Leyendas de Guatemala (Legends of Guatemala, 1930) was the first book to be published by Nobel-prizewinning author Miguel Ángel Asturias. The book is a re-telling of Maya origin stories from Asturias's homeland of Guatemala. It reflects the author's study of anthropology and Central American indigenous civilizations, undertaken in France, at the Sorbonne where he was influenced by the European perspective.
The nature of oral tradition is evident in Leyendas de Guatemala, as shown in the dedication: “To my mother, who used to tell me stories.” This reflects the traditional character of the origin of the stories, in which Asturias takes collective memory to a higher level of awareness through his fictionalization.Anabella Leal, 2000, p. 724
In critic Jean Franco's description, the book "gave lyrical recreations of Guatemalan folklore many of which drew their inspiration from pre-Columbian and colonial sources".Jean Franco, 1994, p. 250.
The writing style of Leyendas de Guatemala is the product of a fortunate experiment, which established a structure that can be called poetic intuition,Anabella Leal, 2000, p. 719 and a style which can be seen as a precursor to the future literary movement of magical realism. Leyendas de Guatemala can be read not only from an anthropological perspective, but also as an aesthetic experience that confirms the originality of the style.Anabella Leal, 2000, p. 720
The book was translated to English by Kelly Washbourne (bilingual edition, ).
Plot summary
Leyendas de Guatemala is made up of a series of short stories, which transform the oral legends of popular culture into relevant textual manifestations.Anadeli Bencomo, 2000, p.655
Guatemala Guatemala serves as the first introduction to the legends about the Central American nation bearing the same name.José Mejia, 2000, p.710 This story presents Guatemala as a palimpsest, in which the duality of past vs. present and the Maya-Quiché vs. the Spanish identities becomes prominent.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 623
The story begins with a winding road and a cart approaching an unnamed city and focuses on a pair of goitered elders, Don Chepe and Niña Tina, who are laden with the country's heritage. To stitch together the legends that compose the rest of the book told by these elders, the character, “Cuco de los Sueños,” is introduced.Miguel Ángel Asturias, pp. 9–14 The narrator then tells two anecdotes, one about Brother Pedro de Betancourt and another about Fray Payo Enriquez de Rivera. Both stories emphasize transformation and contrasting elements. Asturias' main argument is that Guatemala is a nation built on nations and that change is possible.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 40
Asturias makes references to the main cities and sites of Guatemala, such as Guatemala City and Antigua, which were formed during the colonial era of Guatemala. He also mentions the Guatemalan sites of Quiriguá, Tikal, as well as Palenque and Copán, which although they are not part of modern-day Guatemala, were part of the "Maya Empire".Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 62
It is explained in this leyenda that the modern cities of Guatemala have been physically constructed upon previous colonial and indigenous cities, which creates an image of Guatemala as "a house of several levels" and gives legitimacy to the "unity of the Hispanic and Maya races".Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 61 Asturias emphasizes that ancient cultures are preserved within these layers.
This first introduction is about the reinstitution of the past culture and lost traditions.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 51 As such, "Guatemala" can be understood as a personal declaration of its own aesthetic, since it is a text where, as in the buried and overlapping cities, everything is combined. This discursive strategy marks the complexity of Guatemalan identity that Asturias tried so fervently to understand and delineate in literary terms for most of his life.Anabella Leal, 2000, p. 722
Asturias presents himself at the end of the story. Upon arriving to the capital he exclaims, “Mi pueblo! Mi pueblo!”Miguel Asturias, 2000, p. 45 Thus it is argued that this first story reveals Asturias' feelings of nostalgia.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 45
Ahora que me acuerdo (Now That I Recall) This story serves as a second introduction and presents creation as an inseparable element of destruction.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 624 This is the first of seven legends that the figure Cuero de Oro will tell.Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 66 Cuero de Oro is the mythical manifestation of our newcomer, pale-skinned narrator.Arturo Arias, 2000, p.626 This figure engages in a narrative interplay with don Chepe and doña Tina, who are also mysterious figures that represent the elders who tell the tales of Guatemala.Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 67 These elders speak of a tree that destroys the notion of time.
"At the beginning of the narrative, the three initial paragraphs are in the present [tense], and then become the past tense once the story of Cuero de Oro (...) begins. This provokes a certain surprise, not to mention a certain (...) temporal confusion".Jean-Philppe Barnabe, 2000, p. 482 That is to say, mysterious and almost magical elements enter within the context of this story.
The emphasis on the oral qualities of traditional story telling are also evident in this short story. The narrator is telling us about his journey, and his anguish during his delirious night. This narration is full of voices, for example as don Chepe and Niña Tina respond to Cuero de Oro's exhortation.Francisco Solares-Larrave, 2000, p.694 Asturias even ends the tale with the final sentence: and the conversation ended.Miguel Asturias, 2000, p.19 The textual interplay between Cuero de Oro and don Chepe and Niña Tina can also be interpreted as representative of a child who is searching for the roots of his identity, questioning those who have access to this knowledge of another (mythical) time and space.Arturo Arias, 2000, p.262
Leyenda del Volcán (Legend of the Volcano) Leyenda del Volcán teaches that destruction is always followed by rebirth, implying that Maya-Quiche culture can be reborn.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 57 It relates the origin of the people in Guatemala in "one day that lasted many centuries".Miguel Asturias, 2000, p. 31
It begins with six men, three of whom appeared from the water and three of whom appeared from the wind.Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 69 Asturias' emphasis on the number three throughout the legend is in reference to the number's importance in Nahuatl tradition.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 55 The three men from the water nourish themselves with stars and those from the wind walk through the forest like bird-men.
