9. The Popol Vuh recounts the story of the deities who created humans out of white and yellow ears of corn.
The Popol Vuh is the text of the Mayan people, originally written in hieroglyphics but translated into the alphabet in the 16th century. Like many other creation stories, the Popol Vuh expresses that in the beginning was nothing. However, the gods realized the great potential for creation. The gods made three attempts to create man, whose purpose was to keep count of the days. The first attempt was wet clay. The second was wood. Lastly, the gods attempted to make man from maize dough. This creation succeeded, and man emerged able to speak and to count.
To ensure the success of the creation of man, the gods created the sun, the moon, and the stars. They also created four different animals: a coyote, a fox, a parrot, and a crow. These animals scattered to find a habitat to thrive in. They were taught they were to be subservient to humans. Their entire purpose was to be eaten. The Mayan creation story parallels the importance of both agriculture and hunting within the civilization.