All about history book of myths and legends. ( PDFDrive )

INTRODUCTION

WE WILL BE KNOWN

FOREVER BY THE TRACKS

THAT WE LEAVE. Dakota proverb

Further south, in the area known historically

as Mesoamerica, myths of warfare and sacrifice

are especially dominant. Amerindian peoples

such as the Maya, Toltecs, and Aztecs each

developed impressive cities, monumental

buildings, and hierarchical social structures.

But they made their most lasting impression

through the violence that underpinned their

religion, which involved making gruesome

human sacrifices – sometimes on a vast scale –

to appease their bloodthirsty gods.

Unlike the enduring traditions of North

America, these practices have thankfully long

vanished, but they have left fascinating remains,

from tales of the gods to the stone temples

where they were worshipped. Likewise, the

Incas and other civilizations of South America

have left architectural remains that show their

devotion to their gods, especially the sun god

Inti, whose image is found both in stone

carvings and on stunning gold artefacts.

Travellers from South America also settled on

the islands of the Caribbean, and they too had a

god who represented, or lived in, the sun. But

the Caribbean, perhaps even more than the rest

of the Americas, became a melting pot of races

and cultures after European contact began in

the 15th century. From the point of view of

mythology, the greatest impact came from the

arrival of Christianity – especially in the form of

the Roman Catholic Church – and the influx of

slaves from Africa. Among the slaves were many

who followed the religions of West Africa. These

traditions, mixed with local beliefs and Catholic

ideas, symbols, and saints, produced religions

such as Voodoo. These beliefs still survive –

another of the living traditions of the Americas.

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