The Annals of the Cakchiquels Part 6

[40-3] "El quinto _Cam_, esto es; amarillo, pero su significado es culebra."--Ximenez, _Las Historias del Origen de los Indios de Guatemala_, p. 215. There are two errors in this extract. The name is not _Cam_, but _Can_, and it does not mean yellow, which is _[t]an_.

[41-1] I have suggested an explanation of this strange term to apply to the highest and most beneficent of their divinities, in a short article in the _American Antiquarian_, 1885, "The Chief G.o.d of the Algonkins in his Character as a Cheat and a Liar."

[42-1] Pantaleon de Guzman, _Compendio de Nombres en Lengua Cakchiquel_, MS. On the role of the Tzitzimime in Aztec mythology see my _American Hero-Myths_, p. 78.

[42-2] "Al duende que anda en los montes llaman _ru vinakil chee_ vel _caki[c]oxol_."--Coto, _Vocabulario_, MS., s. v. Monte. _Zak_, white; _[c]ox_, to make fire. Bra.s.seur's translation, "Le blanc abime de feu,"

is indefensible.

[42-3] See a paper ent.i.tled "The Folk Lore of Yucatan," contributed by me to the _Folk-Lore Journal_, Vol. I, 1883.

[43-1] For an interesting note on the _zaztun_, see Apolinar Garcia y Garcia, _Historia de la Guerra de Castas en Yucatan_, p. XXIV (folio, Merida, 1865).

[43-2] For the derivation of Xibalbay, and for the myths referred to in the text, see my article, before referred to, _The Names of the G.o.ds in the Kiche Myths_, pp. 27, 28.

[44-1] _The Maya Chronicles_, pp. 110, 111. Vol. I of the _Library of Aboriginal American Literature_.

[45-1] Bra.s.seur, Juarros, Fuentes y Guzman, etc.

[45-2] Thomas Coto, _Vocabulario de la Lengua Cakchiquel_, MS., 1651.

Sub voce, _Sacrificar hombres_, quoting Varea.

[45-3] "Sacandole el corazon y asperjando, con la sangre de la victima a los cuatro vientos cardinales."--_Apuntamientos de la Historia de Guatemala_, p. 26.

[46-1] _The Names of the G.o.ds in the Kiche Myths_, pp. 21, 22.

[47-1] "_Labah_, agorar y guerrear, porque agoraban si la hacian o no."--Ximenez, _Vocabulario de las Tres Lenguas_, sub voce.

[47-2] These particulars are from the work of Jose Sanchez y Leon, _Apuntamientos de la Historia de Guatemala_, pp. 26, 27.

[48-1] _Recordacion Florida_, Lib. IX, Cap. VII.

[48-2] _Vocabulario de la Lengua Cakchiquel_, MS. (1651).

[48-3] _Apuntamientos de la Historia de Guatemala_, p. 27.

[49-1] Fr. Estevan Torresano, _Arte de la Lengua Cakchiquel_, MS., in my possession.

[51-1] _Supplementary Remarks to the Grammar of the Cakchiquel Language, edited by D. G. Brinton.--Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society_, 1885.

[52-1] See _The Maya Chronicles_, p. 67, and note.

[53-1] "Die bewundernswurdige Feinheit und consequente Logik in der Ausbildung des Maya Zeitwortes setzt eine Kultur voraus, die sicherlich weit ueber die Zeitraume hinaus zuruckreicht, welche man bis jetzt geneight war, der Amerikanischen Civilization zuzuschreiben."--Otto Stoll, _Zur Ethnographie der Republik Guatemala_, s. 148 (Zurich, 1884).

Compare the remarks of Wilhelm von Humboldt on the Maya conjugation, in his essay on the American verb, as published in my _Philosophic Grammar of the American Languages, as set forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt_, pp.

35-39 (Philada., 1885).

[54-1] Gavarrete's words are, "Paso por manos de muchos personas versadas en los idiomas indigenos sin que pudiese obtenerse una traduccion integra y exacta de su testo, habiendo sido bastante, sin embargo, lo que de su sentido pudo percibirse, para venir en conocimiento de su grande importancia historica."--_Boletin de la Sociedad Economica_.

[54-2] The Abbe says that Gavarrete gave him the original (_Bibliotheque Mexico-Guatemalienne_, p. 14). But that gentleman does not take to himself credit for such liberality. He writes "El testo original quedo sin embargo en su poder," etc. Ubi supra.

[57-1] As the slight aspirate, the Spanish _h_, does not exist in the Cakchiquel alphabet, nor yet the letter _d_,the[TN-12] baptismal name "Hernandez," takes the form "Ernantez."

