Guatemalan literature

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Guatemalan literature is literature written by Guatemalan authors, whether in the indigenous languages present in the country or in Spanish. Though there was likely literature in Guatemala before the arrival of the Spanish, all the texts that exist today were written after their arrival.

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Literature in Mayan languages

The Popol Vuh is the most significant work of Guatemalan literature in the Quiché language, and one of the most important of Pre-Columbian American literature. It is a compendium of Mayan stories and legends, aimed to preserve Mayan traditions. The first known version of this text dates from the 16th century and is written in Quiché transcribed in Latin characters. It was translated into Spanish by the Dominican priest Francisco Ximénez in the beginning of the 18th century. Due to its combination of historical, mythical, and religious elements, it has been called the Mayan Bible. It is a vital document for understanding the culture of pre-Columbian America.

The Rabinal Achí is a dramatic work consisting of dance and text that is preserved as it was originally represented. It is thought to date from the 15th century and narrates the mythical and dynastic origins of the Kek'chi' people, and their relationships with neighboring peoples. The story tells how the prince of the Kek'chi' fights against neighboring tribes and, while he initially defeats them, he later is captured and taken before the king Job'Toj, who gives him back to his people to say goodbye to and dance with his princess for the last time. The Rabinal Achí is performed during the Rabinal festival of January 25, the day of Saint Paul. It was declared a masterpiece of oral tradition of humanity by UNESCO in 2005.

Colonial period: 16th - 19th centuries

The 16th century saw the first native-born Guatemalan writers that wrote in Spanish. Major writers of this era include Sor Juana de Maldonado, considered the first poet playwright of colonial Central America, and the historian Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán. The Jesuit Rafael Landívar (1731–1793) is considered as the first great Guatemalan poet. He was forced into exile by Carlos III. He traveled to Mexico and later to Italy, where he died. He originally wrote his Rusticatio Mexicana and his poems praising the bishop Figueredo y Victoria in Latin.

At this time, traditional poetic forms were developed to be sung. These include the villancico for use on the eves of main religious holidays. These were the only liturgical occasions on which songs in vernacular languages were permitted. (All other events were exclusively in Latin.) In Guatemala, as throughout the Spanish empire, other musical compositions with Spanish lyrics included consisted sainetes, jácaras, tonadas, and cantatas. Authors of these poems, who also put their works to music, include Manuel José de Quirós (ca. 1765-1790), Pedro Nolasco Estrada Aristondo, Pedro Antonio Rojas, and Rafael Antonio Castellanos (ca. 1725-1791). Castellanos is one of the most important in the Hispanic world and in the music of Guatemala.

During the 18th century, Guatemalan literature was influenced by French neoclassicism, as is seen in educational and philosophical works by authors such as Rafael García Goyena and Matías de Córdoba.

Guatemalan literature after independence: the nineteenth century

Salome Gil Jose Milla y Vidaurre.jpg
Salomé Gil

Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821, in its desire to establish political and commercial relations with other countries. The literature during this period is marked by political strife, which dominated the essay and treatise genres. This era also saw the birth of journalism in Guatemala, with figures like Antonio José de Irisarri

During the 19th century Guatemalan literature began to develop independently from Spanish literature, though it continued to incorporate European influences. Important writers of this era include María Josefa García Granados and José Batres Montúfar (known simply as "Pepe Batres"), who co-wrote the "Sermón para José María Castilla", a work that was scandalous at the time. Batres is also the author of the poem "Yo pienso en ti", one of the best known of Guatemalan literature.

In the second half of the 19th century, the novel dominated Guatemalan literature, thanks especially to José Milla y Vidaurre, considered the father of the Guatemalan novel. He signed some of his works with the pseudonym "Salomé Jil", an anagram of his name. Major works by Milla y Vidaurre include La hija del Adelantado (1866), Los Nazarenos (1867), El visitador (1867), and El libro sin nombre.

Guatemalan writers also participated in Latin American modernism, heir to French symbolism and Parnassianism and driven by the Nicaraguan Rubén Darío. In poetry, important writers included Domingo Estrada, Máximo Soto Hall, and María Cruz. The versatile writer Enrique Gómez Carrillo represented modernism in prose.

Twentieth century

In the 20th century, Guatemalan literature reached a level comparable to that of other Latin American countries. The most important Guatemalan writers in this period are novelist Miguel Ángel Asturias (1967 Nobel Prize winner and author of novels including El Señor Presidente and Hombres de Maíz ), poet Luis Cardoza y Aragón, short story writer and novelist Augusto Monterroso (2000 Príncipe de Asturias prize winner), and playwright Carlos Solórzano. In general, 20th-century Guatemalan literature is strongly influenced by politics, as evidenced by the fact that its authors were forced into exile during Guatemala's successive dictatorships and civil wars.

20th-century Guatemalan literature is usually divided by generation or decade:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayan languages</span> Language family spoken in Mesoamerica

The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica, both in the south of Mexico and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least six million Maya people, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight within its territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya peoples</span> People of southern Mexico and northern Central America

The Maya are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. "Maya" is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region; however, the term was not historically used by the indigenous populations themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Guatemala</span> Music and musical traditions of Guatemala

The music of Guatemala is diverse. Music is played all over the country. Towns also have wind and percussion bands that play during the lent and Easter-week processions as well as on other occasions. The marimba is an important instrument in Guatemalan traditional songs. The oldest documented use of marimba in the Americas dates to 1680 during celebrations at Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican literature</span> Literature written or related to Mexico

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish literature</span> Body of literature

Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects with that of other literary traditions from regions within the same territory, particularly Catalan literature, Galician intersects as well with Latin, Jewish, and Arabic literary traditions of the Iberian peninsula. The literature of Spanish America is an important branch of Spanish literature, with its own particular characteristics dating back to the earliest years of Spain’s conquest of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine literature</span> Aspect of argentine culture

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Milla y Vidaurre</span>

José Milla y Vidaurre was a notable Guatemalan writer of the 19th century. He was also known by the name Pepe Milla and the pseudonym Salomé Jil. Son of a governor of the state of Honduras in the Federal Republic of Central America, José Justo de la Milla y Pineda and Mrs. Mercedes Vidaurre Molina, the daughter of a wealthy Guatemalan family. He was married to his cousin, Mercedes Vidaurre and had 7 daughters and sons.

