Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth, and Other Mayan Folktales

I selected this book as one to be used in a high school class where we were studying Guatemala and the Mayan Indians. The thirty-three folktales included in the book are a compilation of folklore from the Lake Atitlan area in the highlands of Guatemala. Each student retold a folktale in their own words and reported what they learned about the Mayan culture as a result of that folktale. This book enabled them to get a clearer picture of the Mayan culture than more factual texts. The folktales comprise stories told around Lake Atitlan, some of which are ancient Mayan tales, some more recent and some that reveal the mix of Mayan and ladino culture. Some of the tales reveal beliefs of the people, some the meaning of life, and some present a world view picture. There are tales of creation,of good and evil, of people turning into animals. Sexton presents a helpful introduction to the folktales, the majority of which were written by a local Mayan or told to him by the indigenous people in the area. The notes at the end of the book are a great addition to increasing understanding of the tale and of the person who told it. The notes also explain various aspects of the culture that might be unclear through only reading the folktales. Finally, the glossary at the end is helpful in capturing a clearer sense of the Spanish words peppered throughout.