Thus we see that, prior to 1550, ecclesiastics had commenced to write upon cosmological subjects with our letters and in the languages of Guatemala, and that, on the other hand, Christian cosmogony had become a text for Indian songs. The "Popol Vuh" has therefore nothing extraordinary in its origin; it is but a child of its time, like the "Memorial de Tecpan-Atitlan," by the Chief of Sololá, only anonymous,—and preceded by a cosmological introduction made up of Christian and Indian tales confusedly intermingled, and therefore apocryphal so far. These criticisms, however, apply merely to the "first part,"—the rest of the "Popol Vuh" appears to be original, and therefore of the greatest value. This however cannot be said of the translation, only of the MS. A new translation, supervised by a native, should be obtained at any price.
"Grammaire Quichée, et le Drame Rabinal-Aché." Paris, 1862.
Of the "Rabinal-Aché," a new translation is absolutely requisite. Mr. Brasseur, like all translators of Indian songs, has so disfigured it by the introduction of a foreign terminology, as to render it useless for any one who has no access to vocabularies, &c.
John L. Stephens. (See Yucatan), also Frederick Catherwood.
Juan Galindo. (See Yucatan and Chiapas.)
What I have seen of his reports has left upon my mind the impression that he means to be truthful, but in his zeal and eagerness saw "too big," and again "too often."
"The Ruins of Copan in Central America." Transactions of the American Antiquarian Society, Vol. II., pp. 545-550. 1836.
"Notions sur Palenque," &c., &c., "transmises à la Société géographique de France," in "Antiquités méxicaines," Vol. I., pp. 73-76.—Published also in the "Bulletin" of the French Geographical Society, and in the "Literary Gazette" of London.
E. G. Squier. "The Serpent-Symbol, and the Worship of the Reciprocal Principles of Nature in America." N. York, 1851.
"The States of Central America: their Geography, Topography, &c., &c. Aborigines," N. York, 1858.