The Dog Who Spoke and More Mayan Folktales

El perro que habló y más cuentos mayas

University of Oklahoma Press

In press for possible release in Fall 2010

Book Description

This is a bilingual book in English and Spanish of thirty-two unpublished folktales from San Juan la Laguna and Panajachel, Sololá, Guatemala, collected by myself, James D. Sexton, a cultural anthropologist, over a twenty-one year period.  The story tellers are Pedro Cholotío Temó, a Tz'utujil Maya who lives in San Juan and Alberto Barreno, a half-Kaqchikel Maya who lives in Panajachel.  Fredy Rodríguez-Mejía, a part Ch'orti' Maya from Copán Ruinas, Honduras, and doctoral student in anthropology at Michigan State University, and I are the translators and editors.  Also, I wrote an introduction that places the stories in their cultural context.  These enchanting tales include talking dogs, donkeys, crickets, jaguars, and parrots.  In these stories also appear witches, characoteles, cadejos, duendes, magical objects, sacred caves, transforming supernatural animals and humans, and legendary Mayan heroines and heroes.  These highly entertaining stories reinforce cultural values, instruct readers in proper deportment, and reflect the Mayan culture in which they are told.  Because none of the stories is risqué, they are all suitable for readers of all ages.

Pre-Publication Reviews

"This absolutely delightful manuscript contains fresh, vibrant stories and is a definite contribution to the field...The Dog Who Spoke... is a treasure for researchers in anthropology, history, literature, and comparative literature as well as for teachers of all ages of students who want interesting, authentic material to use in their classes.  As a bilingual book, it will be attractive to both classes in English and Spanish." -- anonymous reviewer

"This manuscript consists of a delightful collection of 32 different folktales collected in the Tz'utujil community of San Juan la Laguna, near Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.  Rather than arguments, what we have is a representative body of tales that capture themes dear to the hearts of their rural listeners: respect for elders, the need to share good fortune, the importance of reciprocity between gods and humans, a healthy fear of the dead, and many other matters beside.  The author wisely avoids over-interpretation, instead preferring to let the stories speak for themselves...Many different audiences will enjoy this work.  Scholars interested in Guatemala, Maya culture, and Latin American ethnohistory will be the most reliable readership, but I think that general readers without a particularly extensive knowledge of the places and peoples can enjoy the stories on their own terms.  Folklore scholars will certainly want to read "The Dog Who Spoke." -- anonymous reviewer

I will provide a sample of the stories when the book is published.

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