124 THE QUICHE STORY OF CREATION. 
Heart of Heaven breathed a cloud over the eyes of men, 
and a veil came over them as when one breathes on the 
face of a mirror; thus their eyes were darkened ; and 
that which was afar off was not clear to them any more, 
but only that which was near.”’ 
The myth then relates that these four men slept ; 
and that the gods took counsel, and made four women, 
one for each of the men. 
This creation of women in man’s sleep, seems to be 
confounded with the four wives of our second great 
progenitors—N oah and his three sons. 
The myth adds: ‘*‘ Now the women were exceedingly 
fair to look upon, and when the men awoke they were 
glad because of the women.”’’ 
This is all of the Popol Vuh that pertains to the crea- 
tion. 
The remainder of the narrative is a series of myths re- 
lating to the wanderings of these primeval men, the intro- 
duction of idol worship and the offering of human sacri- 
fices, but casting no light upon either. . 
The following is a brief statement of parallelisms, or 
resemblances, between the Quiché account and the 
Mosaic, at the same time noting the agreements, or 
rather the lack of agreements, with the Chaldean story 
deciphered by Mr. George Smith and others. 
1. Both the Quiché and the Mosaic account say that 
God preceded and formed the universe. The Chaldean 
puts the universe first. In the former, God is creator, 
in the latter the sea is the creator of the gods; they 
merely introduce order. 
2. Both Quiché and Hebrew speak of the earth as 
void. 
3. Both say that darkness covered all things. The 
Chaldean inscriptions do not speak of darkness. 
4. The former speak of a firmament, the Chaldean 
does not. 
Ss 
