Diego de Landa

Diego de Landa (1524 - 1579) was Bishop of the Yucatan and is most known for two things. He is the author of the "Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan" in which he catalogs the Mayan language, culture and writing, and for ordering the burning of all Mayan books because he thought they were inspired by the devil.

Describing his own actions later, de Landa said that, "We found a large number of books in these characters and, as they contained nothing in which were not to be seen as superstition and lies of the devil, we burned them all, which they (the Maya) regretted to an amazing degree, and which caused them much affliction".

Only three Mayan texts and fragments of a fourth survived.