[57-2] "Se casan muy ninos," says Sanchez y Leon, speaking of the natives.--_Apuntamientos de la Historia de Guatemala_, p. 24.

THE ANNALS

OF

THE CAKCHIQUELS.

BY

A MEMBER OF THE XAHILA FAMILY.

[Cross]

1. VAE XTINU[c,]IBAH HALAL QUITZIH HE NABEY

Ka tata ka mama, heri xeboco vinak oher mahaniok ti la[t]abex vae huyu ta[t]ah; [c]a ruyon ok umul [c,]iquin [c]oh, que cha, ha ok ki xquila[t]abeh huyu ta[t]ah he [c]a ka tata ka mama, yx nu[c]ahol, pa Tulan.

[Cross]

1. Here I am going to write a few of the sayings of our earliest fathers and ancestors, those who begot men of old, before the hills and plains here were inhabited; then only rabbits and birds were here, they say, when they took possession of the hills and plains, they, our fathers and ancestors from Tulan, oh my children.

2. Xtinu[c,]ibah [c]a quitzih ri ki he nabey ka tata ka mama [t]a[t]avitz rubi, cactecauh ru bi hunchic, he [c]oh quitzih que cha [c]a [c]haka palouh xoh pevi, pa Tulan ru bi huyu, xoh alax xoh [c]aholax vi pe ruma ka tee, ka tata, yxka[c]ahol, quecha ri oher tata mama, [t]a[t]avitz, cactecauh qui bi, ri ki xepe pa Tulan he cay chi achij heri xoh boco, oh Xahila.

2. And I shall write the sayings of our earliest fathers and ancestors, Gagavitz the name of one, Zactecauh the name of the other; and these are the sayings they spake as we came from the other side of the sea, from the land of Tulan, where we were brought forth and begotten by our mothers and our fathers, oh my children, as said of old the fathers, the ancestors, Gagavitz and Zactecauh by name, the two heroes who came from Tulan and begot us, the Xahila.

3. Va[c]a quibi ru hay ru chinamitee [t]eka[c]uch, Ba[c]ahola, Cibakihay. 1. [c]atun [c]hutiah qui bi xeboco Ba[c]ahola. 1. Tzanat [t]u[t]uchom quibi xeboco [t]eka[c]uchij; Daqui ahauh [c]hahom ahauh xeboco Cibakihayi, xaoh cahi chi chinamit ok xohpe pa Tulan, ri oh Cakchiquel vinak, yxka[c]ahol, quecha.--[c]a x[c]amar [c]a vave ri Caveki Totomay Xurcah qui bi xeboco.--Xavi [c]a x[c]amar vave ri Ahquehayi, Loch, Xet, quibi, xeboco;--xavi [c]a x[c]am ri ahPak, Telom, [c]oxahil, [c]obakil quibi xeboco; quere navipe ri Ikoma[t]i, xavi [c]a x[c]amar; he[c]a cah [c]hob ri [c]a xe[c]amar vave he ama[t].

3. These are the names of the houses and clans of Gekaquch, Bagahola and Cibakihay. 1. Qatun and Qhutiah by name, begat Bagahola. 2. Tzanat and Guguchom by name, begat those of Gekaquch.

3. The chief Daqui and the chief Ghahom begat those of Cibakihay.

Thus we were four clans when we came from Tulan, we, the Cakchiquel people, as we are told, oh my children. Those of Cavek, Totomay and Xurcah by name, also married and begat; also those of Quehay, Loch and Xet by name, married and begat; those of Pak, Telom, Qoxahil and Qobakil by name, also married and begat; and also those of Ykomag married; and these four divisions which thus married are the tribes so-called.

4. He [c]a [c]oh quitzih ri [t]a[t]avitz, cactecauh xe re [c]aki ru xe quitzih vae quecha [c]ari [t]a[t]avitz cactecauh: Cahi xpe vi vinak pa Tulan; chi relebal [t]ih, hun Tullan: hun chi [c]a chi Xibalbay, hun [c]a chu kahibal [t]ih chi ri [c]a xoh pevi chukahibal [t]ih, hun chi vi [c]a chi [c]abovil. Quere[c]a cahi vi Tullan ri yxka[c]ahol, quecha; chu kahibal [c]a [t]ih xoh pa vi Tullan, [c]ha[c]a palouh; [c]a[c]o viri Tullan chiri[c]a xohalax vi ul xoh [c]aholax vipe ruma ruma ka tee ka tata quecha.

