The Paris Codex: Handbook for a Maya Priest

The Maya civilization left many records carved in the stones of its cities, but only four handpainted books, or codices, are known to have survived from the pre-Columbian era. The Paris Codex is one of these, and this groundbreaking study is the first comprehensive treatment of this codex since 1910. Bruce Love takes an ethnographic approach to the codex, analyzing its use by Maya priests as a handbook of divination, prophecy, and history. Whenever possible, he draws on fieldwork among the contemporary Maya of Yucatán to link the belief system represented in the codex with Colonial Period and modern-day Maya beliefs to show their continuity through time. This Thirtieth Anniversary Edition updates the first edition with over 100 images in full color. Read more