inimical powers, under the guise of birds, to obstruct and deceive the
Cakchiquels. The _chahalcivan_ is a small bird which builds in the rocky
sides of the ravines, and is called by the Spaniards by a literal
translation, "_El guarda barranca_," the gully-guard. The _tucur_ is the
owl; this name being apparently an abbreviation of the Nahuatl
_tecolotl_. The bird called _[c]anixt_ is the Spanish _cotorra_, a
small species of parrot. (Guzman, _Compendio de Nombres_, MS.)
On the word _labalinic_, see Introduction, p. 47.
14. The owl sat on the red tree, the _caka chee_, whence, as we learn
later, the tribe derived its name, Cakchiquel--a doubtful derivation.
_Chee abah_, wood and stone; understood to refer to the idols of these
substances.
_Ca[t]ih_, for _Cak[t]ih_, the spring. Father Coto has the following
under the words: "_Estio vel verano, Cak[t]ih; pa cak [t]ih_, en el
estio vel verano. Y nota que los que nosotros decimos en saliendo el
verano, o que quando para, estos lo entrinden al contrario; porque
decin, _mixel cak [t]ih, mani chic ru [t]ih hab_, ya salio el verano, no
ay mas aguero."
16. The _cak chee_, red tree, is translated by Father Guzman, "arbol de
carreta." The legendary derivation of the name Cakchiquel from this is
doubtful. _[c]hamey_ may mean something more than staff; it is applied
to the staff of office, the _baton de commandement_ carried by the
alguacils, etc.
The whole paragraph is obscure, but seems to describe their leaving the
sandy shore of the sea, passing out of sight of land, then coming in
sight of it again, and going ashore.
17. The word _ikan_, burden, here as elsewhere, is usually translated by
Brasseur, "tribute."
18. _Ah chay_, literally, "master of obsidian." As this stone was
largely used for arrow heads and other weapons, the expression in this
connection seems to mean "master of arms." _Ah [c]am_, from _[c]am_, to
take, seize. Brasseur construes these words as in apposition to _vach_:
"Whom shall we make our master of arms," etc.
_Etamayom_, from the root _et_, mark, sign; _etamah_, to know, to be
skilled in an art; _etamayom_, he who knows (see _Grammar_, pp. 27, 56).
Brasseur's rendering, "_le Voyant_," is less accurate. See his
translation of this passage in the _Hist. du Mexique_, Tome II, p. 92.
_[c]okikan_; Brasseur gives to this the extraordinary rendering,
"parfumes d'ambre." But Coto states that it was the term applied to the
loads of roasted maize, which were the principal sustenance of the
natives on their journeys.
19. The narration continues in the words of the ancestral heroes, who
speak in the first person, plural.
_Nonovalcat_, _Xulpit_; the first of these names is decidedly Nahuatl,
and recurs in the _Maya Chronicles_. See Introduction, p. 44. The second
is clearly of Maya origin. These localities are located by Brasseur on
the Laguna de Terminos, near the mouth of the Usumacinta.
20. Having defeated their enemies in the field, the Cakchiquels seized
their boats and ventured an attack on the town, in which they were
repulsed.
_Zuyva_; this famous name in Aztec mythology, was also familiar to the
Maya tribes. (See _The Maya Chronicles_, p. 110.) The term _ah zuyva_
seems here employed as a general term for the Nahuatl-speaking nations.
(See above, p. 44.)
_Ca[c]_; I do not find this word in any dictionary; perhaps it is for
_ca[c,]_, a variety of wasp.
"When we asked each other," etc. Here follow some fragments of legends,
explaining the origin of the names of the tribes. They are quite
imaginary.
_Tohohil_, from _tohoh_, to resound in the water and the sky (sonar el
rio y el ayre, _Dicc. Cak. Anon._); not _clangor armorum_, as Brasseur
translates it, but sounds of nature. _Tohil_ was the name of the
principal Quiche divinity, and was supposed by Brasseur and Ximenez to
be an abbreviated form of Tohohil. But I have given reasons for
supposing it to mean "justice," "equity," and this legend was devised to
explain it, when its true etymology had become lost. (See my _Names of
the Gods in the Kiche Myths_, p. 23.)
