Description
Book SynopsisDecoding Andean Mythology analyzes native Andean oral traditions spanning five centuries. Based on twenty years of research and a wide range of scholarship, this book departs from the Cuzco-centered focus of many published Andean narratives and includes myths, stories, and folktales from diverse regions and ethnic groups. Among them are full translations of thirty-two ancient and modern Native Andean stories. Colorful illustrations and a comprehensive glossary of Quechua, Aymara, and Spanish loan words supplement the text.
In an accessible and engaging discussion suitable for students, the author explores a number of recurring themes and characters in Andean stories. These include shape-shifting animals, the inversion of time-space (pachacuti), anthropomorphic and supernatural beings, and conflicting attitudes toward sexuality. The text also presents a fresh perspective on traditional, non-Western concepts such as huacas (sacred objects and places), suggesting that some serve as portals between the natural and supernatural worlds. A lengthy chapter on social protest that explains the rise of indigenous movements in the Andes and highlights the contemporary use of Native Andean folktales as an avenue for social and political dissent.
Trade Review“Marín-Dale has written an impressive book on Andean mythology, offering new interpretations of Peruvian, Bolivian, and Ecuadorian narratives supported by wide- ranging scholarship.”
—John W. Bierhorst, author of Latin American Folktales: Stories from Hispanic and Indian Traditions and The Mythology of South America
“A comprehensive and accessible introduction to Andean narrative traditions.”
—Paul Steele, coauthor of the
Handbook of Inca Mythology “Anthropologists have long sought to unlock the mysteries of the human condition by investigating world mythology. MarÍn-Dale makes an important contribution to this endeavor and provides an entertaining introduction to Andean mythology. . . . This original study will interest students of Andean religion and comparative mythology.”—
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