Bücher der Reihe Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages in Reihenfolge

Gives a grammatical sketch of Zapotec (Mitla Vallay, Oaxaca, Mexico). This third volume in the series Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages consists of eight stories narrated by native speakers, transcribed phonemically, with glossing in English and free translations in English and Spanish.

Written in English and Spanish, this collection of tales presents a small sampling of the oral literature of the Zapotec people who live in the municipality of San Lorenzo Texmelucan, located southwest of Oaxaca City in the district of Sola de Vega, Mexico. In order to make the tales accessible to the Zapotec people, the original Zapotec is included using the practical orthography of the area. Thirteen folktales are presented, including one with a unique style in which a Zapotec poet communicates his worldview. In addition, one chapter is a collection of forty-six proverbs portraying Zapotec wisdom in short traditional expressions about life, vices, virtues, and human relationships. A cultural sketch highlights some of the patterns that characterize the people of San Lorenzo as a cultural unit.