Of masks and Mayans: Books in brief

""Masks have signified hope and despair, courage and cowardice, a sense of community and a sense of selfishness." All of these emotions - known to those who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic - underpin this engrossing, finely illustrated account by historians Bruno Strasser and Thomas Schlich (who was previously a physician). Their discussions cover theatrical performances in ancient Greece, plagues and gas attacks in the First World War and present-day urban smog and surgery, while addressing the crucial issue of mask efficacy."

"Deciphering Mesoamerica's ancient Maya hieroglyphs was a fascinating achievement of the twentieth century. But "about one-third" of some 1,000 distinct hieroglyphs "remain to be deciphered", notes anthropologist Mallory Matsumoto in her intriguing book about ancient Maya myths. The logical structure of the Maya calendar, which could accurately predict astronomical phenomena such as eclipses, is clear, as is the Maya's preoccupation with the natural world. But their beliefs - which included human sacrifice - are not."

"Leprosy has had a complex, confusing history even after its causative bacterium was identified in 1873. In this gripping account, journalist Oliver Basciano quotes a 1960 novel by Graham Greene, A Burnt-Out Case: "What strange ideas people have about leprosy, doctor." "They learn about it from the Bible, like sex." Basciano journeys from Brazil to Japan and Mozambique in search of insights. He concludes that today's grim image of leprosy stems from a nineteenth-century myth created to justify outcasting those affected."

Masks have embodied emotions including hope, despair, courage, cowardice, communal responsibility, and perceived selfishness during pandemics. Historical tracing connects mask use from ancient Greek theater through First World War gas masks to modern urban smog and surgical practice, while considering efficacy. Maya hieroglyph decipherment achieved major gains, yet about one-third of roughly 1,000 signs remain undeciphered; the Maya calendar accurately predicted astronomical events and reflected close engagement with the natural world, while religious beliefs included human sacrifice. Leprosy retained complex social meanings after the bacterium's discovery in 1873, and modern stigma traces to nineteenth-century myths that justified outcasting.

Read at Nature