Destruction of the Jaguar: From the Books of Chilam Balam

Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno writes in his introduction to Destruction of the Jaguar that ""The Books of Chilam Balam are the only principal surviving texts of the ancient Maya. Written in the Mayan language but in European script, they are generally considered to be transcriptions and recompilations from memory of material originally contained in the hieroglyphic books, all of which were apparently destroyed by the Spaniards . . . As they stand now, they are a curious and fascinating combination of prophecy, history, chronology, ritual and mythology."

Here is an English translation that captures the unparalleled beauty of one of the great pre-Columbian masterpieces. This stirring, prophetic poetry haunts our own times.