The history and social structures of Latin America's native peoples were neither simple nor peaceful before the arrival of Europeans. Wars were fought, empires were created and destroyed, and-as this program illustrates-narrative tapestries of fact and fiction were woven in the process. Underscoring the linguistic sophistication that flourished for thousands of years in the region, the program addresses the proliferation of Nahuatl and Quechua literature, the codices and quipu of Mayan and Incan societies, and other ancient forms of written and oral communication. Although mythical accounts-including the Popol Vuh, the Chilam Balam, the Apu Ollantay, and the Runa yndio-are analyzed on several levels, they are most notably linked with the agendas of pre-Columbian social hierarchies.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on Sept. 01, 2007. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Forms of Pre-Hispanic Literature (2:16) -- Pre-Hispanic Codices: Essential to Latin American Identity (3:05) -- Languages of Pre-Hispanic Texts (0:56) -- Codices: Colorful Pre-Hispanic Texts (3:17) -- Meso-American Writing Systems (0:49) -- Oral Set Pieces: Generational Memorization and Recitation (3:37) -- Mayan Myths and Gods (5:43) -- Mayan Historical Narratives (4:28) -- Proliferation of Mayan Writing (3:13) -- Andean Literature (4:56) -- Andean Literature: Songs, Recitations, and Drama (2:01) -- Dominant Group Bias of Historical Narratives (2:17) -- Spanish Invasion: Catastrophic Destruction of a Civilization (2:06) -- Indigenous Literature (2:02).