Chapter III: The Record of the Count of the Katuns

_From the Book of Chilan Balam of Chumayel._

The village of Chumayel is about six leagues east of Mani, and within the boundaries of the province anciently ruled by the Xiu family.

The copy of the Book of Chilan Balam which was found there was a redaction made by an Indian, Don Juan Josef Hoil, in 1782. Like all these volumes it is a sort of common place book, in which were copied miscellaneous articles from much older manuscripts. One of these bears the date 1689, but most of them have no date attached. Hoil's original is, I believe, in the possession of the Canon Crescencio Carrillo y Ancona, of Merida. A fac-simile copy, by the hand of the late Dr. Berendt, is in my possession.

At the close of the volume, ff. 40-44, are found three summaries of the ancient history of Yucatan, which are those I am about to give. They have never been translated from the original, nor published in any form, and they contain details of interest. They are evidently from different sources, and are also different from those previously given.

TEXT.

U kahlay u xocan katunob uchi u chictahal u Chic[=h]een Ytza uchi lae lay [c]iban ti cab lae uchebal yoheltabal tumen hijmac yolah yohel te ti xocol katun lae.

* * * * *

1. VI. Uac ahau uchci u chictahal u chic[=h]een Ytza.

IIII. Can ahau lae.

II. Cabil ahau.

XIII. Oxlahun ahau tzolci pop.

XI. Buluc ahau.

IX. Bolon ahau.

VII. Uuc ahau.

V. Ho ahau.

III. Ox ahau.

I. Hun ahau.

XII. Lahca ahau.

X. Lahun ahau; paxci u chic[=h]een Ytza; uchi oxlahun uu[c] katun
cacahi chakanputun ti yotochob u katunil.

* * * * *

2. VI. Uac ahau.

IIII. Can ahau; chucci u lumil tumenob Chakanputun.

II. Cabil ahau.

XIII. Oxlahun ahau.

XI. Buluc ahau.

IX. Bolon ahau.

VII. Uuc ahau.

V. Ho ahau.

III. Ox ahau.

I. Hun ahau.

XII. Lahca ahau.

X. Lahun ahau.

VIII. Uaxac ahau; paxci chakan putunob tumenob ah Ytza uinicob ca
taliob u tzacle u yotochob tu caten; oxlahun uu[c] u katunil;
cahanob chakan putunob tic yotochob; layli u katunil binciob
ah Ytzaob yalan che, yalan haban, yalan ak, ti numyaob lae.

3. VI. Uac ahau.

IIII. Can ahau.

II. Cabil ahau.

XIII. Oxlahun ahau.

XI. Buluc ahau.

IX. Bolon ahau.

VII. Uuc ahau.

V. Ho ahau.

III. Ox ahau.

I. Hun ahau.

XII. Lahca ahau.

X. Lahun ahau.

VIII. Uaxac ahau; paxci ahYtza uinicob ti yotochob tu caten, tumen u
kebanthan hun nac ceel, tumen u uahal uahob _y_ ahYtzmal;
oxlahunuu[c] u katunil cahanobi ca paxiob tumen hun nac ceel,
tumen a [c]abal u natob ahYtzaob lae.

4. VI. Uac ahau.

IIII. Can ahau: chucci u luumil ichpaa Mayapan tumen AhYtza uinicob,
likulob ti yotoche tumenel ahYtzmalob, tumen u kebanthan - - - -
hun nac ceel lae.

5. II. Cabil ahau.

XIII. Oxlahun ahau.

XI. Buluc ahau.

IX. Bolon ahau.

VII. Uuc ahau,[TN-22]

V. Ho ahau.

III. Ox ahau.

I. Hun ahau.

XII. Lahca ahau.

X. Lahun ahau.

VIII. Uaxac ahau: uchci puc[=h]tun ychpaa Mayapan tumen u pach paa, u
pach tulum, tumen multepal ych cah Mayapan lal lae.

6. VI. Uac ahau.

IIII. Can ahau: uchci mayacimlal; uchci ocnakuchil ych paa.

II. Cabil ahau: uchci kakil nohkakile.

7. XIII. Oxlahun ahau; cimci Ahpula uacppel haab; u binel u xocol haab
ti lakin cuchie; [156-1]caanil kan cumlahci pop ti lakin he
tunte na cici pahool katun haab; hun hix cip catac oxppeli Bolon
ymix hi; u kinil lay cimci Ahpula lae napotxiu tu habil _D^o._
158 anos.

8. XI. Buluc ahau: hulciob kul uinicob ti lakin; u yah talzah; ulob u
yaxchun uay lae luumil coon maya uinice tu habil _D^o._ 1523
anos.

IX. Bolon ahau: hoppci _xpnoil_; uchci caputzihil; laytal ychil u
katunil hulci _obispo_ tora [157-1]ua; xane hauci [157-2]huytabe
tu habil _D^o._ 1546 anos.

VII. Uuc ahau: cimci _obispo de Landa_.

V. Hoo ahau.

III. Ox ahau.

TRANSLATION.

This is the Record of the count of the katuns from when took place the discovery of Chichen Itza; this is written for the town in order that it may be known by whoever wishes to know as to the counting of the katuns.

* * * * *

1. VI. In the sixth ahau took place the discovery of Chichen Itza.

IIII. This is the fourth ahau.

II. The second ahau.

XIII. The thirteenth ahau; Pop was set in order.

XI. The eleventh ahau.

IX. The ninth ahau.

VII. The seventh ahau.

V. The fifth ahau.

III. The third ahau.

I. The first ahau.

XII. The twelfth ahau.

X. The tenth ahau; Chichen Itza was abandoned; at this time it took
place that thirteen divisions of warriors went to Chakanputun
for houses.

