Editore: Henry Schuman, 1951
Da: My Book Heaven, Alameda, CA, U.S.A.
Prima edizione
Condizione sovraccoperta: dj. First Edition. First edition. Very Good book in a Very Good dust jacket. Uncommon. Here's a clear, grounded overview of **_The Book of the Jaguar Priest: A Translation of the Book of Chilam Balam of Tizimin, with Commentary_** by **Maud Worcester Makemson**, drawing directly from the sources we retrieved. --- # **The Book of the Jaguar Priest - What Makemson Created** ## **What the Book Is** Makemson's *Book of the Jaguar Priest* (1951) is an English translation of the **Book of Chilam Balam of Tizimín**, one of the key surviving Maya prophetic and historical manuscripts. Her edition includes: - A full translation of the Tizimín text - Extensive scholarly commentary - Bibliography and contextual notes - 238 pages of material in total (xi + 238 pp.) [catalog.k8s.libraries.psu.edu](https://catalog.k8s.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/889608) It was published in New York by **Henry Schuman** in 1951 and is considered a **first edition**. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Book-Jaguar-Priest-translation-commentary/dp/B000Z5BZCW) --- # **Makemson's Contribution** Makemson was an astronomer and Maya scholar, and her commentary is especially valued for: ### **1. Clarifying Maya Cosmology and Timekeeping** She interprets the prophetic cycles, katun prophecies, and calendrical structures embedded in the Tizimín manuscript. ### **2. Providing Cultural and Historical Context** Her notes help situate the text within: - Post?Conquest Yucatec Maya intellectual life - The blending of pre?Hispanic cosmology with colonial Christian influences - The tradition of the *Chilam Balam* books as repositories of myth, prophecy, medicine, and history ### **3. Offering a Scholarly Apparatus** Her edition includes: - Bibliography (pp. 231-232) - Cross?references to other *Chilam Balam* manuscripts - Linguistic and mythological commentary [catalog.k8s.libraries.psu.edu](https://catalog.k8s.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/889608) --- # **How It Was Received** A 1951 review in the *Hispanic American Historical Review* (by Ralph L. Roys, a major Maya scholar) situates Makemson's work as a serious academic contribution to Maya studies. The review acknowledges the translation and commentary as part of the ongoing scholarly effort to make the *Chilam Balam* texts accessible and interpretable. [Duke University Press](https://read.dukeupress.edu/hahr/article/31/4/683/161199/The-Book-of-the-Jaguar-Priest-a-translation-of-the) --- # **Why the Book Matters** Makemson's edition is significant because: - The *Chilam Balam* books are among the **few surviving indigenous Maya texts** written after the Spanish conquest. - The Tizimín manuscript is one of the most important for **prophecy, mythic history, and cosmology**. - Her commentary bridges astronomy, mythology, and anthropology, making the text intelligible to modern readers.