Twin Heros (of World Literature)

 

Where to begin with the epic tale of hero twins who defeat death and cause death to die(!). The Popol Vuh is an example of an epic, a narrative concerning the heroic(?) deeds of a major character; in this case, the heroic character is split into two, two twin boys. As sons of a father who is also a twin, it's apparent that twining, doubling, and splitting the responsibilities was an important characteristic of ancient Maya storytelling. Perhaps the idea is related to community and being in community with your fellow community members. Splitting the burdens, defeats, victories, and accomplishments among multiple beings reminds me of how responsibilities (and their consequences) are shared in a community, across communities in time and place, past and present.  

How do I situate it within the kind of world literature that David Damrosch discusses in "What is World Literature? Its presence from ancient times to now, from circa 2000 years ago to 2023, was established through transcription first (from oral to written) and then translation (from K'iche' to Spanish), with interpretations varying from literal to poetic. It's through translation that texts travel around the world. Among the Maya, the Popol Vuh might be considered a classic text (and perhaps sacred), one that withstands the test of time and points to important values that survive to this day. For those outside of the cultural tradition and time period, it is a window into another world, whether mythological or real.