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Queen Moo's Talisman: The Fall of the Maya Empire

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About This Book

The poem dramatizes the decline of a ruling Maya dynasty through a royal family's tragic conflicts: rivalry between princely brothers over a princess leads to jealousy, combat, and events that trigger political collapse. Verses weave together reconstructed prayers, songs, and ceremonial chants matched to indigenous melodies and depict funerary rites, artifacts, and iconography, including a recovered talisman. An extended introduction outlines names, customs, comparative language ideas, and archaeological observations, and plates plus a musical appendix supplement the poet's reconstruction of ritual life, mural interpretations, and the spiritual beliefs that frame the narrative.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Queen Moo's Talisman: The Fall of the Maya Empire

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Title: Queen Moo's Talisman: The Fall of the Maya Empire

Author: Alice D. Le Plongeon

Release date: January 1, 2015 [eBook #47842]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Julia Miller, Denis Pronovost, Linda Cantoni
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive/American
Libraries.) Music transcribed by Linda Cantoni.

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN MOO'S TALISMAN: THE FALL OF THE MAYA EMPIRE ***



Queen Moo’s Talisman

Entered according to act of Congress, June. 1902, by Alice Dixon Le Plongeon,
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

All rights reserved.

To Doctor Augustus Le Plongeon,
whose works inspired these pages, their author
dedicates them: not as a worth offering, but as
A Small Token
Of loving endeavor to gratify his oft expressed desire.
Brooklyn, N. Y., May, 1902.

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Engraved by F. A. Ringler & Co., of New York, from photographs
and drawings by
Dr. Augustus Le Plongeon.
PLATE PAGE
I. Author’s portrait (Frontispiece).
II. Prince Coh in battle—tracing from fresco painting on walls of Coh’s funeral chamber, in Memorial Hall at Chicħen. 35
III. Mausoleum of High Priest Cay, at Chicħen. 41
IV. Queen Móo’s portrait—Demi-relief on entablature of east façade of Governor’s House at Uxmal. 43
V. Portrait of High Priest Cay. From a sculpture on the west side of the pyramid called the Dwarf’s House at Uxmal. (Discovered on June 1st, 1881, by Dr. Le Plongeon). 47
VI. Prince Coh’s portrait. His statue discovered by Dr. Le Plongeon at Chicħen in 1875. 53
VII. Prince Coh’s Memorial Hall at Chicħen. Restoration by Dr. Le Plongeon. 55
VIII. Prince Aac’s Portrait. From a sculptured wooden lintel over the door of the funeral chamber in Memorial Hall at Chicħen. 61
 
Appendix—Music.
 
IX. Invocation to the Sun. 36
X. He and She. 36
XI. The Dancers’ Song. 37
XII. The Lover’s Song. 38
XIII. Funeral Chant. 38
 
Head Pieces.
 
I. Winged Circle—from Ococingo (Guatemala). 25
II. Winged Circle—from Egypt. 65
III. Queen Móo’s Talisman, found in the urn containing the charred heart and Viscera of Prince Coh, in his Mausoleum, at Chicħen in 1875, by Dr. Le Plongeon. 77

PRONUNCIATION AND DEFINITION OF
MAYA PROPER NAMES.

AAC (Ak, as in dark.) Name of a prince.
BALAM (Bǟ-läm, a as in far.) God of agriculture.
CAN (Kän, a as in far.) Title of kings.
CAY (Kǟ-ee.) Name of a high priest.
CHICĦEN (Chee-chen, chee as in cheek.) Name of a city.
COH (Kō.) Name of a prince consort.
HOMEN (Hō-men, o as in no.) God of volcanic forces.
KU (Koo, oo as in moon.) The Supreme Intelligence.
MAYA (Mǟ-yä, a as in far.) Name of a nation.
MÓO (Mō, o as in no.) Name of a queen.
MU (Moo, oo as in moon.) Name of a country.
NICTÉ (Nik-tay.) Name of a princess.
YUM CIMIL (Yoom Keémil.) God of death.
ZOƆ (Zŏdz.) Name of a queen.