ancient Maya Manuscript. The University Press of Colorado, 2009.
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminary discussions, reading.
Assessment methods
Credit: written test
Colloquium: seminar paper
Language of instruction
Slovak
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: Studenti bakalářského studia ukončují zápočtem, studenti navazujícího magisterského studia kolokviem
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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