_Cakix_; the bird so called, the _Ara macao_, of ornithologists, was one
of the totemic signs of the Zotzil families of the Cakchiquels. The
author here intimates that the name Cakchiquel is from _cakix_ and
_chi_, month, forgetting that he has already derived it from _cak chee_
(Sec. 16).
_Chita[t]ah_; "in the valley."
_[t]u[t]cumatz_; see notes on Sec. 38.
_Ahcic ama[t]_; "the town on high," built on some lofty eminence.
_Akahal_; the derivation suggested is from _akah_, a honey-comb or
wasp's nest.
_Caker_. This is an important word in Xahila's narrative. It is derived
from _cak_, white; hence, _caker_, to become white; also, to dawn, to
become light; metaphorically, of persons to become enlightened or
civilized. The active form, _cakericah_, means to inform, to acquaint
with, to instruct.
21. _Nima [c]oxom, nima chah_, Brasseur translates, "great ravines,
enormous oaks;" _ch[)a]h_ is oak, _ch[=a]h_, ashes; _[c]ox_, to strike
fire, to clash stones together. _[c]hopiytzel_, "the bad place where the
flesh is torn from the body," referring probably to sharp stones and
thorns. _Popo abah_, the Council Stone.
_Molomu chee_, "wood gathered together or piled up." It is noteworthy
that this, which seems to be the name of a place, means in Cakchiquel
the same as _Quauhtemallan_, Guatemala, in Nahuatl. Perhaps the Aztec
allies of Alvarado merely translated the Cakchiquel name of the country.
(See Introduction, p. 22, note.)
_Xahun chi lol_; a difficult phrase, translated by Brasseur, "le dernier
rejeton;" _lol_ is applied to a condition of desertion and silence, as
that of an abandoned mill or village. On _halebal_, see Introduction, p.
46.
On Zaki[c]oxol, and the conflict with him, see the Introduction, p. 42.
22. _Ru chahim_; Brasseur translates this phrase, "between the fire and
the ashes," taking _chahim_ from _ch[=a]h_, ashes. But I take it to be
from the verb _chahih_, to guard, as later in the paragraph the question
is asked: "_Nak rumal tachahih bey?_" "Why guardest thou the road?"
_xcha [c]a ok xul_; "apres qu'il eut parle, il joua sur la flute."
Brasseur. The Abbe here mistook the preterit of _ul_ to arrive, for the
noun _xul_, a flute.
_ru [c]ux huyu_. The ambiguity of the word _huyu_, here, as often,
offers difficulty in ascertaining the precise sense of the original. It
means mountain or hill, woods or forest, or simply place or locality.
While _[c]ux_, means literally "heart," it also has the sense, "soul,
spirit." (Coto, _Vocabulario_, MS. s. v. _Corazon_.) Hence, the phrase
may be translated "the Spirit of the Forest," or "of the Mountain."
Brasseur prefers the latter, while I lean to the former.
_roquecam_, from the root _oc_, to enter; applied to garments "that
which is entered," or put on. Compare our slang expression, "to get into
one's clothes."
_xahpota_, see Introduction, p. 18.
23. _Yukuba_, to string out; hence, to name _seriatim_. The last four
names given are clearly Nahuatl, as is also Zuchitan. This indicates
that the Cakchiquels, in their wanderings, had now entered the territory
of the Pipils, of the Pacific slope.
_Cholama[t]_; "the tribe of the Chols," or "of the corn fields." The
Chols were a Maya tribe, who lived around Palenque (see Stoll,
_Ethnographie der Rep. Guatemala_, pp. 89-93), but the reference in the
text is not to them, nor yet to the Mams, as Brasseur thought, but to a
nation speaking a non-Maya tongue.
_Vaya vaya ela opa_. I have given several reasons for the opinion that
these words are in the Xinca language. See my essay _On the Xinca
Indians of Guatemala_, in the _Proceedings of the American Philosophical
Society_, 1885.
24. _Mem_, dumb, silent, incapable of speech. _Tin memuh vi_, I am dumb,
I keep silence; given in the text as the origin of the _nomen gentile_,
Mam. The Mams speak a dialect of the Maya, probably scarcely
intelligible to the Cakchiquels. They at present dwell in the
northwestern districts of the Republic of Guatemala. See Stoll,
_Ethnographie der Rep. Guatemala_, pp. 164-5.
