Notes on the Bibliography of Yucatan and Central America

Diego Garcia de Palacio. "Carta dírigida al Rey de España," 1576, March 8th. – The chief importance of this report, in connection with this list, consists in its being the earliest notice of the ruins of Copan. Herrera made extensive use of Palacio's writings, but he omitted that part which referred to Copan because it was not confirmed (at his time) by any other testimony. The first publication of Palacio was by Ternaux-Compans, in 1840, "Recueil de Documents et mémoires originaux sur l'histoire des possessions espagnoles, &c." – French translation: fluent, but not always reliable. A Spanish copy appeared in 1866, in Vol. VII. of "Coleccion de Documentos Inéditos…" – A Spanish copy, with English translation, by E. G. Squier, in 1860, as Vol. I. of his "collection of rare and original documents, relations, &c., &c." – Finally. Dr. Alexander von Frantzius published a German translation in 1873, under the heading of "San Salvador and Honduras im Jahre, 1576," – which is particularly valuable on account of the notes by the translator, as well as by Dr. C. H. Berendt. – Palacio must have visited Copan about 1576, and the fact is established through him that its buildings were in ruins at the time of the Spanish conquest, that is about 1530, and no distinct traditions of their origin left.

Passing over all general collections and geographical works, &c., &c., of the sixteenth century, I will mention:

"Cartas de Indias." (See Yucatan.) and the miscellaneous collections like "Colección de Documentos inéditos para la Historia de España," begun by Navarrete, Miguel Salvá, and Pedro Saing de Barada, in 1842, and still continued.

"Colección de Documentos relativos al Descubrimiento, Conquista y Colonizacion de las Posesiones Españolas en América y Oceanía." Commenced in 1864, and still continued.

(These collections contain chiefly documents from the "Real Archivo de Indias," and although they are of recent date, the papers are all from the earlier times of Spanish conquest and settlement.)

The library of the "Museo Nacional" at the City of Guatemala (la Nueva), contains the following:

Rafael Arévalo. "Libro de Actas del Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Guatemala." (Town book or record, from 1524 to 1530.)

"Colección de Documentos antiguos del Archivo del Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Guatemala." – (Both bound in one volume and published in 1856 and 1857.)

Manuscripts. "Libro segundo del Cabildo de la Ciudad de Santiago de la Provincia del Guatemala." (1530 to 1541.)

"Libro tercero de Cabildo." (1541 to 1543.)

"Historia de la Provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala." (Fragmentary.)

Francisco Hernandez, cacique of Solola. (Francisco Ernandez Arana Xahila.) "Memorial," written about 1582. – Original owned by Brasseur de Bourbourg, who quotes it under the heading of "Memorial de Tèc-Pan-Atitlan." – It is one of the most important and valuable documents existing on aboriginal topics, – embodying, as it does, a statement of the conquest of Guatemala, written by a native in his own language.

"Documentos antiguos de la casa de Ixcuinte-Nèhàib."

In addition to these, I must lay particular stress on the "territorial titles" land grants, cessions, leases, or deeds to lands, still held in Guatemala, – or to whatever (if anything) may be left of their records. – Such papers contain frequently interesting, if not important references to antiquities, traditions and historical facts, also to the customs and manners of the Indians.

Among the other authorities still perhaps existing, or known to have existed, though of difficult access, I refer to those below, avoiding, of course, Linguistical works, unless they are of direct bearing on other subjects also.

Juan Estrada de Ravago (or Juan Strada Salvago.) "Descripcion de las Provincias de Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y Tierra-firme y Cartagena, &c., &c." 6 May, 1572. (MS. copy of it belonging to E. G. Squier.)

"Memorial de las advertencias i cosas que la C. Cath, R'l M. del Rey i su Re. Consejo de Indias manda hacer, &c., &c." (MS. of E. G. Squier.) 1579.

Francisco Montero de Miranda. "Relacion dírigida al Ill'mo Señor Palacio, &c., &c., sobre la provincia de la Verapaz ó Tierra de Guerra." 1575. (MS. of E. G. Squier.)

Frayles: Francisco Viana, Lucas Gallego, and Guillermo Cadena. "Relacion de la provincia y tierra de la Vera Paz," 1574. (MS. of Squier.)

Fray Tomás Cárdenas. "Representaciones al Rey sobre el Estado de los Pueblos de la Vera-Paz."

Fray Tomás Castelar. "Tratado de los Idolos de Guatemala."

