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This is our collection of links to Zapotec folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed our Native American legends section by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. In particular, though these legends come from the Zapotecs, the traditional stories of other Mesoamerican tribes like the Mixtec and Aztec are very similar.
Coqui-Xee
(also known as Coqui-Cilla, Piye-Tao, Pije-Tao, Pitao, Pije-Xoo, or other names):
The great Creator god of the Zapotecs, who created the world and the other gods (for which
reason Zapotec gods are often referred to with the prefix "Pitao" before their names.)
Cozaana and Huichaana:
The creators of the human race in Zapotec mythology. Cozaana, the god of hunting and the sun, was
considered as the father of the Zapotec people and Huichaana, the goddess of water and the moon,
was considered as their mother. In some myths, Huichaana gave birth to the first humans and in others,
she created them from clay. Also spelled Kozaana, Cozana, or Pitao-Cozaana
and Wichaana, Huechaana, Cochana, or Pitao-Huichaana.
Pitao:The Myths of Mexico and Peru:An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico:
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