Reseña

The Dance of the Deer volume is a collection of three Q’eqchi’ Maya narratives that were recorded by Ava Berinstein in 1978 in Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. It includes “The Dance of the Deer” legend, explaining why the deer dance is performed and why it is a significant part of Q’eqchi’ culture as conveyed by their Maya ancestors; a narrative that describes the customs of the deer dance, explaining the ornate attire that the deer dancers use, the marimba music, and how the deer dancers prepare for the performance; and it includes a poem about the beautiful deer dance as it is being performed. The booklet is an example of the Maya oral tradition and it conveys the poetic structure of this literature. Most importantly, this bilingual Q’eqchi’- English booklet will be used in the teaching curriculum as one of the many ways that we, at the Q’eqchi’ Association Xch’ool Ixim, are integrating Maya cultural education into the curriculum and revitalizing this sacred Q’eqchi’ oral tradition.