Written in the 16th century by the Bishop of Yucatán, it is based on the oral traditions of the ancient Mayas.
It is one of the most important works on ancient Mayan customs. It contains data on buildings, the environment, customs, beliefs and history. Its greatest contribution is having provided the key to deciphering chronological glyphs and the calendar, which laid the foundations for pinpointing correctly the important dates of one of the most advanced civilizations in pre-Hispanic America.
It was written between 1563 and 1572 by Diego de Landa, a Franciscan friar who arrived in Yucatán shortly after the Conquest. As an ethnologist, the author obtained his information from natives and conquistadors by means of direct interviews. He was a polemical personage, since in addition to compiling this work, he devoted himself to severely combating the old pagan beliefs in order to impose Christianity.
This valuable work is essential for knowing the Yucatán of before and after the Conquest.
