Chapter 15
_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.
181. Antonio Rodriguez de Quezada took possession of the Presidency of Guatemala Jan. 14, 1554, and retained it till his death in November, 1558; he was succeeded by Pedro Ramirez. (Comp. Juarros, I, p. 255, with Bancroft, _Hist. Cent. Am._, II, p. 358, who says 1555.)
181.[TN-32] "There was but little between them," _Xa [c]a halal qui cohol ahauh_; this expression is not clear. There appears to be considerable vagueness in the writer's chronology in this passage.
"He did not condemn any one, because he had no time," _Mani xuban ru [t]atbaltzih, mani xyaloh_; an ignorant statement, since he held the Presidency about four years.
The reading of the last sentence is doubtful.
182. Vico was killed in the summer of 1555.
184. The expedition against the Lacandons took place early in 1559.
VOCABULARY.
=A=, _n._ A year; the thigh; _pron._ thy.
=Abah=, _n._ A stone; a jar; the private parts.
=Aca=, _part._ Related, affined. See p. 32.
=Ach.= A prefix indicating companionship.
=Achak=, _n._ Excrement, offal, refuse, waste.
=Achcayupil=, _n._ Quilted cotton defensive armor; or perhaps a two-pointed lance; from _ach_, united; _cay_, two; _uopih_, to wound with a lance. See p. 18.
=Achii=, _n._ Man (vir).
=Achpe=, _v._ To accompany one.
=Achpetic=, _n._ That which accompanies one.
=Achya=, _v._ To receive (Brasseur); to give with.
=Achyaic=, _n._ That which is given along with something else; _yaic_, passive verbal from _ya_, to give.
=Aco[c,]ih=, _v._ (For the more usual _[t]ocih_). To strike or beat, especially a drum.
=Ah=, _n._ Name of a day. A prefix. _Gram._ p. 55.
=Ahauh=, _n._ Ruler, chief, lord. See p. 36.
=Ahauarem=, _n._ Majesty, power.
=Ahcic=, _adv._ Up, above, on top.
=Ahilah=, _v._ To count or reckon with grains of corn or cacao, after the Indian fashion.
=Ahilan=, _v._ To count, to number.
=Ahlabal=, _n._ Warrior, fighting man. See _Labal_.
=Aho=, _v._ To wish, to like.
=Ahpop=, _n._ The head chief. "_El cacique mayor._[TN-33] See p. 36.
=Ahpop[c]amahay=, _n._ An official messenger, especially an official sent to collect tribute. See p. 36.
=Ah-tzih=, _n._ Speaker, orator. See p. 37.
=Ah-[c,]ib=,[TN-34] _n._ A scribe.
=Akah=, _n._ A hornet.
=Akan=, _n._ Leg, foot.
=Al=, _n._ Son, child.
=Alabil=, _n._ Slave, servant.
=Alah=, _v._ To bear, to carry; hence, to bring forth, to give birth to, as a woman a child.
=Alan=, _v._ To ridicule, depreciate.
=Ama[t]=, _n._ Village, tribe, region or district. See p. 33.
=An=, _part._ An emphatic particle, truly, really.
=Aneh=, _v._ To flee, escape.
=Anom=, _n._ A fugitive.
=At=, _pron._ Thou.
=Atinicah=, _v._ To bathe.
=Avan=, _n._ Crops, plantings.
=A[t]a=, _n._ Night, darkness.
=A[c,]axah=, _v._ To hear, to listen to.
=Bak=, _v._ To bore. _n._ A bone.
=Bala=, _adv._ Where.
=Balam=, _n._ A tiger.
=Balbaxin=, _adj._ Twisted, interlaced, dense.