Marking Space and Time in Itzaj Maya Narrative

Abstract

Cyclicity has been noted as a key feature of Mayan conceptions of time and space from the Classic period (A.D. 250–900) to the present. Similarly, pattern of repetition and cyclicity have been noted as characteristic of Mayan discourse structure. In this article cyclicity in worldview and in discourse structure is examined in Itzaj Maya narrative, with emphasis on the importance of the schema of the sun's journey to both.