Twenty-two folktales told by the Mayan peoples of southern Mexico and Guatemala are presented in John Bierhorst's The Monkey's Haircut, which features a detailed cultural introduction by the author, explaining such things as the Mayan kinship system, and the storytelling distinctions drawn, between an ejemplo - a pourquoi tale, explaining something - and an ordinary cuento. The selections include tales that are taken from ancient Mayan mythology, as well as more recent stories that show a decided European influence.

Amongst this latter group are tales like The Bird Bride, in which three sons set out to capture whatever is destroying their father's fields. It is the youngest son, of course, who succeeds, gaining a magical bird that turns out to be an enchanted girl. Folktale enthusiasts will immediately perceive the similarities between this story, and (among others) the Russian tale involving the Firebird. Selections like Rabbit and Coyote, by contrast, seem to have an African origin, and are reminiscent of Br'er Rabbit tales. The older, indigenous traditions are also represented, with tales such as Chac, in which the Mayan rain god find his human servant, stolen from his home on earth, more trouble than he is worth; or Lord Sun's Bride, which explains how the Sun wooed a maiden, who eventually became the moon.

I enjoyed these tales, and Bierhorst's telling of them, immensely, and was fascinated to see the cultural interchange that is evident in their diverse range. Whatever their origin, these are all Mayan tales now - collected from Mayan storytellers. Highly recommended to all folklore lovers, particularly those with an interest in Central American traditions. ( )