25. _Nacxit_. On this passage Brasseur builds his theory of the
formation of a great Toltec empire in Central America, about the close
of the eleventh century (_Hist. des Nations Civilisees[TN-28] du
Mexique_, Tom. II, pp. 101-5). He explains _Nacxit_ as the last two
syllables of _Topiltzin Acxitl_, a title of Quetzalcoatl. _Cinpual
Taxuch_ is undoubtedly from the same tongue. _Orbal tzam_, Bored Nose,
the pendent from the nose being apparently a sign of dignity, as the
pierced ears of the Incas.
_vapal abah_, "the lintel stone," here used in the metaphorical sense of
"the corner stone."
26. The description of the dance of the Pokomams, leads us to suppose
that the author means it was a war dance. The Pokomams dwell at present
in the southeastern part of the Republic of Guatemala.
_chicop Cakbim_; the savage or barbarian Zakbim. See Introduction, p.
39.
27. _Tzaktzuy_. Brasseur translates "Chateau des Citrouilles," mistaking
_tzak_ for _[c,]ak_, as he does throughout the passage; _tzuy_ means
also cup or gourd, and the name may be rendered either "the ensnaring
cup," or "vine." Possibly it refers to a scene of drunkenness.
_ri retal_; the sign or mark. Brasseur translates it "limit" or
"landmark" of the Ahquehays. These were one of the noble families of the
Quiche stock.
28. _Oronic Cakhay_, "the Red House of the Nobles," said by Brasseur to
be a hill, one league west of the modern village of Rabinal.
_Tecpan_, "the royal house." See Introduction, p. 13.
_[c,]umah chi qui [c]ux_; Brasseur translates these words, "cuirasses
sur la poitrine," and says this was the name of the Pokomams (_Hist.
Mex._, II, p. 126). _[c,]uum_ is leather or skin, and _[c]ux_ is heart;
but _[c,]umah_, and later, _x[c,]umax_, is a verb, signifying to lower,
to depress.
"The venison and honey." This sentence is apparently a gibe or jeer,
addressed by the defenders of Cakhay to Gagavitz after his attack on
their city had been repulsed.
29. _Ah queh hay_, "those of the deer (skin) houses."
_xakoti[c]en a titil a [t]ana abah._ Brasseur translates, "il ne nous
est reste que les vieilles femmes et les pierres deja hautes." This
illustrates how far he is from the correct meaning at times. For these
words, see notes to Sec. 41.
30. _Xhachatah qui vach._ Brasseur gives this literally, "leurs faces
ensuite se diviserent;" but _vach_ means also "fruit, results,
possessions," and so I render it.
31. _[t]a[t] xanul_, "the uncoverer of fire." This is supposed by
Brasseur to be the name of a volcano, and the whole episode to refer to
a pretended miracle. See his _Hist. Mexique_, Vol. II, pp. 166-7. He
calls the passage "fort difficile," which it certainly is.
32. _Cakcho[t]._ "Brule a blanc," is Brasseur's translation, but I
cannot verify it. No such stone is mentioned in Guzman's list of
Cakchiquel names of stones. It would seem that there were fourteen chief
performers in the dance of [t]a[t] xanul,[TN-29] and that they took the
name of certain stones.
34. _Chi [t]alibal_, "at the seat;" but the author chooses to derive it
from _[t]a_, hand, which is a doubtful etymology.
35. The episode of Tolgom, his capture and death, is explained by
Brasseur, _suo more_, as the destruction of the ruler of an independent
tribe on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
_[c]habak Nicnic_, the quivering mud, perhaps the quicksand. This
strange name adds to the obscurity of the legend.
_[c]akbatzulu._ The punning explanation of this name refers to its
similarity to _[c]ak_, to place in front of another; also to shoot with
arrows, or to stone. Its real derivation seems to be _[c]akba_, from
_[c]akaba_, to reveal, disclose, and _tzulu_, to embrace, sleep
together. (Compare _chee tzulu_, later on.)
37. His song, _i. e._, his death song.
_Chee tzulu_, "the interlaced trees."
_Uchum_, the fifth month of the Cakchiquel calendar. See Introduction,
p. 29.
38. _Ri tzam tzakbal Tol[c]om_, "throwing the extremities of Tolgom."
