The excellent Mesoweb just posted Allen Christenson's translations and transliterations of the ancient K'iche' Maya holy book Popol Vuh.  The Popul Vuh is arguably the greatest surviving pre-Columbian literary work.  It is both a book of the mythical creation of the larger Maya world as well as the history of the K'iche', one of the many Maya nations who lived in what is now Guatemala. 

If you have any interest in Native American literature, mythology, or just need something different to read, you should read it:

http://www.mesoweb.com/publications/Christenson/index.html

I'd recommend the "English Translation" (http://www.mesoweb.com/publications/Christenson/PopolVuh.pdf) because the author struck a balance between the original K'iche' version and a readable English translation.  Maya languages are extremely different from English, not just in terms of the vocabulary or grammar but almost in the way the world is perceived.

( Read more...including excerpts and ancient art )