In addition to these men there are two gods, Cabrakán, who provokes earthquakes, and Hurakán, who is the giant of the winds and the spirit of the sky.Jimena Sáenz, 1974, p. 70 Hurakán produces a tremor and all of the animals flee from the forest. One of the six men, who is named Nido (the word for "nest" in Spanish), is the only being that remains and is ordered by a trinity, consisting of a saint, white lily, and a child, to build a temple.Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 54 Afterwards the trees begin to fill with nests, illustrating how this story exemplifies the process of renewal.
This legend narrates a clear struggle between religions. It contrasts Catholicism (e.g.: references to "little crosses" and the trinity) with the forces of Cabrakán and Hurakán, who represent Maya-Quiche religion.
Leyenda del Cadejo (Legend of El Cadejo) Set in the seventeenth century,Sáenz, 1974, p.75 this legend illustrates the capacity humanity has to overcome oppression.
In the first paragraph we are presented with the protagonist, a beautiful novice at a convent who, with time, will later become Madre Elvira de San Francisco. This character changes names various times in the story.Sáenz, 1974, p.71 The next several paragraphs are dedicated to describing the ambiance of the convent that encircles her, subtly moulded by her emotional perspective.Jean-Philppe Barnabe, 2000, p. 478 She is plagued by her braid because it incites the physical arousal of men. Eventually she becomes mortified, therefore cutting off her braid, which then turns into a snake. The snake coils around a candle, putting out its flame, and sending the man to hell. Preito shows how the Cadejo was "...born out of temptation and ready to haunt humanity until the end of time. Through the description of how Madre Elvira de San Francisco was able to rid herself of her braid, Asturias demonstrates how humanity possesses the means to liberate itself from the "yoke" which binds it, regardless of how oppressive it may be. In this story there are frequent images of death and dead bodies, as well as instances of magical happenings.Sáenz, 1974, p.74
In the last paragraph of the story it is unclear whether or not Asturias indicates that the events were nothing more than a dream.
Leyenda de la Tatuana (Legend of La Tatuana) This legend aims to describe ways in which humanity can and will regain its freedom. The legend is not about an almond tree, that is described as a "priest-tree". This tree guards the Maya traditions and recounts the passing of the years. The tree divides its soul between the four paths that one encounters before the underworld known as Xibalbá. These four paths are marked by different colors: green, red, white and black. Each portion of the soul embarks on a different path on which they each face temptations. The black road, which in Mayan tradition leads to the underworld, trades part of its soul with the merchant of Priceless Jewels, who then uses in exchange for the most beautiful slave. The slave escapes, and the character of the tree, searching for the missing part of his soul eventually finds her. The Inquisition then intervenes and sentences to kill them. In the end, the beautiful slave escapes the night via the magic of a boat tattooed on her arm by the tree. On the morning of the execution the only thing the guards find in the prison cell is an old almond tree.Miguel Ángel Asturias, pp. 31–34Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 59
In this legend, Father Almond Tree represents the Maya-Quiche civilization and the Inquisition represents a foreign power. This legend shows that "the soul is not at the mercy of external forces" and "therefore humans always have the means to recover their independence".Rene Prieto, 2000, pp. 59–60
Leyenda del Sombrerón
(Legend of El Sombrerón)
In this legend, Asturias takes the idea of the child/demon, el Sombrerón, and explores it through a lens of magic; he creates a ball which appears and disappears, in which he encloses a Sombreron or devil.Isabel Arredondo, 2000, p. 645
The protagonist is a monk, who becomes tempted by a ball that bounces through his window into his cell. He find himself enthralled by the ball and even begins to wonder if it may be affiliated with the devil. He spends countless hours playing with the ball, and when he talks to a woman whose son had lost the ball, and feels pressured to return it, the neighbors claim he appeared to look like the devil. He then eventually throws the ball out his window, and the ball transforms into the Sombrerón.Miguel Asturias, 2000, pp.35–38 Thus again, Asturias is showing that humans "are capable to breaking the ties that bind them to the undesirable".Rene Prieto, 2000, p. 61
This legend, like Leyenda del Cadejo, corresponds to the Spanish colonial period in Guatemala, and is written in a simple colloquial tongue.Sáenz, 1974, p. 78 It focuses on the Spanish and a Christian aspects of Guatemala and it takes place in the city of Antigua.
Sáenz asserted in his analysis that the ball that the monk enjoys and plays with symbolizes an ancient Maya ball game. Thus, in this legend Christian and Maya traditions are combined as the ball equates an element of Maya ritual, but also has the characteristics of a devil.
Leyenda del tesoro del Lugar Florido (Legend of the Treasure of the Flowering Place)