The reference to this festival is too slight to enable us to understand
it.
_Chi tulul_, "at the zapote trees."
_Qabouil Abah_, "the Stone God," possibly the Chay Abah before referred
to.
_Cu[c,]u cumatz_; the latter is the generic term for snake, but the
meaning of the prefix is uncertain. Perhaps it should read _cuxcu_, to
move in spiral lines, as is described in the text. This miraculous form
was one of Gagavitz's metamorphoses.
_Nak ruma tiqui [c]am_, etc. These words of the hero Gagavitz are not
easy to translate. They seem to chide the Cakchiquels for their weakness
in seeking women, and to announce his intention to remain among the
Tzutuhils.
_ru [c]hac pe ri ne[c][=a]h coon_; perhaps this should be translated,
"the organs of the women have conquered."
39. _Cakeribal_, civilization, their becoming civilized. On the meaning
of this word see note to Sec. 20.
_abah [c]uval_; the precious stone offered by Ba[c]ahol as the price of
royalty, indicates that such carved gems were in high esteem. _[c]uval_
is translated by Guzman and others, "diamond;" but it was probably
native jade.
_Chuluc balam_, literally "tiger piss," the name of a common medicinal
plant, used in Guatemala as a diuretic (Guzman). In this connection it
either means the totem of a gens, or refers to a magic rite. The former
seems to be indicated by the term _chicop_ (see Introd. p. 39).
_xahun chi raxon ru halebal_, a punning allusion to the name of the hill
Paraxone. Brasseur translates it "qui possedent l'un et l'autre ces
oiseaux bleus enchanteurs."
40. _The sun had risen_, etc. All these expressions are to be understood
metaphorically, with reference to the growing civilization of the
tribes.
41. The description of the installation of Ba[c]ahol as head chief, is
an interesting passage. Unfortunately, several of the terms used are not
found in the dictionaries, at least with any appropriate meaning. Thus,
_paz_ is now applied to the swathing bands of infants; _cucul_ is the
cradle or bundle in which infants are fastened; while _ta[c]h_ I have
not found at all. Guzman gives the expression, _titil [t]ana abah, caka
uleuh xak_, with the explanation, "Colores con que ungian los senores,"
and _Ah titil_, etc., "Senores ungidos de estos colores quando eran
puestos en senorios." (_Compendio de Nombres en Lengua Cakchiquel_, MS.,
170-4.)
_[t]u[t]u cot_; _cot_, eagle; _[t]u[t]_, the general term for various
species of quetzals, birds with brilliant green plumage. The reference
seems to be to one of the magical metamorphoses of [t]a[t]avitz.[TN-30]
42. The difficulties experienced in their first endeavors to adopt a
sedentary and agricultural life are described.
_chicop [c]uch_, the "zopilote," or carrion vulture. Possibly this
refers to a gens so designated.
43. In this paragraph the writer expresses himself with great
directness.
_[c]a chimin_, etc. As my translation differs considerably from
Brasseur's, I add his: "En se mariant ils firent l'euvre de la chair
vraiment trop grande. Etant entres pour se baigner, ils y rompirent leur
nature et gaspillerent leur semence. Beaucoup y entrerent dit-on, pour
completer l'euvre charnelle, on la commit une seconde fois, le jeu s'y
etablit absolument, et l'on forniqua par devant et par derriere."
44. This section offers an important description of the ancient methods
of worship.
_[c]axto[c]._ See the Introduction, p. 40.
_mez_, the house cat, but as this animal was not known to the natives
before the Conquest, some other animal must be intended.
_holom ocox_, "head fungus." I follow Brasseur in translating this the
maguey thorns, without being able to justify it.
_Chay Abah._ See Introduction, p. 43.
46. Whitewashing the interior of hollow trees with lime from the
excrements of birds and tigers, sounds so extraordinary that we may
suspect a mythical sense in the paragraph.
_chi [c]ohom_, from _[c]oh_, to dance the sacred dances in their
religious rites, "the place of the sacred ceremonies."
Cay Noh, Two Noh, Cay Batz, Two Batz, named after the days of their
birth. See Introduction, p. 33.
47. _The same who came from Tulan._ Therefore, from the beginning of the
narrative to the present passage, merely the adult life of one man has
elapsed.