* * * * *

2. VI. The sixth ahau.

IIII. The fourth ahau; the land was taken in possession by those of
Chakanputun.

II. The second ahau.

XIII. The thirteenth ahau.

XI. The eleventh ahau.

IX. The ninth ahau.

VII. The seventh ahau.

V. The fifth ahau.

III. The third ahau.

I. The first ahau.

XII. The twelfth ahau.

X. The tenth ahau.

VIII. The eighth ahau: Chakanputun was deserted by the men of Itza
when they came in search of their houses for the second time;
thirteen divisions of warriors dwelt in the houses at
Chakanputun; in this katun those of Itza were under the trees,
under the boughs, under the branches, to their misery.

3. VI. The sixth ahau.

IV. The fourth ahau.

II. The second ahau.

XIII. The thirteenth ahau.

XI. The eleventh ahau.

IX. The ninth ahau.

VII. The seventh ahau.

V. The fifth ahau.

III. The third ahau.

I. The first ahau.

XII. The twelfth ahau.

X. The tenth ahau.

VIII. The eighth ahau: the men of Itza were driven out of their houses
a second time because of the plot of Hunac Ceel, because of the
festivities with those of Itzmal; thirteen divisions of warriors
dwelt there when they were driven out by Hunnac Ceel in order
that those of Itza might know what was to be given.

4. VI. The sixth ahau.

IIII. The fourth ahau; the territory of the fortress of Mayapan was
seized by the men of Itza as also the houses by those of Itzamal
because of the plotting - - - - of Hunnac Ceel.

5. II. The second ahau.

XIII. The thirteenth ahau.

XI. The eleventh ahau.

IX. The ninth ahau.

VII. The seventh ahau.

V. The fifth ahau.

III. The third ahau.

I. The first ahau.

XII. The twelfth ahau.

X. The tenth ahau.

VIII. The eighth ahau: there was fighting in the fortress of Mayapan
because of the seizure of the fortress and the fortified town by
the joint government in the city of Mayapan.

6. VI. The sixth ahau.

IV. The fourth ahau: the pestilence took place, the general death took
place in the fortress.

II. The second ahau; the smallpox broke out.

7. XIII. The thirteenth ahau; Ahpula died the sixth year; the count of
the years was toward the east: (the month) Pop began on 4 Kan to
the east * * * * * 9 Imix was the day on which Ahpula NapotXiu
died in the year of the Lord 158.

8. XI. The eleventh ahau: the mighty men came from the East, they
brought the sickness; they arrived for the first time in this
country we Maya men say in the year 1513.

IX. The ninth ahau: Christianity began; baptism took place; also in
this katun arrived bishop Toral here; also the hanging ceased in
the year 1546.

VII. The seventh ahau; bishop Landa died.

V. The fifth ahau.

III. The third ahau.

NOTES.

The writer states, in a brief introduction, the nature and purpose of his composition.

_U kahlay_, the record, or the memoir, from _kahal_, to remember. The concrete meaning of the root is "to know by sight, to recognize." _[c]iban_, past participle, passive voice, of _[c]ib_ to write: the original signification of the word is "to paint." _Yoheltabal_, passive form of _ohel_, to know, which is always conjugated with the pronominal prefixes, _u_, _a_, _y_. _Yolah_, syncopated form of _u uolah_, he wills, wishes, _uol=volo_, _uolah=voluntas_.

It will be noticed that this chronicle is not called an "arrangement" of the katuns, _tzolan katun_, but a count or reckoning of them, _xocan_ or _xocol_, from _xoc_, to count.

1. The count begins with the discovery of Chichen Itza, mentions that Pop was "counted in order" at the beginning of the next following Ahau Katun, and having stated the desertion of Chichen Itza and the migration to Chakanputun, the chronicler draws a line, as if to separate broadly these occurrences from those which followed.

5. The distinction between _paa_ and _tulum_ appears to be that _tulum_ is an enclosure surrounded by a defensive wall, and this wall itself; while _paa_ is a castle, or, in Maya land, a mound or pyramid with buildings on it erected for purposes of defence.

6. _Kakil nohkakil_, the fire, the great fire, but here in the sense of a contagious febrile disease, probably the smallpox.

7. The text in this section is corrupt, and I leave a line untranslated. The writer informs us, what was omitted in the previous chronicles, that the Ahpula whose death is so carefully mentioned by all, was a member of the Xiu family which reigned over the province of Mani. They were almost the first of the powerful Maya nobles to make friends with the Spaniards. The date 158 is apparently intended for 1538, or perhaps 1508, which is more consistent with the following section, but less so with the previous chronicles.

_Kul uinicob_, as remarked on page 133, means "the mighty men," not the "holy men," as generally translated. The term was applied to the Spaniards. The _Dicc. de Motul_ MS. says:--"KULVINIC: muy hombre, hombre de respeto y de hecho, y llaman asi los Indios a los Espanoles." _U yah talzah_, they bring the sickness, probably the smallpox. _Coon_ or _con_, 1st pers. pl. pres. indic. of the irregular verb _cen_ (_cihi_, _ciac_), to say, to tell.

FOOTNOTES:

[156-1] Canil.

[157-1] uay.

[157-2] chuytabe.