Literature of Guatemala
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Guatemalan literature is literature written by Guatemalan authors, whether in the indigenous languages present in the country or in Spanish. Though there was likely literature in Guatemala before the arrival of the Spanish, all the texts that exist today were written after their arrival.


Literature in Mayan languages

The Popol Vuh is the most significant work of Guatemalan literature in the Quiché language, and one of the most important of Pre-Columbian American literature. It is a compendium of Mayan stories and legends, aimed to preserve Mayan traditions. The first known version of this text dates from the 16th century and is written in Quiché transcribed in Latin characters. It was translated into Spanish by the Dominican priest
Francisco Ximénez Francísco Ximénez (November 28, 1666 – c. 1729) was a Dominican priest who is known for his conservation of an indigenous Maya narrative known today as the '' Popol Vuh''. John Woodruff has noted that there remains very few biographical ...
in the beginning of the 18th century. Due to its combination of historical, mythical, and religious elements, it has been called the Mayan Bible. It is a vital document for understanding the culture of pre-Columbian America. The
Rabinal Achí The ''Rabinal Achí'' is a Maya theatrical play written in the Kʼicheʼ language and performed annually in Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Its original name is ''Xajoj Tun'', meaning "Dance of the Tun" instrument also known as wooden drum. Thi ...
is a dramatic work consisting of dance and text that is preserved as it was originally represented. It is thought to date from the 15th century and narrates the mythical and dynastic origins of the Kek'chi' people, and their relationships with neighboring peoples. The story tells how the prince of the Kek'chi' fights against neighboring tribes and, while he initially defeats them, he later is captured and taken before the king Job'Toj, who gives him back to his people to say goodbye to and dance with his princess for the last time. The Rabinal Achí is performed during the Rabinal festival of January 25, the day of Saint Paul. It was declared a masterpiece of oral tradition of humanity by UNESCO in 2005.


Colonial period: 16th - 19th centuries

The 16th century saw the first native-born Guatemalan writers that wrote in Spanish. Major writers of this era include Sor Juana de Maldonado, considered the first poet playwright of colonial Central America, and the historian Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán. The Jesuit Rafael Landívar (1731–1793) is considered as the first great Guatemalan poet. He was forced into exile by Carlos III. He traveled to Mexico and later to Italy, where he died. He originally wrote his Rusticatio Mexicana and his poems praising the bishop Figueredo y Victoria in Latin. At this time, traditional poetic forms were developed to be sung. These include the villancico for use on the eves of main religious holidays. These were the only liturgical occasions on which songs in vernacular languages were permitted. (All other events were exclusively in Latin.) In Guatemala, as throughout the Spanish empire, other musical compositions with Spanish lyrics included consisted sainetes,
jácara ''Jácaras'' are Spanish songs which are accompanied with instruments and are performed during the entr'acte of a theatrical performance and also as an accompaniment to many types of dance. Etymology There are different explanations for the origin ...
s,
tonada The ''tonada'' is a folk music style of Spain and some countries of Hispanic America (mainly Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela). In nowadays Spain, the traditional sung piece known as ''tonada'' is considered as having been originated in ...
s, and
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...
s. Authors of these poems, who also put their works to music, include
Manuel José de Quirós Manuel José de Quirós (died 1765) was an 18th-century Guatemalan composer. Life Born in Santiago de Guatemala, present day Antigua Guatemala, towards the end of the 17th century, Quirós had a religious education while pursuing his musical appr ...
(ca. 1765-1790), Pedro Nolasco Estrada Aristondo, Pedro Antonio Rojas, and
Rafael Antonio Castellanos Rafael Antonio Castellanos (c. 1725–1791) was a Guatemalan classical composer. His style is that of the late Spanish baroque, pre-classical, and classical periods, with frequent reference to Guatemalan folk music idioms. Life From an early age, ...
(ca. 1725-1791). Castellanos is one of the most important in the Hispanic world and in the music of Guatemala. During the 18th century, Guatemalan literature was influenced by French neoclassicism, as is seen in educational and philosophical works by authors such as Rafael García Goyena and Matías de Córdoba.