"Triunfos de los Mártires del Orden de Predicadores en las Indias." Printed 1580.

Fray Tomás Torre. "Historia de los principios de la Provincia de Chiapas y Guatemala, del Orden de Santo Domingo." – Written prior to 1567.

Fray Domingo Vico. "Historia de los Indios, sus Fábulas, Supersticiones, Costumbres, &c."

"Teologia para los Indios, en Lengua de Vera Paz." 4 vols. (Still existing.)

Gerónimo Roman. "República Indiana." (See Yucatan.)

This list is certainly far from complete, and it may be that among the vocabularies, grammars, and such works now lost, although we know of their former existence, there were some, – perhaps even many, – which contained historical and ethnological matter of great value. – It is hardly possible to avoid all allusions to such subjects in any work on linguistics. But the number of books of that class is too great for the purpose of the present list.

Writers of the Seventeenth Century

Augustin Davila-Padilla. (See Yucatan. First edition appeared in 1595.)

Gregorio Garcia. (Plain and well informed, though brief.)

Juan de Torquemada. (Important on organization and government, also myths.)

Antonio de Herrera. (Very full and important.)

Antonio de Remesal. (Not as full on antiquities as might be expected.)

Augustin de Vetancourt. (Very slight mention.)

Enrico Martinez. (Casual mention.)

Gil Gonzalez Dávila.

Juan Diez de la Calle.

Fernando de Alba Ixtlilxochitl. "Relaciones históricas." – Of these, the thirteenth, "De la Venida de los Españoles," is of particular interest for Guatemala, – since it relates in detail Cortés' trip to Honduras. The "Relaciones" are printed in full in Vol. IX. of Lord Kingsborough's Collection, – the 13th however, was published under the title of "Horribles Crueldades de los Conquistadores de México," as appendix to Sahagun's "Hist-general," Vol. III., in 1829. From this, M. Ternaux made a French translation, published by him in 1838, as "Cruautés horribles des Conquérants du Méxique," – in the first series of his "Voyages et Mémoires originaux, &c."

"Historia de los Chichimecos, o' reyes antiguos de Tezcuco." – Casual mention of Guatemala. – Published in Kingsborough, Vol. IX., and translated by Ternaux and printed in French as "Histoire des Chichiméques ou des anciens rois de Tezcuco," in 1840. – (2d Series.) – Besides these, there are found references to Guatemala in the "Sumaria Relacion, de los Toltecas." (Kingsb. IX.) – Ixtlilxochitl, though full of details, is always a very suspicious source. – He is the representative of one tribe exclusively.

Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzman. "Recordacion florida; Discurso histórico, natural, material, militar, y político del reyno de Guatemala." MS. of 1690. Original in the municipal archives of the city of Guatemala. Copy at the "Museo Nacional." – Fuentes is like Ixtlilxochitl – both have the same tendency to extol their native tribes – still both must be carefully studied and critically examined. – A publication of Fuentes, well and judiciously annotated, would be highly useful.

Fernando Espino. "Historia de la reduccion y conversion de la Provincia de Taguzgalpa, con la Vida de los tres Mártires." – Printed at Guatemala, 1674. – Whether and where it still exists I do not know.

Lionel Wafer. "A new Voyage and description of the Isthmus of America." – London, 1699.

Fray Thomas Gage. "New survey of the West Indies." (A work which is looked upon with great suspicion, because the author, although he evidently went to Guatemala from Mexico, misrepresents a great many facts. Still he cannot be overlooked.) – This book appeared first prior to 1676. – Robertson quotes an English edition of 1677, and that of 1699 is the fourth edition. There are French editions of 1676, 1694-5, 1699 1720, 1721. Dutch of 1682, 1700. German of 1693. Spanish, 1838. – Yet this list is evidently still incomplete, as further material is out of my reach.

Antonio de Leon y Pinelo. "Tratado de Confirmaciones Reales de Encomiendas, Oficios, y casos en que se requieren para las Indias Occidentales." Madrid, 1630. – This work is one of the best on many vital points of Spanish administration, – and since the latter is so intimately connected with the past and present condition of the aborigines as to make its knowledge absolutely necessary, – it must be attentively studied. – I shall, for this reason, add below the books of Solòrzano:

"Epítome de la Biblioteca Oriental i Occidental, Náutica y Geográfica." Madrid, 1629. 2d Edition, by Barcia, 1737 and 1738. (Important bibliographically.)