Achi is a Mayan language very closely related to Kʼicheʼ. It is spoken by the Achi people, primarily in the department of Baja Verapaz in Guatemala.

Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of the Americas. It rose to particular prominence globally during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to the international success of the style known as magical realism. As such, the region's literature is often associated solely with this style, with the 20th century literary movement known as Latin American Boom, and with its most famous exponent, Gabriel García Márquez. Latin American literature has a rich and complex tradition of literary production that dates back many centuries.

<i>Rabinal Achí</i> Maya theatrical play

The Rabinal Achí is a Maya theatrical play written in the Kʼicheʼ language and performed annually in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Its original name is Xajoj Tun, meaning "Dance of the Tun" instrument also known as wooden drum. This is one of the few surviving performance pieces from before colonization. It takes place every year on January 25 and involves the entire community of Rabinal. A combination of movement, song, and instrumentation meld the piece together. This performance has been a part of Rabinal history for centuries, and continues to be a part of the culture today. The story of the Rabinal Achí centers on a historical feud between Rabinal and Kʼicheʼ, two neighboring cities. Colorful costumes and wooden masks are used to differentiate the characters as they play out their roles in the song-dance-drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombian literature</span>

Colombian literature, as an expression of the culture of Colombia, is heterogeneous due to the coexistence of Spanish, African and Native American heritages in an extremely diverse geography. Five distinct historical and cultural traditions can be identified, with their own socioeconomic history: the Caribbean coast, Greater Antioquia, the Cundinamarca-Boyacá Highlands, Greater Tolima and the Western Valley. Colombia produced one of the richest literatures of Latin America, as much for its abundance as for its variety and innovation during the 19th and 20th centuries. Colombian intellectuals who forged the literature of this period also contributed decisively to the consolidation of Latin American literature.

<i>Leyendas de Guatemala</i> 1930 book by Miguel Ángel Asturias

Leyendas de Guatemala 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 Achi are a Maya ethnic group in Guatemala. They live in various municipalities in the department of Baja Verapaz. The municipalities they live in are Cubulco, Rabinal, San Miguel Chicaj, Salamá, San Jerónimo, and Purulhá, in addition to parts of Granados and el Chol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María Josefa García Granados</span>

María Josefa García Granados y Zavala was a Guatemalan intellectual, writer, journalist and poet of Spanish origin, and one of the greatest intellectual exponents of the independence of Guatemala in 1821. She was also a feminist ahead of her time, who with her strong and dominant character prevailed in Guatemalan society. She was the sister of General Miguel García Granados, who was the first liberal president of Guatemala, and Adelaida García Granados, who was tutor of Petrona Álvarez, wife of General Rafael Carrera, lifelong conservative president of Guatemala. As his family was part of the Aycinena clan, they suffered exile and dispossession of their property by Francisco Morazán in 1829.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Batres Juarros</span>

Luis Batres Juarros or Luis Batres y Juarros was an influential conservative Guatemalan politician during the regime of General Rafael Carrera. Member of the Aycinena clan, was in charge of writing most of the legislation that was enacted during this period. The liberal historians portray him as a villain in a despotic and tyrannical government headed by illiterate Raca Carraca - Rafael Carrera - who was taking each and every one of Batres recommendations since he was considered infallible; However, research conducted between 1980 and 2010 has shown a more objective biography of both Batres and Rafael Carrera and show that it was in fact Carrera who had the reins of the Conservative government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Francisco Pavón Aycinena</span>

Manuel Francisco Pavón Aycinena was a conservative Guatemalan politician during the regime of General Rafael Carrera. He was influential in the founding of the government's executive branch and held several Cabinet offices during his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Chapín</span> Fictional character

Juan Chapín is a character created by Guatemalan writer José Milla y Vidaurre in his novel Un viaje al otro mundo pasando por otras partes -A trip to the other world, going through other parts-, which he wrote while in exile in Europe after the Liberal revolution of 1871. Milla y Vidaurre had been a close friend of general Rafael Carrera, who had ruled Guatemala until his death in 1865. Milla also worked in the Foreign Minister during Carrera's regime. From 1871 to 1874, Milla visited several countries in North America and Europe and used his character Juan Chapín -to whom he explains everything they come across in Europe- to represent the average Guatemalan of his day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Casanova y Estrada</span> 19th and 20th-century Guatemalan Catholic bishop

Ricardo Casanova y Estrada "The Great" was a Guatemalan Catholic priest that became the eleventh Archbishop of Guatemala from 1886 to 1913. He had a role opposing president general Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián (1885-1896), who eventually expelled Casanova y Estrada from Guatemala. After a generous amnesty granted by president general José María Reina Barrios on 13 March 1897, the archbishop returned to Guatemala and was received by large crowds and joy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Ángel Asturias</span> Guatemalan writer and poet-diplomat (1899-1974)

Miguel Ángel Asturias Rosales was a Guatemalan poet-diplomat, novelist, playwright and journalist. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1967, his work helped bring attention to the importance of indigenous cultures, especially those of his native Guatemala.

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