48. On the positions of the _[t]alel_ and _ahuchan_, see Introduction,
p. 37.
_ret ri Cactecauh_, "the sign of Zactecauh." The precise meaning of this
expression escapes me.
_[c]hopiytzel._ See Sec. 30 for the occurrence alluded to.
49. _Tepeuh_ is identified by Brasseur with the king _Itztayul_, of the
Quiches (_Hist. Mexique_, II, p. 485). He considers it a Nahuatl word,
but I have elsewhere maintained that it is from the Maya-Cakchiquel root
_tep_, filled up, abundantly supplied. See _The Names of the Gods in the
Kiche Myths_, pp. 11, 12. It is a term often applied to their Supreme
Being.
52. _Cakbrakan_, the god of the earthquake. The myths concerning him are
given in the _Popol Vuh_.
_Quite to the far East_, literally, "and even to the sunrise."
_ba[c,]bal_, anything drawn out in threads, gold thread, cotton thread,
etc. If the word is to be construed adjectively, _puak ba[c,]pal_ would
mean "worked metal."
56. _Ahpop Xahil_, etc.; on the meaning of these titles, see the
Introduction, p. 36-7.
63. _Ya [c]otox ul_; _[c]ot_, to chisel, engrave, originally to cut
into; hence, applied to the deep valleys or canons which the rivers cut
into the soil.
_Ochal_ or _Qabouil Civan_; the latter name means "the god of the
ravine." The location of this city is unknown, except that it was near
the Pacific. The general position of the Akahals was to the east of the
Cakchiquels. See Brasseur, _Hist. Mexique_, Tom. II, pp. 502, 530.
64. _Me[t]enalah huyu_, a town in the warm district, the _tierra
caliente_, near the southern or Pacific coast.
_chuvi vi te_, etc. The translation is doubtful. I follow Brasseur.
66. The names of the four rulers here inserted seem to be of those who
held the power after Citan Qatu. Why the author does not relate any
incidents of their lives is uncertain. Perhaps they did not belong to
his family, and as he was writing rather a family than a national
history, he omitted them for this reason. Compare Sec. 75.
67. The Quiche king, Qikab, is frequently mentioned in the _Popol Vuh_.
His full name was _[t]a[t]-[c]i-[t]ab_, The Many Hands of Fire.
79. _They wished that the roads should be free_; _rambey akan_, "la
franchise des chemins." I do not find the expression in the
dictionaries.
83. _Mixutzin malo_, "the augury is finished." The _malol ixim_ was the
augur who divined the future by throwing up grains of corn, and
forecasting from the relative positions they assumed on falling. See
Introd., p. 47.
_cunum cachak_, a term of contempt; literally "their genitals, their
dung."
The _Ratzamut_. See Introd., p. 21.
84. _Burning many roads_; destroying the houses and crops behind them.
90. _hu chuvy, ca chuvy_; in the numeral system of the Cakchiquels a
_chuvy_ is 8000, but the expression is frequently, as here, to be taken
figuratively, like our "myriads."
93. _ah-xit_, etc. On these titles see the Introduction, pp. 18, 19.
94. _Vica[t] nu mam_, "the leaves or branches of my ancestor," referring
to the fact that the Cakchiquels were of the same blood as the Akahals.
96. _Cakli[c]ahol_, etc. This rendering, which is Brasseur's, I am
unable to verify.
_tok relic chic ahauh lahuh noh_; perhaps this should read, "then came
the chief Lahuh Noh." So Brasseur translates it.
102. _There were four women_, etc. This curious passage is so
differently translated by Brasseur, that I add his rendering:--
"Quatre femmes alors s'etant revetues de cottes de mailles,
ensanglanterent leurs arcs et prirent part a la bataille; elles
s'etaient accompagnes de quatres jeunes gens et leurs fleches allerent
frapper au milieu du tapis de Chucuybatzin, lances qu' elles etaient par
ces heros.... Le capitaine de bataille exposa ensuite les nudites de ces
femmes devant les murailles des Zotziles et des Xahiles d'ou ces femmes
etaient sorties."
The future student will decide between these very diverse explanations
of the text.
106. _Stopped the messengers of the ruler._ The translation is doubtful.
