Popol Vuh

The nine Nihaib lords and their titles are the following: Lord Magistrate and Lord Herald; Magistrate of the Reception House and Great Reception House; Mother of the Reception House and Great Steward of the Nihaibs; Auilix, Yacolatam (Corner of the Reed Mat), Zaclatol, and Great Emissary of the Sprout Giver.

The four Ahau lords and their titles are the following: Herald Person and Lord Emissary, Great Lord Steward of the Ahau, and Lord Hacavitz.

The twenty-four lords representing the three lineages of Quichés are celebrated and have many servants who build their homes and erect houses for their gods. Presiding over them and ensuring their greatness are the lords, Lord Cucumatz and Lord Co Tuha. Lord Cucumatz inspires awe and fear. He possesses magical abilities that allow him to transform into someone who can rise in the sky or turn into a serpent. He can also become an eagle, jaguar, or pool of blood. Because of his powers, he is revered and conquer over the lords of the other nations.

Eventually, the lords of Cumarcah bear sons. The fifth generation of lords begins with the birth of Tepepul and Iztayul, who also will eventually bear sons.

The sixth generation of Quiché lords consists of two great lords named Quicab and Cauizimah. Quicab and Cauizimah assert their greatness by binding their enemies to wooden posts and draining them of their blood as sacrifice. They shoot arrows at the other nations’ citadels. This causes the earth to split open, and thunder to shatter stones. Out of fear, the nations would make offerings before the Pine Resin Tree. They are renowned for splitting apart the citadels and canyons of the other nations when they used to be close together. By splitting up the other nations’ citadels, Quicab and Cauizimah show their power over the other nations. As a result, the nations pay tribute to Quicab and Cauizimah.

Quicab, along with the lords known as Magistrate and the Herald, instruct the other Quiché lords that they should send guardians to the mountains, to act as sentinels and notify the lords of any oncoming attack from their enemies. As a result, the Quiché people are separated while acting as guardians to their people and homes. The Cavecs, Nihaibs, and the Ahau, along with the Tamub and the Ilocab, disperse their people to act as guardians. Soon, they become powerful, skillfully using their bows during warfare and bringing back enemy captives to serve them. Quicab, along with the lords, Ah Pop, Ah Pop of the Reception House, Magistrate, and Herald decide that those who have acted as guardians should be rewarded. They will receive the ranking of nobility. 

Ah Pop, the Ah Pop of the Reception House, Magistrate, and the Herald appoint twenty magistrates and twenty ah pops out of the people who serve as guardians and messengers during war. The titles that are given are as follows: Eleven Great Stewards, Magistrates of the Lords, Magistrates of the Zaquics, Military Magistrates, Military Ah Pops, Military Palisade Masters, and Military Border Masters. The Tamub and the Ilocab do the same with their people, raising their guardians to the rank of nobility as well. 

There are several houses for the Quiché gods. Their names are the following: Great Temple of Tohil in worship of the god, Tohil of the Cavecs; Auilix for the house of Auilix of the Nihaibs; Hacavitz as the name of the temple for the god, Hacavitz of the Ahau; and Maize Flower House, which is also known as Sacrifice House. Stone versions of the gods reside in these temples where the Quichés and other nations worship. The Quiché lords ensure care of the temples.

Cucumatz and Co Tuha, as well as Quicab and Cauizimah, have the gift of magical abilities, including clairvoyance due to their book, the Popol Vuh. This book foretells times of death, hunger, and strife. They become powerful in their abilities due to their dedication to their gods. They fast for 180 days and make offerings during this time. Then they fast for 260 days more and make offerings during those days to the gods. When they fast, they don’t eat maize, but only zapote, matasano, and jocote fruits. During this time of fasting, they also remain celibate. They cry out to the gods in prayer. This prayer is recited in the following section, “The Prayer of the Lords to Their Gods.”

The Quiché lords say the following prayer to the gods, Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, Bundled Glory (Balam Quitze), Tohil, Auilix, Hacavitz, Womb of Sky, Womb of Earth, the Four Sides, and the Four Corners. They pray for the wellness of their progeny and that their children are numerous. They pray for their safety and for the gods to not abandon them.

The lords continue to fast in reverence for their gods. The other nations follow suit, offering tributes in the form of precious stones and colorful feathers, pledging their loyalty. 

This section reminds the reader of the Quiché forefathers, Balam Quitze, Balam Acab, Mahucutah, and Iqui Balam, who first lay eyes on the sun, moon, and stars when these celestial bodies are created. The following sections review the entirety of the Quiché lineages.

The following make up the generations of Quiché lords and forefathers. Balam Quitze begins the Cavec Quiché line with Co Caib as his son. Following Co Caib is Balam Co Nache. After him are the lords Co Tuha and Iztayub, who make up the fourth generation. Then there are Cucumatz and Co Tuha who are the “foundation for the enchanted lords” (276). Then there are Tepepul and Iztayul who are the sixth generation. Quicab and Cauizimah are the seventh generation, while Tepepul and Iztayub are the eighth. The ninth generation consists of Tecum and Tepepul, while the tenth includes Vahzaqui Cam and Quicab. Vucub Noh and Cauatepech are the lords of the eleventh generation. Oxib Quieh and Beleheb Tzi serve as the twelfth generation of lords and are lords when the Spanish conquerors first arrive. The Spanish hang these lords as part of their conquest. Tecum and Tepepul, the lords who follow, pay tribute to the Spanish but are also later executed by them. Tecum and Tepepul leave behind Don Juan de Rojas and Don Juan Cortes as lords in their place. Don Juan de Rojas and Don Juan Cortes are given the “Don” title to their names after being baptized by the Spanish evangelists.

The following are the names of and the number of houses belonging to the Cavec Quichés: Lord Ah Pop rules over the Guard House; Lord Ah Pop of the Reception House rules over the Bird House; Great Steward, Lord Ah Tohil, Lord Ah Cucumatz, Councilor of the Stacks, Emissary of the Deer House, Councilor in the Ballcourt of Punishment, and Tepeu Yaqui each have one house that they rule over.

Balam Acab is the forefather of the Nihaib Quichés. The generations of Nihaib Quichés that follow Balam Acab are as follows, and are in chronological order: Co Acul and Co Acutec, Co Chahuh and Co Tzibaha, Beleheb Queh, Co Tuha, Batza, Iztayul, Co Tuha, Beleheb Queh, Quema, Lord Co Tuha, Don Christoval and Don Pedro de Robles.

The following are the names of the Nihaib Lords who each own and guard over one house: Lord Magistrate, Lord Herald, Lord Magistrate of the Reception House, Great Reception House, Mother of the Reception House, Great Reception House, Great Steward of the Nijaibs, Lord Auilix, and Yacolatam (also known as Corner of the Reed Mat). 

Mahucutah is the forefather of the Ahau Quichés, whose lineage includes Co Ahau, Caq Lacan, Co Cozom, Co Mahcun, Vucub Ah, Co Camel, Co Yaba Coh, Vinac, and Bam.

The lords of the Ahau Quichés are Herald Lord, Emissary Lord, Great Steward Lord, and Hacavitz. Each has one house that they rule over.

The three lineages of Quichés are stewards of Quiché history. They are “givers of birth, the mothers of the word, and the fathers of the word” (286), thus instilling the Popol Vuh with great importance. At the time of the writing of this version of the Popol Vuh, the original version “was with the lords at first, but it is now lost” and there is “no longer a way of seeing it” (287). This is due to Spanish Christian presence and the conquerors’ desire to rid of pre-Columbian religious history. The final lines of the section declare, “There is only this” (287), the remainders of the account of Quiché history, folklore, and destiny.