"Relácion que en el Consejo Real de las Indias hizo el Licenciado … sobre la Pacificacion de las Provincias del Manché y Lacandon," 1639. MS. of E. G. Squier.

Juan de Solórzano-Pereyra. "Disputationem de Indiarum jure, sive de mixta Indiarum Occidentalium inquisitione, acquisitione, et retentione tribus libris compehensam." (This is the title of the first volume only, the second volume bears the heading "De Indiarum gubernatione, &c.") Madrid, 1629-1639. – 2d edition, 1672.

"Política Indiana." Madrid, 1648. – Subsequent editions, 1703, 1736-39, 1776.

The latter work is but a Spanish transcription or version of the first. The importance of both is in their clear "exposé" of the principles of right and law, according to which the Spanish Indies were governed. – We are thereby enabled to judge of the true relations existing between the conquering and conquered races, and to detect, how far the original condition of the latter was understood or misunderstood by the former – (and misrepresented?)

The "Museo Nacional," at Guatemala, has the following manuscripts besides those already mentioned:

"Historia de la Provincia de Predicadores de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala." – A fragment, possibly by Fray Augustin Cano.

"Solicitud que el Padre Fray Augustin Cano hizo al Ill'mo Sr Obispo de Guatemala … que se hallaba de visita en el pueblo de Cajabon pidiendo amparo para reducir á los indios Choles."

"Informé dado al Rey por el Padre Fray Augustin Cano sobre la entrada que por la parte de la Verapaz se hizo al Peten en 1695."

"Suma de los Capítulos generales y principales, ordenaciones, &c., de la Provincia de Predicadores de Chiapa y Guatemala." by Fray Lope de Montoya.

"Vidas de varios Padres de la Provincia de Chiapa y Guatemala del Orden de Indicadores," by Fray Antonio de Molina.

Whether the "Noticia ó Relacion de los Padres de la Orden de Predicadores que florecian en la Provincia de los Zoques" (anonymous MS.), belongs to the 17th century, I am unable to say.

Notice of the following books or writings has been communicated to me from various sources:

Fray Antonio Arochena. "Catálogo y noticia de los Escritores del Orden de San Francisco de la Provincia de Guatemala." (A very important bibliographical composition, to judge from its plan.)

Fray Estevan Aviles. "Historia de Guatemala desde los tiempos de los Indios, hasta la fundacion de la provincia de los franciscanos; poblacion de aquellas tierras, propagacion de los Indios, sus ritos, ceremonias, polícia, y Gobierno." (Said to have been printed at Guatemala in 1663.)

Fray Salvador Cipriana. "Libro de los Idolos de la Provincia de Zacatula."

"Hechos de los Padres Fray Levis Cancer, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, y Fray Pedro de Angulo, en la predicacion del Evangelio."

"Historia de la Entrada de los Españoles en Zacatula."

Nicolas Lizarraga. (See Yucatan.)

Fray Melchor de Jesus Lopez. "Relacion de la Conversion á la Fé de los Indios de Salamanca." 1690.

"Relacion de la Pacificacion de los Indios de Vera-Paz."

Fray Pedro Sotomayor. "Informacion de los Varones Ilustres del Orden de San Francisco del Reino de Guatemala."

Diego de Unzueta. "Relacion de Guatemala," – handed to Juan Diez de la Calle in 1648.

Nicolas de Valenzuela. (Wrote about the expedition against Lacandon, – in 1695.)

Fray Estevan Verdelete. "Noticias de la Provincia de Teguzigalpa." (Written between 1593 and 1612.)

Juan Zapata y Sandoval. (See Chiapas.)

Fray Pedro Daza. "Memorias históricas de la fundacion y predicacion de los Religiosos de la Merced de la Redencion de cautivos en Guatemala."

Fray José Morera. "Noticias de la Provincia de Guatemala, con un Tratado de la Mísion y Martirio de los P. P. Misioneros, Verdelete y Montragudo." (MS. said to be at Guatemala.)

Fray Pablo Rebullida. "Informe á la Audiencia de Guatemala sobre el estado actual de la Cristiandad de la Provincia de Talamanca." 1697.

"Cartas sobre el caracter de los Indios Terrabas, Talamancas, y Changenes."

Fray Pedro de Urtiaga. "Diario del Viaje de los cinco Misioneros desde Querétaro hasta Guatemala." – Printed in 1694, at Guatemala.