109. The people of Mixco or Mixcu were Pokomams. (See Sec. 85.)
110. _The Yaquis of Xivico_; the _Yaquis_ were Aztecs. It is the Nahuatl
_yaqui_, merchants, as it was in this capacity that they first became
known to the tribes of Guatemala.
117. This year, 1511 of our era, appears to have been the first of
official relations between the Aztecs and the tribes of Guatemala.
118. The author speaks of himself for the first time. It may be presumed
that it was one of his earliest recollections.
120. _The doves_; possibly flights of wild pigeons.
124. _Hu may_; on the reckoning of time see the Introduction, p. 31.
127. _[c]hac_, the pestilence. Brasseur translates this "la maladie
syphilitique." The vowel is long, _[c]haac_. It is a word applied to any
eruptive disease, to the whole class of exanthemata. From the symptoms,
I am inclined to believe that it was an epidemic of malignant measles, a
disease very fatal to the natives of Central America.
128. _Diego Juan._ Why this Spanish name is given, I cannot explain.
Brasseur gets over the difficulty by translating "le pere de Diego
Juan," but this is not the sense of the original. Of course, _tata_ and
_mama_ are here used in their vague sense, as expressions of courtesy.
See Introduction, p. 35.
144. Pedro de Alvarado, called the _Adelantado_, a Spanish title
formerly given to a governor of a province, and by his Mexican allies,
_Tonatiuh_, the Sun or Sun-God, reached the city of Gumarcaah, or
Utlatlan in the early spring of 1524.
147. _Were burned alive._ "As I knew their evil intentions, and to keep
the people quiet, I burned them, and ordered their city razed to its
foundation," writes Alvarado to Cortes. _Relacion, etc._
_400 men._ Alvarado writes _cuatro mil hombres_, "four thousand men."
148. _The palace of Tzupam._ Perhaps the palace described by Fuentes.
See Introduction, p. 24. Alvarado speaks of the friendly reception he
met with: "I could not have been more warmly welcomed to the house of my
father." _Otra Relacion_, etc. His first visit was for eight days, April
11-19, 1524.
_Pa hul_, etc. This obscure passage is translated by Brasseur in his MS.
as follows: "Vous avez vu la-bas leur tombeau qui est au milieu des
autres;" whereas, in his _Hist. du Mexique_, Tom. IV, p. 651, he
translates the whole of this reply of the Cakchiquel king by these
words: "Eh quoi! aurais-je envoye mes guerriers et mes braves mourir
pour vous et chercher un tombeau a Gumarcaah, si j'avais eu des
intentions si perfides!"
This comparison will illustrate how differently he construed the
passage, and also what excessive license he took with his authorities.
171. The order assigning the Oidor Alonso de Maldonado to take charge of
Guatemala, is dated Oct. 27, 1535, and he arrived there in the following
May.
On his return from Spain, Alvarado landed at Puerto de Caballos, April
4, 1539, and reached the city of Guatemala Sept. 16th of the same year.
"On account of his lineage," _Ruma ru chinamital_; the expression is not
clear.
173.[TN-31] "Prince of the city," _Ahauh pa tinamit_; see Sec. 168. Cahi
Imox and others had returned to settle in Iximche, and their actions had
become suspicious.
173. Francisco de Alvarado was either the uncle or cousin of Don Pedro.
The Adelantado died July 5, 1541, from an injury received while
attacking the stronghold of Nochistlan.
174. This disaster occurred on the night of Sept. 10-11th, 1541.
The mission referred to is mentioned by Torquemada, _Monarquia Indiana_,
Lib. XIX, Cap. XIV. Pedro de Angulo and his companion reached Guatemala
in 1539.
175. "On account of ashes," _Ruma chah_; Brasseur translates this
expression, "a cause de billevesees."
176. Juan Rogel was one of the "oidores."
177. Alonso Lopez Cerrato entered upon his duties in Guatemala May 26,
1548.
179. Pedro Ramirez de Quinones. The actor in this attempt was one of the
oidores. Bancroft, who refers to the quarrel between the Governor and
Bishop Marroquin, does not satisfactorily explain it. See his _Hist. of
Central America_, Vol. II, pp. 326-7. On Ramirez, see Juarros, _Hist.
Guatemala_, Tom. I, pp. 235-6.