1 - Histomesoamericana

22 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Katun 8 Ahau was the ninth
in the Itza cycle of katuns.
Izamal was its seat. And again
they made war on Champoton
and left carvings on its walls to
end the attempt of the great
Kak Mo to seat the katun. (366)
3. The Conspiracy Collapses
(I7v) Uaxac Ahau*
Katun
U bolon tz'it katun
C u xocol
Itzmal
U hetz' katun*
Y ulel ob
T u ca uatz'
Emom chimal e
Emom halal
Y okol Chakan Putun*
Ti
U pakai
U polob ich pak ¡*
Utz'oc
U sitz'il
Kin Ich*
Kak Mo*
Uhetz'
T u katunil ual e.
=== == ^S&> ^SB» ^SB>
8 Ahau
Katun
Was the ninth part of the katun
350 To be counted.
Izamal
Was the seat of the katun.
They were to arrive
For the second occasion.
355 Descended are the shields;
Descended are the arrows
Over Champoton,
Where
They are planting
360 Their carvings in the walls
To end
The desire.
Of Sun Eye
Kak Mo
365 To be the seat
Where the katun cycle returns.
347. The calendrical battle between the Itza and the Xiu is reflected in two
cycles of katun prophecies (Barrera's first and second wheels) running from 11 to
13 Ahau. The "first wheel" is Itza and goes from 1539 to 1824. The "second
wheel" is Xiu. It goes from 1539 to 1677 and then adds the prophecies for the
preceding cycle, 1441 to 1539. The Itza cycle corresponds to my chapters 3,4, 5, 7,
8,10,16,18, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39, and 41; the Xiu cycle
comprises chapters 11,13, 17,19, 20, and 23. The first eight katuns in both cycles
correspond chronologically and depict the Xiu devotion to Merida and the Itza
devotion to Mayapan as seats of the cycle. In the first seven of these katuns,
Merida claimed to seat the katun as well and was opposed by one or another Itza
center. When 8 Ahau was reached, the Xiu priests returned to the preceding
Aútun of that name and gave us the text before us. There is no reason to suppose
that it is not a transcription of a preconquest glyphic prophecy, probably made in
9 Ahau (1559).
352. Can Ú1 of Izamal succeeded Kukul Can as lord of the katun and Ul Ahau
as governor of Izamal late in 8 Ahau (1461). His lordship did not last long, and the
following katun was seated at Uxmal. An extensive note on the history of Izamal
is given in Tozzer 1941: 172-173.
357. Champoton apparently asserted a claim to seat the katun but was unsuccessful.
It contended with Uxmal in the next katun.
360. Barrera 1948: 140 reads polob as 'heads'.
363. Kin Ich 'sun eye' is a metaphor for divine or glorious. It was later applied
to Christ (line 1590). Landa 1929: 2: 26 considers it the name of a god.
364. Kak Mo 'fire parrot' of Uxmal overthrew Amayte Kauil of Chab Le ca.
1710, retaining the lordship into the following katun. He was probably imitating
the events of the preceding cycle, even to changing his name. Kak Mo was a god
name, particularly at Izamal, where it was equated with Itzam Na. See Tozzer
1941: 144, 146, 173.
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