Open AccessMyth and Anthropogony in Latin American Literature
Author(s) -
José Manuel Losada
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
rassegna iberistica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.101
H-Index - 1
eISSN - 2037-6588
pISSN - 0392-4777
DOI - 10.30687/ri/2037-6588/2020/113/003
Subject(s) - mythology , metaphor , civilization , indigenous , magic (telescope) , history , sociology , latin americans , literature , political science , art , law , philosophy , archaeology , linguistics , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
In Mayan civilization, collective imagination about the origin of human beings follows its own patterns. Quichean mythology tells of the hazardous process that, after various failed attempts, ended in the creation of first human beings from corn. Men of Maize ( Hombre de maíz ), by Miguel Ángel Asturias (1949), allows us to delve into this myth of anthropogony: the fight between indigenous people and exploiters of the land is presented as a metaphor for those difficult beginnings and for the commercial corruption of a particularly symbolic food. This article highlights two important debates: that of Deféric and Elda, and that of Hilario Sacayón and Ramona Corzantes; both allow to investigate the mythical themes of magic and nahual, indispensable in the construction of a great central myth in the novel: the creation of man.