Guatemalan literature after independence: the nineteenth century

Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821, in its desire to establish political and commercial relations with other countries. The literature during this period is marked by political strife, which dominated the essay and treatise genres. This era also saw the birth of journalism in Guatemala, with figures like
Antonio José de Irisarri Antonio José de Irisarri Alonso (; February 7, 1786 – June 10, 1868), was a Guatemalan statesman, journalist, and politician who served as Interim Supreme Director of Chile in 1814. He is considered one of the fathers of Chilean journalis ...
During the 19th century Guatemalan literature began to develop independently from Spanish literature, though it continued to incorporate European influences. Important writers of this era include
María Josefa García Granados María Josefa García Granados y Zavala (10 July 1796 - 28 July 1848) was a Guatemalan intellectual, writer, journalist and poet of Spanish origin, and one of the greatest intellectual exponents of the independence of Guatemala in 1821. She was a ...
and
José Batres Montúfar José Batres Montúfar (1809–1844) was a Guatemalan poet, politician, engineer and military figure. Monument In 1852, Juan Matheu and Manuel Francisco Pavón Aycinena presented Rafael Carrera with a plan to build a majestic Nationa ...
(known simply as "Pepe Batres"), who co-wrote the "Sermón para José María Castilla", a work that was scandalous at the time. Batres is also the author of the poem "Yo pienso en ti", one of the best known of Guatemalan literature. In the second half of the 19th century, the novel dominated Guatemalan literature, thanks especially to
José Milla y Vidaurre José Milla y Vidaurre (August 4, 1822 in Guatemala City, First Mexican Empire — Guatemala City, Guatemala September 30, 1882) was a notable Guatemalan writer of the 19th century. He was also known by the name Pepe Milla and the pseudonym Salomé ...
, considered the father of the Guatemalan novel. He signed some of his works with the pseudonym "Salomé Jil", an anagram of his name. Major works by Milla y Vidaurre include ''La hija del Adelantado'' (1866), ''Los Nazarenos'' (1867), ''El visitador'' (1867), and ''El libro sin nombre''. Guatemalan writers also participated in Latin American modernism, heir to French symbolism and Parnassianism and driven by the Nicaraguan
Rubén Darío Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (January 18, 1867 – February 6, 1916), known as Rubén Darío ( , ), was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as ''modernismo'' (modernism) that flourished at the end of ...
. In poetry, important writers included
Domingo Estrada Domingo may refer to: People *Domingo (name), a Spanish name and list of people with that name *Domingo (producer) (born 1970), American hip-hop producer *Saint Dominic (1170–1221), Castilian Catholic priest, founder of the Friars popularly cal ...
,
Máximo Soto Hall Máximo Soto Hall was an early 20th century Guatemalan novelist. He is most known for his 1899 novel ''El problema'', though he is recognized in Central America for the whole of his literary output. He was born in Guatemala City in 1871, and serve ...
, and María Cruz. The versatile writer
Enrique Gómez Carrillo Enrique Gómez Carrillo (February 27, 1873 in Guatemala City – November 29, 1927 in Paris) was a Guatemalan literary critic, writer, journalist and diplomat, and the second husband of the Salvadoran-French writer and artist Consuelo Suncin de ...
represented modernism in prose.


Twentieth century

In the 20th century, Guatemalan literature reached a level comparable to that of other Latin American countries. The most important Guatemalan writers in this period are novelist Miguel Ángel Asturias (1967 Nobel Prize winner and author of novels including ''
El Señor Presidente (''Mister President'') is a 1946 novel written in Spanish by Nobel Prize-winning Guatemalan writer and diplomat Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899–1974). A landmark text in Latin American literature, explores the nature of political dictatorship a ...
'' and ''
Hombres de Maíz ''Men of Maize'' ( es, Hombres de maíz) is a 1949 novel by Guatemalan Nobel Prize in Literature winner Miguel Ángel Asturias. The novel is usually considered to be Asturias's masterpiece, yet remains one of the least understood novels produced ...
''), poet
Luis Cardoza y Aragón Luis Cardoza y Aragón (June 21, 1904 - September 4, 1992) was a Guatemalan writer, essayist, poet, art critic, and diplomat. Born in Antigua Guatemala, he spent part of his life living in exile in Mexico. Cardoza attended primary school in Ant ...
, short story writer and novelist
Augusto Monterroso Augusto Monterroso Bonilla (December 21, 1921 - February 7, 2003) was a Honduran writer who adopted Guatemalan nationality, known for the ironical and humorous style of his short stories. He is considered an important figure in the Latin Americ ...
(2000 Príncipe de Asturias prize winner), and playwright
Carlos Solórzano Carlos Solórzano Fernández (May 6, 1919 – March 30, 2011) was a Guatemalan-born Mexican playwright. He is considered one of the most important playwrights in Guatemalan history. His contribution to the theater in Latin America range from his ...
. In general, 20th-century Guatemalan literature is strongly influenced by politics, as evidenced by the fact that its authors were forced into exile during Guatemala's successive dictatorships and civil wars. 20th-century Guatemalan literature is usually divided by generation or decade: * The generation of 1910 or "the Comet" * The generation of 1920 * The generation of 1930 or "Grupo Tepeus" * The generation of 1940 or "Grupo Acento" * The Grupo Saker-ti (1944–1954) * The generation "comprometida" (after 1954)


References

Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
Central American literature Latin American literature by country North American literature Spanish-language literature {{lit-country-stub