1 - Histomesoamericana

5 Ahau was the fourth in the
Itza katun series. Merida was
its seat and government. And
there were hangings, and the
people tried to kill the great lineages
of the nobility. And
usurpers went forth in the
masks of the gods for the yearbearer
ceremonies, exorcising
the devil. (1500)
It was a time of rain and
S Ahau
20. Merida under the Dons
(I6v) Ho Ahau*
U .can tz'it
U xocol
Katun
Ich Can Si Ho
U hetz' katun
U tepal
U maxil katunob
T ix y uchul
Hich' cal i
T u nucul uinicob
Ti u cimil
Noh ch'ibal i
T ¡x u hoppol
Chibil al i
Chibil mehen i
Co co al
Co co mehen
Ti tal i
U binel
U u ich ku
U u ich kauil*
T u can helebil caan
T u can helebil be
T ix u hoppol
U tza cisin i
T ix y ulel u kin chac
Ix u esil i
1475 5 Ahau
Was the fourth part
In the counting
Of the katun.
Heaven Born Merida
1480 Was the seat of the katun,
The rule,
The shield of the katuns.
And there occurred
Hangings,
1485 Which people meant
To be the death
Of the great lineages;
And there was the beginning
Of descent by birth,
1490 Descent by engendering.
Crazy born,
Crazy engendered children,
Came
And went
1495 With the faces of the gods,
The faces of the holy,
In the four changes of heaven,
In the four changes of the road.
And that was the beginning
1500 Of the removing of the devil,
And that was the coming of the time
of rain
And witchcraft.
1475. The lordship of katun 5 Ahau was disputed by Merida, Uxmal, Zotz'il,
and Emal, the first two Xiu, the last two Itza. The two brief texts on Merida and
Zotz'il agree on the general character of the katun. The text on Emal is totally different
and is by far the most detailed prophecy in any of the Books of Chilam Balam.
1496. This adds a further interesting detail to the ceremonial circuit of the
katun: the priests were masked as yearbearer gods. Compare lines 938 ff.
67