Mesoamerican Mythology
The Mesoamerican Mythology Book: Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca, and the Sacred Stories of 3,000 Years
From Olmec Origins to Aztec Empire: The Continental Survey
The complete survey of Mesoamerican gods from 1500 BCE to 1521 CE: Olmec were-jaguars, Teotihuacan rain gods, Toltec feathered serpents, Maya Hero Twins, and Aztec war deities.
$14.99
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Inside this book
What you will read
- 11 chapters, primary sources
- Instant PDF download
- Original ink illustrations
- Inline citations to original texts
- Designed for print quality
See all chapters +
- 01The Olmec Foundations: Were-Jaguars and Colossal Heads
- 02Teotihuacan: The City of the Gods
- 03Tlaloc and the Rain Cult Across Cultures
- 04The Feathered Serpent: Quetzalcoatl and Kukulkan
- 05Tezcatlipoca: The Smoking Mirror and the Night Sky
- 06The Maya Cosmos: Hero Twins and the Popol Vuh
- 07The Long Count Calendar and Maya Time
- 08The Mexica Rise: Huitzilopochtli and the Aztec Empire
- 09The Florentine Codex: Sahagún's Record of Aztec Religion
- 10The Conquest and the Burning of the Codices
- 11Survivals: Guadalupe, the Sun Stone, and Modern Nahua Ritual
About this book
About this Mesoamerican mythology guide
The gods of five civilizations: Olmec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Maya, Aztec. One continuous 3,000-year tradition.
This book traces the gods of Mesoamerica across three millennia and five civilizations. You will meet the Olmec were-jaguar, carved in basalt at La Venta; Tlaloc the rain god, whose goggled face appears at Teotihuacan and again in Aztec Tenochtitlan; Quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent, worshipped by Toltecs and renamed Kukulkan by the Maya; Tezcatlipoca the smoking mirror, patron of sorcerers; Huitzilopochtli the hummingbird war god of the Mexica; and the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who descend to Xibalba in the Popol Vuh.
Each chapter cites the primary sources: the Florentine Codex, the Popol Vuh, the Dresden Codex, the Codex Borgia, the inscriptions at Palenque and Copan, and the chronicles of Sahagún and Durán. You will read how the Long Count calendar structured Maya cosmology, how the New Fire ceremony renewed the Aztec world every 52 years, and how the ballgame reenacted the journey to the underworld. The book follows the gods from the Olmec heartland on the Gulf Coast through the highland cities of Teotihuacan and Tula, into the Maya lowlands, and finally to the island capital of Tenochtitlan.
The final chapter examines what survived the Spanish conquest: the persistence of Tlaloc worship in rural Mexico, the syncretism of Tonantzin and the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the rediscovery of the Aztec Sun Stone in 1790. Eleven chapters, primary sources, inline citations, original illustrations.
What you will discover inside
- How the Olmec were-jaguar became the template for Mesoamerican divine kingship
- Why Tlaloc's goggled face appears in every major Mesoamerican city for 2,000 years
- What the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl represented to Toltecs, Aztecs, and Maya
- The role of Tezcatlipoca the smoking mirror in Aztec creation myths and sorcery
- How the Hero Twins defeated the lords of Xibalba in the Popol Vuh
- Why the Aztec New Fire ceremony required human sacrifice every 52 years
Mesoamerican mythology book at a glance
| Tradition | Mesoamerican mythology |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 11 chapters |
| Length | 150 pages |
| Sources | Drawn from the primary sources, cited inline |
| Reading level | Beginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch |
| Format | Print-quality PDF |
| Delivery | PDF within 24 hours |
Formats and editions
| Edition | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Instant PDF | Print-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours. | $7.99 |
| Paperback | A paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon. | Coming soon |
About the author
Guillaume Henry
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis
Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.
More about the authorKeep exploring Mesoamerican mythology
Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.
Read the complete Mesoamerican mythology guideQuestions about the Mesoamerican mythology book
When will I receive my PDF?
Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.
Is this book based on primary sources?
Yes. The book cites the Florentine Codex (Sahagún's twelve-volume ethnography), the Popol Vuh (K'iche' Maya creation text), the Dresden Codex and other surviving Maya screenfolds, the Codex Borgia, the chronicles of Durán and Torquemada, and the hieroglyphic inscriptions at Palenque, Copan, and Tikal, with references to the standard published translations so you can read further.
How long is the book?
Eleven chapters, around 150 pages. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.
Is this book for beginners or specialists?
Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations and translation notes useful for further reading.
Will there be a paperback on Amazon?
The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows shortly after.
Why does the book start with the Olmec instead of the Aztecs?
The Olmec civilization (1500–400 BCE) is the mother culture of Mesoamerica. The were-jaguar motif, the ballgame, and the ritual calendar all originate in the Olmec heartland. Understanding the Olmec foundations makes the later Aztec and Maya traditions coherent.
What formats is this book available in?
Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.
What is the return policy?
The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.
Can I order from outside the United States?
Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.
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