The Mayas believed the four gods; the Bacabs; held up the sky. The Bacabs were also invoked to heal disease. Ritual of the Bacabs: A Book of Maya Incantations is the first English translation of this Maya manuscript; dating back to colonial times. Discovered in the early twentieth century; the manuscript’s origins are traced to the golden period of Maya civilization. It contains incantations used to cure diseases of body and spirit; and it records the magic practiced among the Mayas—the most advanced Western civilization of antiquity. As in other ancient cultures; the Mayas believed that sickness was the manifestation of an evil spirit; which required exorcism. The shaman recited powerful incantations to banish evil spirits and cure such afflictions as asthma; fevers; skin eruptions; and seizures. Ritual of the Bacabs provides an exciting and enlightening portrait of ancient Maya religion; medicine; and magic.
#726381 in Books Schocken 2007-08-28 2007-08-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.15 x .25 x 4.66l; .78 #File Name: 0805242244256 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Wisse's Revelation About Jews and their Relationship to PowerBy Nadene GoldfootI just finished this marvelous small book of 184 pages of powerful thoughts about the history of Jews and how they got to re-establish Israel once again. It's a book written on a very high level so must be read slowly and thoughtfully or ideas will be missed.Ms.Wisse has a background of Yiddish literature as well as Jewish history and blends facts in to prove every thought she brings out just like a debator. She brings out the fact that my Jewish ancestors had to learn the skill of accomodation in the hostile environments that they lived in after losing their land and bounced from one country to another in trying to be accepted.The author is two years younger than myself and was born in Central Eastern Europe so faced a life of being a refugee. Her family had only 3 years to manage to get out of Europe before it was too late as the door closed by May of 1939 for the majority. Since the book was printed in 2007; I would love to read a follow-up to see what she thinks of these past six years. Her thoughts have been right on target with mine in the book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Jewish PoliticsBy JordanAs the saying goes: Two Jews; three opinions. Jewish politics has a long history; as Wisse explains in her thought-provoking analysis and reflection on the Jewish relationship to political power through the ages. Her discussion of Jewish self-blame piqued my interest: According to the theory; Jews have found a way to criticize themselves for their political failings since the Babylonian Exile 2;500 years ago as a way to maintain their moral agency through history and ward off a sense of hopeless victimhood. Consequently; this tendency to be self-critical has prepared them to flourish in liberal democratic societies. Taken to an extreme; however; it has blinded generations of Jews from seeing that sometimes; there are real; external threats over which Jews have little or no control. The last third of the book gets a little polemical in an attempt to shift the blame game of the Arab-Israeli conflict in favor of the Jewish perspective; but overall; a great read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting and insightful analysis of Jews' way of dealing with ...By CustomerInteresting and insightful analysis of Jews' way of dealing with their powerlessness over the two millenia that they were in exile; and how that experience is manifested in modern day Israel. The book; while short; is somewhat difficult to read and I found taht i needed to reread some paragraphs several times in order to absorb the meaning.
