The Disobedience Of The Daughter Of The Sun: Ecstasy and Time
by Martin Prechtel has the appearance of a simple folktale. Appearance,
as Prechtel points out, can be deceiving. This tale, like a single
drop of water into a pond, is simple, however, the ever-widening
ripples are fraught with meaning for the myriad life forms that
it touches or for those who care to take the time to delve into
its depth.

The book begins with a simple tale. The young lady in this tale
is the daughter of the Sun and Moon. She is tall and beautiful,
and her parents have grand dreams for her about her future spouse.
He must be tall, handsome, a god by his own right, some one deserving
of their daughter. Unfortunately, as in life, the ways of young
people’s heart do not always follow their parent’s plans. The
young lady falls in love with an ugly, tiny little man. Her parents
are appalled. They banishing the unsuitable suitor and imprisoning
their daughter within their hut. How this situation resolves itself
is the crux of the "tale of the disobedient daughter".

Prechtel takes this delightful Mayan tale and elucidates its significance
on five different depth of meaning. First, he relates the basic
meaning of the tale that speaks about the maturation process of
youth and the intricacies of the parent-child relationship inherent
in any culture. Secondly, he details the unique cultural significance
that only a native of the Mayan culture can bring to this story.
Next, he instructs the reader how the structure of the Native
American language shapes storytelling and communication with non-Amerindians.
Finally, he related the lessons of global significance of this
tale for the survival of the world.

Prechtel is a wonderful storyteller and educator. Whether he is
spinning a tale that delights the inner child or explaining the
unique intricacies of the Mayan language or culture. His words
flow in easy simple language accessible to even young readers.
It is impossible to walk away from this book without learning
something about Mayan culture, Amerindian language structure,
indigenous mythology, or the impact of global warming. It is amazing
that he can address all of this through the telling of one simple
tale, and do so with such depth and clarity, and yet still speaking
within the range of comprehension of a child. Beyond this tremendous
feat, Prechtel has illustrated his tale with his own simple yet
beautiful line drawings.

Martin Prechtel is a "half-blood native American". He
was raised on the Pueblo Indian reservation of Santiago Atitlan
in New Mexico. As a young man, he was invited to the mountain
region of Guatemala to study with a Tzutujil (Mayan) shaman. After
the death of his beloved teacher, he filled his mentor’s position
as a shaman for the Tzutujil villages. He has previously published,
Secrets of the Talking Jaguar and Long Life, Honey in
the Heart. Currently, he resides in New Mexico where he is
a writer, teacher, speaker, musician, and healer using the ancient
tales of the native American culture.

The Disobedience Of The Daughter Of The Sun: Ecstasy and Time
by Martin Prechtel is much more than a simple Mayan folktale.
It is a way of life and a way of thinking so easy to read and
understand that it can and should be shared with a child. This
book is an absolute delight. It can and should be read again and
again, because each reading will harvest some new insight. It
has earned a permanent place in my collection and in my heart.
I am sure, it will do so for you and your family also.

© 2002 Su Terry

Su Terry: Education:
B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S. in Library
Science from Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S. in Religious
Studies/Pastoral Counseling from Fairfield University, a M.Div.
in Professional Ministry from New Brunswick Theological Seminary,
a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual Direction from Sacred
Heart University. She is a Licensed Minister of the United Church
of Christ and an Assistant Professor in Library Science at Dowling
College, Long Island, NY. Interests in Mental Health: She is interested
in the interplay between psychology, biology, and mysticism. Her
current area of research is in the impact of hormonal fluctuation
in female Christian mystics.

Categories: Fiction, General