«El tiempo principia en Xibalbá», by Luis de Lión

A spatial approach from the temporality

Abstract

The novel El tiempo principia en Xibalbá, by Luis de Lión, is approached as a practice of space through the analysis of the space / time constitution based on the Mayan worldview. Due to the cultural background on which this novel is based, there is a strong link between the representations and semantizations of physical space, time, movement and characters, since the Mayans have a cyclical conception and reconstructions that separate them from the western Christian linearity. Although at a the narrative level the centre is the voice of the indigenous people, in the imaginary strong positions emerge through the opposition between the indigenous and the Ladino. Disagreement and violence between these two worlds make it impossible to create a space for dialogue. These disagreements are manifested mainly through religious practices, sexuality, violence, racism and the perception of beauty.