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Khan & Greco narrate and illustrate the epic journey of the Maya Hero Twins into the underworld of Xibalba. And back. They draw from familiarity with the Popol Vuh and Maya culture to manifest a compelling illustrated journey that revitalizes America's oldest spiritual and poetic epic.
Perfect for lovers of epic poetry, ekphrasiophiles, historians, Mesoamerican scholars, educators, as well as Maya and Neo-Baroque aficionados.
180 pp. 6x9. Color. Soft Cover. Introduction by Denise Low. Illustrated end papers. Price: TBD
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Take a Peek
The Severed Head
What prize compares
to the enemy’s head on display?
One Death rolls Hunaphu's head
from the House of Bats
to the sacred ball court,
then skewers it on a pike
and holds it aloft
while Xibalbans cheer and rejoice.
Ixbalanque turns from grief
and calls together all the animals.
From a squash, leaves, wood and stones
they build for Hunaphu a crude head.
Ixbalanque whispers to rabbit
a secret plan,
then faces One Death on the court.
One Death lobs the severed head,
You have lost. We have won!
One Death laughs.
We shall use his head as a ball,
Ixbalanque says,
and tosses his brother’s head in the air.
As it descends,
he drops one knee
and stops the head with his yoke,
then hits it hard, sends it soaring
past the court.
Reviews
The Popol Vuh as never before, as a living presence in which readers join the Hero Twins on an epic spiritual journey deep into the ancient Maya underworld. The genius of Khan's epic narrative style brings the characters, setting, and plot to life. Greco's intense archetypal figures evoke the timeless quality of a creation parable. Together they create a groundbreaking adaptation which exemplifies the living vitality of the Popol Vuh.
--Denise Low, Kansas Poet Laureate 2007-09