Shamans, Witches, and Maya Priests

“A comprehensive study of a little-known area of Guatemala, this book is an invaluable contribution to Maya studies. The author’s attention to ethnographic detail is revealed through the text, diagrams, and the astonishing photographs, which set a new standard for documentation. At the same time, the succinct style of writing assures the accessibility of the book to nonspecialists.”–Matthew G. Looper, coauthor of The New Catalog of Maya Hieroglyphs, Volume 1: The Classic Period Inscriptions“A rich and riveting description of the vanishing traditions of Highland Mayan costumbreros.” –Journal of Folklore Research“An outstanding contribution to the field of ethnographic studies in highland Guatemala. Not only is it an informed and insightful account of her work among the Maya Prayersayers in the Cuchumatanes region of Guatemala, but it is also a truly great read–an evocative portrait of Maya traditionalists attempting to maintain the practice of their ancient faith in the face of remarkably trying circumstances. Many of the ceremonies she describes have already ceased to be performed, and others are in imminent danger of disappearing forever. This book is therefore, in some cases, the last eyewitness account of traditional rituals that had survived for centuries.” –Allen J. Christenson, translator of Popul Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya

Krystyna Deuss founded the Guatemalan Maya Centre in 1990 and spends five months each year in Guatemala continuing her research into the customs of the Highland Maya. She is the author of Indian Costumes from Guatemala.