Relacíon de las cosas de Yucatán
Encyclopedia
Relación de las cosas de Yucatán was written by Diego de Landa Calderón circa 1566 shortly after his return to Spain after serving as Bishop
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yucatán in the sixteenth century. In it, de Landa catalogues a partial explanation of written and spoken language
that proved vital to modern attempts to decipher the language as well as Maya religion
and the Mayan peoples' culture in general. It was written with the help of local Maya
princes, and contains the famous translation of "I do not want to". The original manuscript has been lost, although many copies still survive.
Currently available English translations include William E. Gates
's 1937 translation, has been published by multiple publishing houses under the title Yucatan Before and After the Conquest: The Maya. Alfred Tozzer
of Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
has also published a translation of the work through the Cambridge University Press
, published in 1941.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yucatán in the sixteenth century. In it, de Landa catalogues a partial explanation of written and spoken language
Mayan languages
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
that proved vital to modern attempts to decipher the language as well as Maya religion
Maya religion
The traditional Maya religion of western Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico is a southeastern variant of Mesoamerican religion. As is the case with many other contemporary Mesoamerican religions, it results from centuries of symbiosis with Roman Catholicism...
and the Mayan peoples' culture in general. It was written with the help of local Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
princes, and contains the famous translation of "I do not want to". The original manuscript has been lost, although many copies still survive.
Currently available English translations include William E. Gates
William E. Gates
William Edmond Gates was an American Mayanist and collector of Mesoamerican manuscripts.-Published works:Gates' published works include:*The Maya and Tzental Calendars...
's 1937 translation, has been published by multiple publishing houses under the title Yucatan Before and After the Conquest: The Maya. Alfred Tozzer
Alfred Tozzer
Alfred Marston Tozzer was an American anthropologist, archaeologist, linguist, and educator. His principal area of interest was Mesoamerican, especially Maya, studies. He was the father of figure skating champion Joan Tozzer....
of Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
has also published a translation of the work through the Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, published in 1941.
Further reading
- An Interpretation of Bishop Diego De Landa's Maya Alphabet by Marshall Durbin (Philological and documentary studies, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 171 179)