4. These are the sayings of Gagavitz and Zactecauh, and these are the very words which Gagavitz and Zactecauh spoke: "Four men came from Tulan; at the sunrise is one Tullan, and one is at Xibalbay, and one is at the sunset; and we came from this one at the sunset; and one is where is G.o.d. Therefore there are four Tulans, they say, oh our sons; from the sunsetting we came, from Tullan, from beyond the sea; and it was at Tullan that arriving we were brought forth, coming we were produced, by our mothers and our fathers, as they say.

5. Tan [c]a talax ri chay abah, ruma raxa Xibalbay [t]ana Xibalbay, tan[c]ati [c,]ak vinak ruma [c,]akol bitol; tzukul richin ri chay abah ok x[c,]ak ri vinak pan pokon [c]a xutzin vinak, xtiho chee, xtiho [c]a xaki ruyon uleuh xrah oc; mani [c]a x[c]hao, mani xbiyin, mani [c]a ru quiquel ru tiohil xux, quecha e nabey ka tata ka mama, yxnu[c]ahol; mani [c]a xcanay rixoc, [c]arunah [c]a xcanay rixoc: xae chay chi chicop etamayon [c]o vi ri echa pam Paxil ru bi huyu [c]ovi hari chicop Utiuh, Koch qui bi. Xa[c]a pa rachak xcanay vi, tok xcamicax [c]a ri chicop utiuh xpo[c]hel chupam ri yxim tan [c]a tibe canox yo[t]bal richin ruma chicop tiuh tiuh rubi, [c]a chupam palouh xpe vi ruma tiuh tiuh ru quiquel tixli c.u.matz xoc xyo[t]bex richin ri yxim: x[c,]akbex richin ru tiohil vinak ruma [c,]akol bitol [c]a ha ki etamayom ri [c,]akol bitol alom [c]aholom he xe [c,]ako vinak [c,]ak que cha xutzin [c]a vinak [c,]ak, oxlahuh achij, cahlahuh [c]a ixok xux; x[c]ohe ruvi, [c]ate [c]a ok xe[c]hao xebiyin, x[c]ohe qui quiquel qui tiohil. Xe[c]ulu[c]u xin [c]a he [c]a cay ri xhayil hun xux. Quere[c]a xla[t]o vi vinak ri quecha oher vinak, yxka[c]ahol; xemealan xe[c]aholan [c]a ri he nabey vinak.

Quere[c]a ru banic vinak rij, quere navipe rubanic chay abah ri [c,]apal [c]a ruchi ri Tullan, xoh pe vi xahun chi co[c,] [c,]apibal ru chij ri Tullan xoh alax vi ul xoh [c]aholax vipe, xya vipe ri kikan chi [t]ek.u.m chi a[t]a, yx ka[c]ahol; xecha can ri [t]a[t]avitz, cactecauh, yxnu[c]ahol, xa[c]a mani xquimeztah ru tzihoxic. He [c]iyaley chi e ka mama; [c]oh quitzih oher takchibal [c]a quichin vae.

5. "And now is brought forth the Obsidian Stone by the precious Xibalbay, the glorious Xibalbay, and man is made by the Maker, the Creator; the Obsidian Stone was his sustainer, when man was made in misery, and when man was formed; he was fed with wood, he was fed with leaves; he wished only the earth; he could not speak, he could not walk; he had no blood, he had no flesh; so say our fathers, our ancestors, oh you my sons. Nothing was found to feed him; at length something was found to feed him. Two brutes knew that there was food in the place called Paxil, where these brutes were, the Coyote and the Crow by name. Even in the refuse of maize it was found, when the brute Coyote was killed as he was separating his maize, and was searching for bread to knead, (killed) by the brute Tiuh Tiuh by name; and the blood of the serpent and the tapir was brought from within the sea by means of Tiuh Tiuh, with which the maize was to be kneaded; the flesh of man was formed of it by the Maker, the Creator; and well did they, the Maker and the Creator, know him who was born, him who was begotten; they made man as he was made, they formed man as they made him, so they tell. There were thirteen men, fourteen women; they talked, they walked, they had blood, they had flesh. They married, and one had two wives.

Therefore the race copulated, this race of old, as they tell, oh our sons. They brought forth daughters, they brought forth sons, those first men. Thus men were made, and thus the Obsidian Stone was made, for the enclosure of Tullan; thus we came to where the Zotzils were at the gates of Tullan; arriving we were born, coming we were produced, coming we gave the tribute, in the darkness, in the night, oh our sons." Thus spoke Gagavitz and Zactecauh, oh my sons, and what they said has not been forgotten. They are our great ancestors; these are the words with which they encouraged us of old.