The paratext used in Here Was Paradise, by Humberto Ak’abal, help the reader to understand the deeper meaning behind the poems.
The 500 Years introductory image supports the idea that the section is about Spanish colonization of the Mayans. The image depicts a leopard jumping across the page, surrounded by various animals and a string of beads. However, only the leopard and the snake are wrapped by these beads while the other animals remain free. The poem Paradise, which is Ak’abal’s rendition on the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, where sin was introduced to the world through Satan appearing as a serpent, also commentates on the influence of Catholicism in modern Mayan culture. With the knowledge from the poem, the image takes on a new meaning; the beads become a rosary, and the snake is now the conquistadors who have tied the leopard to them through the rosary. This depicts the connection between Catholicism and indigenous religions, which formed when Spanish conquistadors forcefully converted indigenous peoples after taking their land, forever changing how people practiced spirituality and religion. The words and the image work together to sell the main idea to the reader.
The use of paratext not only reinforces a main idea, but also allows the main idea to be applied to every poem, even when it is not as obvious. The poem “Pain” is not explicitly about colonialism, but within the context of the section title and illustration, it becomes clear that the poem is not just about any suffering; rather, suffering because of colonialism.
In conclusion, the paratext, including the section headings and introductory images, surrounding Here Was Paradise help the reader to make sense of the poems, and reinforce the main ideas.
Hi Kiri, I really like your interpretation of this image; it definitely makes sense alongside the themes of this section! I found the choice of those specific animals interesting, as they are mutual predators: either one could hunt the other, and becoming prey is less a matter of inherent weakness and more of situational advantage (though more often than not, the leopard/jaguar will eventually overpower the snake). It’s also interesting to note their cultural significance—the snake being an allusion to a Biblical story, and many Mayan gods being depicted as jaguars or as having jaguar-like qualities—and what this might say about Ak’abal’s perspective on Indigenous suffering.
Hello Kiri, I was very impressed how you compare the beads that are culturally related to the Mayas (and other cultures) with the rosary of Catholicism, the way you interpreted the image made me realize that there are not only animals inside it, but an indigenous woman carrying a lamb, we could make reference to that in those lands there were no cows or sheep, and see how she carries one in her arms could show that they not only brought oppression, diseases or violence but also new things (Im saying this sarcastically) also in the “500” years section is the poem “The Lamb” where we can see that the girl “licks” the wound, this could be an allusion to how the Mayas considered themselves equal with the animals or that the shepherdess was really hungry (poverty) .
Hey Kiri,
I also think the comparison you make between the beads and the rosary is really interesting, and of course, the allusion to the biblical Eden. Ak’abal reinterprets the fall and frames the colonizers as serpent and God — they both forbid and corrupt; paralleling the knowledge gained by Adam and Eve, the indigenous Mayans must now operate under a Christian morality of Good and Bad. It is fruitful (pun intended) to think about the whether it is the knowledge of good and evil that condemns people or now, and in that case, why introduce the potential for condemnation.
I also wanted to add on to your point Cristina about the lamb. Due to the biblical allusions made in “Paradise,” I interpreted “The Lamb” as another biblical allusion. The lamb as the sacrifice is paralleled to the Indigenous population that must be sacrificed in the colonization process. Furthermore, the word “shepherdess” establishes a power dynamic that places the girl as owner of the lambs. It strikes me that the girl represents the colonizing forces that first hurt, then comfort (whether genuine or not) the sacrificed.
Your expansion and commentary on the paratext in Ak’abal’s poemario are illuminating, Kiri. The reading of the rosary beads, in particular, is insightful and creative. You analysis effectively highlights how important it is to not only consider each poem individually, but more crucially, in the context of the whole work.