The Storm Runner

Mayan mythology consists of a vast collection of stories that originated amongst the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica; today, their descendants still inhabit areas of Mexico and Central America. The term “Maya” was not used by these people and has only been applied in modern times as a collective term for all those who subscribed to certain overarching beliefs or lived in the areas indicated above. These beliefs included a specific creation myth which is outlined in the collection of stories called Popol Vuh, which is translated as “book of the community.” This creation myth offers tales of how humankind came to be, along with descriptions of how the ancient gods ruled the world. In the tales, the gods wished to create humans with the capacity to think and to worship them. Their first three attempts to construct animals, wet clay humans, and wooden humans proved fruitless, but their fourth attempt, which involved creating humans out of maize, or corn, brought the results they sought. This is one reason why maize was so highly regarded by the Mayan peoples. Cervantes uses this myth in her world-building, creating a rich and imaginative origin story for Zane; these details profoundly affect his journey as he learns about his heritage, and the myth also provides a basis for Ah-Puch’s threats.