Sundiata and Popul Vuh
For this assignment, choose one of the topics below, evaluating Sundiata and Popul Vuh, and write a 6-10 paragraph essay arguing for and supporting your conclusions to submit as a well-developed essay.
Topic #2: Both Sundiata and Popol Vuh deal centrally with a heroic quest. Unit 1B’s introduction to the Five Great Themes of World Literature states with regard to the hero: “The surest way to understand what a culture of the past most values is to focus on what it considers heroic, in that a culture recognizes its heroes as embodying its most important ideas, the values that are essential.” Discuss what forces Sundiata and the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque have to overcome and how they go about doing it.
For Sundiata your presentation will probably focus on Sundiata’s historical destiny; in Popol Vuh, the Twins’ quest will have a more mythic quality, but you probably will focus on the meaning for the Mayan culture of the mythic events. One of the passages you should quote (all or in part) and analyze is the following:
Hunahpú was sacrificed by Xbalanqué; one by one his arms and his legs were sliced off, his head was cut from his body and carried away; his heart was torn from his breast and thrown onto the grass. All the Lords of Xibalba were fascinated. They looked on in wonder, but really it was only the dance of one man; it was Xbalanqué. “Get up!” he said, and instantly [Hunahpú] returned to life . . . “Do the same with us! Sacrifice us!” they said. “Cut us into pieces, one by one!” Hun-Camé and Vucub-Camé said to Hunahpú and Xbalanqué. . . . And so it happened that they first sacrificed the one, who was the chief and [Lord of Xibalba], the one called Hun-Camé, king of Xibalba. And when Hun-Camé was dead, they overpowered Vucub-Camé, and they did not bring either of them back to life (Part II, Ch. 13).
Second, write an essay presenting your argument. Include quotations from the texts as well as additional details that illustrate and enhance the points you are making. Use the following as an outline of what to include:
Explain the general topic and relevant themes (e.g. sacred and secular, heroes’ journeys) and any relevant terms for that topic (suggested 1-2 paragraphs). State your thesis – a general statement about your conclusions.
Apply that topic to both Sundiata and to Popul Vuh (suggested 6-8 well-developed paragraphs, plus a concluding paragraph). Give specific examples and quotes from the texts to support your analyses. Use in-text citations as needed.