Alonzo Duarte. "Relacion de lo que Yo (A. D.) vecino desta ciudad de Santiago de Guatemala entendí y vide quando D. Francisco Valverde vino a sondar el puerto de Cavallos." 1605. MS. pertaining to E. G. Squier.

These are certainly not all, – perhaps only a minority of the documents relating to Guatemala, – which originated during the 17th century. In regard to the ruins of Copán, – Fuentes is perhaps (because a number of the last enumerated authors I have not seen) the only one who mentions its ruins, and even gives an enthusiastic description of them, – but Torquemada as well as Herrera relates the tradition of Comizahual, which also relates to Copán. The latter place is, besides, commonly regarded as belonging properly to Honduras, and only of late has been added to Guatemala. I add the following, although they are of scarcely any value for the purpose in view:

José Monroy. "Estado del Convento de Guatemala, del Orden de nuestra Señora de la Merced." Printed, 1667.

Diego Rodriguez de Ribas. "Disertacion canónica sobre los justos motivos que representa el Reyno de Guatemala, para que el Consejo se serva de erigir en Metropolí ecclesiástica la S. Iglesia Catedral, &c." Printed, 1660.

Writers of the Eighteenth Century

Antonio de Alcedo.

F. X. Clavigero. (Very slight mention.)

The following MSS. are yet at Guatemala "Museo Nacional."

Pedro Cortés y Larraz. "Descripcion geográfico moral de la Diócesis de Guatemala." 1768-69.

Fray Francisco Ximenez. "Historia de la Provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala de la Orden de los Predicadores." 5 vols.

José Sanchez. "Apuntaciones para la Historia de Guatemala."

Fernando Velasquez de Guzman. "Relacion de los Obispos de Guatemala."

There is, besides, a MS.:

"Efemérides de Guatemala desde su fundacion hasta la ruina de 1773." – Anonymous.

Printed works:

Fray Isidro Félix de Espinosa. "El Peregrino Septentrional Atlante." (Life of Fray Antonio Margil.) México, 1737.

Fray Cárlos Cadena. "Breve descripcion de la Noble Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballaros de Guatemala, &c." Mexico, 1774. – 2d Edition, Guatemala, 1858.

Juan de Villagutierre y Sotomayor. (On Vera Paz.)

Francisco Nuñez de la Vega. (On Chiapas.)

Toribio Cosio. (In the University Library of Mexico.)

Fray José Diez. "Noticia de las Misiones de Guatemala."

Fray Ildefonso Joseph Flores. "Teología de los Indios."

Fray Francisco Vasquez. (See Chiapas.)

Fray Francisco Ximenez. (See Chiapas.)

It is said that Ximenez wrote two large historical works, one in five volumes, of which but three were finished. – This is a mistake, the entire edition of five volumes is still at Guatemala. The other work, secured by Dr. Scherzer, bears the title "Las Historias del Orígen de los Indios de esta Provincia de Guatemala…" and published by him at Vienna in 1857. (Anonymous MS. said to exist at Guatemala.)

"Informe del Provincial de la Orden de Santo Domingo Guatemala, tocante á los negocios de la Vera-Paz." 1724.

"Relacion de la Sublevacion de los Zendales." 1712.

Antonio Rodriguez Campas. "Diario Histórico de Guatemala."

Fray Juan Cartajena. "La Sta Iglesia de Guatemala, madre fecundísima de hijos ilustrissimos." México, 1747.

Ramon Ordoñez y Aguiar. (See Chiapas.) At Mexico.

(A number of the above works may be lost.)

Writers of the Nineteenth Century

All general works, archæological, historical, and geographical, are left out. I even omit, as abundantly known, Kingsborough, Bancroft, Baldwin, Short, the "Antiquites Méxicaines," the "Cités et Ruines Méxicaines" of Waldeck, – Brasseur de Bourbourg, &c., &c. – Reference to these sources is self-understood.

Domingo Juarrez. "Compendio de la Historia de Guatemala." 1808-1818, Guatemala. (Relies too much on Fuentes.) English translation by Bailey. London, 1823. "A statistical and Commercial History of the Kingdom of Guatemala, in Spanish America." – A second Spanish edition appeared in 1857.

Francisco de Paula Garcia Pelaez. (See Chiapas.).

"Memorias para la Historia del Antiguo Reyno de Guatemala." 1852.

Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg. "Popol Vuh. Le livre Sacré et les Mythes de l'Antiquité Américaine, avec les livres Héroiques et Historiques des Quichés." Paris, 1861.

Hardly any work of this century has created such a "mixed" sensation of a serious nature, as this book. – It could be seen at a glance, that no mystification was possible, – but there was a wide field open for discussion on the point of origin, as far as the document itself, the "Popol Vuh," was concerned. – Still the "sensation" has not resulted in much active critical examination, and I think (If I may be permitted to commit such a breach of modesty,) myself the only person attempting a criticism of the "Popol Vuh" on the basis of documentary evidence. Unfortunately, I was unable to prepare my annotations in time for the publication of the 27th Volume of Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in 1878. – Thus only the text of "Sources for aboriginal history of Spanish America," appeared without any documentary evidence attached.

One thing is evident, that the "Popol Vuh" was written. Now it is a fact very easily proven, that the aborigines of Guatemala had no phonetic alphabet whatever, consequently that they did not write. – Therefore the "Popol Vuh" must have been composed, as an instrument in writing, since the conquest; or after 1524. – This is developed utterly independent of the fact that the document hints at two data (p. 343,) indicating the time of its composition to have been after 1550, and prior to 1600. – Therefore it was written in our letters, or perhaps with the aid of the "five characters" invented by Fray Francisco de la Parra, previous to 1560, to indicate sounds for which our alphabet had no signs. – At all events, it was written in the native Quiché idiom, and was only met with incidentally by Fray Francisco Ximenez at the town of Chichicastenango, towards the close of the 17th century. – This Dominican monk translated it into the Spanish language and incorporated both text and translation in the first volume of his "Historia de la provincia de predicadores, &c." – according to Brasseur de Bourbourg's really silly and irritatingly confused bibliography – (p. XIII., "Notice Bibliographique.") Dr. Scherzer certainly deserves credit for having published a Spanish text rendering approximatively the "Popol Vuh," in 1857, and there is no doubt but that it is as correct a rendering of the original Quiché as the French translation of Brasseur de Bourbourg.

The filiation of the text being thus established as far back as 1550 to 1600, it remains to investigate the question: how much of it was originally Indian; – if all of it or not? There is no doubt but that the greater part of it is Indian songs, preserved for centuries, and Indian myths and tales – historical traditions – which were recorded by the compiler in the form now before us. But this compiler, or rather – recorder – has given to these tales a chronological sequence, – at least in the first part, – which may hereafter prove conjectural. – Actions are made to succeed to each other, which may yet prove to be without any connection at all. – I do not insist upon this point – since a new translation of the "Popol Vuh" should precede its investigation – but I particularly insist upon a careful and critical study of its first so-called "Chapters."

These first chapters give us cosmological Ideas and Notions, purporting to be originally Indian, which, at their very inception, show a singular admixture of foreign elements. The first sentences appear to be transcriptions from the book of Genesis. They are not aboriginally American. – We are therefore led to investigate whether, prior to 1550, European influences could have been brought to bear upon the recollection and the imagination of the natives. – There is very positive evidence to that effect. – The monks, at the earliest stages of conversion, used paintings of their own, to impress upon the natives the notions of a creation of the world, of the deluge and salvation of a single pair therefrom, &c., &c. – The Dominican Father Gonzalo Lucero travelled about with painted charts representing such striking events, which he displayed in confirmation of his teachings. Fray Jacobo Testera (he died Aug. 8, 1543) used similar means. Fray Pedro de Angulo, who went with Las Casas to Guatemala and was made Provincial of Chiapas in 1561, wrote three dissertations in the Zutuhil language, one on the Creation of the World, one on Adam's Fall, and one on the Expulsion of our first fathers from Paradise. – Fray Luis Cancer wrote similar pages in the language of Oajaca, previous to 1546. – Fray Domingo Vico, who was killed by the Indians of Lacandon, in 1555, wrote his "Teologia para los Indios," in the Quiché language, also a dissertation on the "Eternal Paradise," in the language of Vera-Paz. – But there is also indisputable proof that songs were composed on the subject of the creation of the world and other parts of the Hebrew Genesis, in the Quiché language, which songs were used as the means of conversion of the natives of Vera-Paz in 1537. (Remesal. Lib. III., Cap. XI., p. 124.) They had been composed by Las Casas, Fray Rodrigo de Ladrada, Fray Pedro de Angulo, and probably Fray Luis Cancer. Many other similar ones were composed afterwards.

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.