Extra Credit Reading Notes: Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth, Part 2

 These reading notes come from the next chunk of Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth, and Other Mayan Folktales, the book I am using for my storybook source. Here are notes from two of my favorite tales in this section of the book.

The Oldest Tale in My Town

• People from San José are called Sanjoseños, and people from San Martin are called Martineros.
• The Sanjoseños used to be very wealthy and have no problems because their land was rich with gold, but their fortune changed when they beat up a priest during mass.
• The priest tried to get rid of the towns costumbres, or indigenous rituals, so the people got angry and annoyed. They refused to feed him except for avocados, and then attacked him with sticks when he farted during mass.
• The priest departed, but after asking for a punishment on the town, turning the missal upside down on the altar, and shaking off the dirt from his shoes in the church.
• After this, the town was cursed with poverty and alcoholism, and the reverent Martineros became rich and took over their land.
• Later, a new priest came and told the Sanjoseños they could repent by saying four masses on a specific hill, but the priest died in a wind storm on the lake after celebrating the first mass. So, the Sanjoseños are still atoning for their ancestors' sins to this day.

The Woman Who Died for Three Days and Went to Get Acquainted With Hell

• A woman lived with her parents, who were rich, egotistical, envious, and miserable when they died, and the woman lived the same greedy life alone when they were gone. She cared about nothing but herself and her money, and the townspeople were scared of her.
• The woman fell sick, and no one in the town wanted to care for her. Even in illness, she cared about her money, and she buried all her wealth and titles.
• She died, and no one wanted to bury her. After a while, they decided they should but no one had they money to buy a coffin and they couldn't find any of the woman's money either.
• After three days, the woman came back to life. She had seen her parents suffering in hell, and others rejoicing in the sky in heaven, but she wasn't allowed up there.
• She gave away all her property to the poor people, hoping that this would allow her into heaven. After three days, she died for good.

Story Source: Sexton, J. D., & Ujpán Ignacio Bizarro. (1999). Heart of Heaven, Heart of Earth, and Other Mayan Folktales. Smithsonian Institution Press. 

Image Source: Heaven image by Frank McKenna.

Hell image by Jr Korpa.