Similarities Between Popol Vuh And Genesis

The dawn of life has always interrogated the truth of humanity, the true origins of what actually occurred. Many religions lay upon interpretations for the beginning, one of which are the Quiché Maya. Written in the mid-1500 period, the holy scripture, Popol Vuh, of the Mayas contain their beliefs of the creation. The Popol Vuh can often be referred as the Mayan version of the Bible, which in fact, has similarities in Mayan view to the Christianity aspect. Through the interpretations of each story, Popol Vuh and Genesis, the creation in the Christian bible, each accommodate many resemblances in the stories of mans beginning.

Popol Vuh begins with the idea of empty divination; the Maker and the Feathered Serpent. The world was filled with no one, then the Word came, spoken by Maker and the Serpent. They first brought the land, creating a plate of earth. Then came the first creation, the animals. They were told to praise Their names. Deers, birds, panthers and serpents, but none could praise. They twittered, chattered, could not talk like the Gods, so they were

In Genesis, God is upset with the world, especially with the corruption and the amount of sin that has spread within the people; as a result, God spares Noah, who is worthy of salvation, to build an ark, survive the waters, and witness the death of the humans. The flood was used as a symbol of Gods regret; He had not been satisfied with the first wave of humans, so the flood was used to start over again. In Popol Vuh, the flood was used similarly like a punishment and cleansing. The Maker and Serpent carved the third creation of wood. They looked like people, talked, walked and multiplied, but they had no minds. They forget the heart of creation. They did not remember the Maker and Serpent, so they brought upon them a flood, made to destroy them. The presence of floods used to wipe humanity is a similar catastrophe used within both works of