The Popol Vuh: Mayan Text

The Popol Vuh is a Mayan text that was written in the 16th century by one or several authors in Quiche, although it is written using the Latin alphabet. The Popol Vuh is always changing, as new discoveries about the Mayan language, astrology, art, history and politics require the texts to be updated. Many meaning for names have been discovered and translation errors have been able to be corrected by linguists. The Popol Vuh is not a religious text, in that it is not seen as the word of G-d, but how the ancient world was created.
The Popol Vuh was written when the people realized that the Christian conquerors would not allow the native people to continue to practicing their beliefs. At the end of the texts the author writes about migrations, the forced conversion of the indigenous religions and the burning of sacred Maya texts and art. The original work was oral and was a long poem and covered the creation of humans, Earth and genealogies. When the oral poem was translated and written down, it was divided into four books.
The Mayans believed that the Earth came from the water, and there are four sacred lakes signifying the four corners of the world.
In books 1 and II the G-ds create the world and the idea of humans is just as old as the Earth, but the first three attempts at creating humans failed. In the attempts the G-ds create all the living animals of today, a 260 day calendar and natural disasters before finally creating two sets of twins. One set of twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, after years of adventure eventually become the sun and the moon. Before becoming the moon and the sun, they kill the other set of twins and their father, because they have no respect for the other G-ds and refused to acknowledge their existence, by killing the three men order is restored to
Earth.
In Book III the sons of Hunahpu and Xbalanque tricked by the G-ds of Death into a game in Xibalba, which results in their deaths. Their heads are put on stakes in the underworld and the princess Xquiq touches one and becomes impregnated, so she must go live with her mother in law in the upper world who makes Xquiq prove herself to be honorable. When Xquiq gives birth to her twins, they too must prove themselves, later they find the their father’s game gear and challenge the G-ds to a rematch. The boys win and destroy the Lords of the Underworld.
Book IV is when humans are created out of maize and introduced to mortality and their wives. The couples are happy to have children and plants crops, the book ends with the migration and genealogy of the native people.
The Popol Vuh is not really a religious book, and I think that it is very interesting how the story goes from the beginning of the G-ds to the time of the people’s conquer. Why did the priests have to destroy so much historical and beautiful history? I think the reason is because they want everyone to be Christian, but it is incredibly sad to have lost so much information and history because people were so obsessed with proselytizing. If most of the texts and sculptures were destroyed, how did translations even begin? There are probably a few surviving artifacts and of course linguists specialize in language so they are much better at figuring out languages.