The Annals of the Cakchiquels Part 17

On the day 1 Caok our slaughter by the Castilians began. They fought with the nation and persisted in war. Death ravaged us again, but the whole country continued to refuse tribute. There was not much lacking of the 31st year after the revolt when they came to Chiixot.

Chi belehe Ah, [c]a xel humay hulauha yuhuh.

On the day 9 Ah was completed the 31st year after the Revolt.

161. Chupam huna chic vae, xavi tanti tahin labal ruma Castilan vinak xutuloba chi can Chij xot, haok ki xla[t]abex Bulbuxya ruma Castilan vinak, vave chupam huna ki xyaloh vi labal xmani vi xyao patan ruma ronohel huyu.

161. In the course of the following year, while the Castilians were engaged in war, Chiixot was abandoned. Then Bulbuxya was occupied by the Castilians. During this year the war was continued, but the whole country refused the tribute.

_Roquebal [c]a patan vae._

_The Beginning of the Tribute._

162. Xvolahuvinak ok ti [c]utun Chij xot, ok xoc patan chuvach capitan c.u.ma [c]hinta Queh, vove chuvi Tzolola chi vakaki [c,]i [c]a xoc patan, haok xalax nu [c]ahol Diego Pabo Cotanoh [c]ovi, ok xatalax chi vakaki [c,]ij, at nu[c]ahol, haok xtiquer chic patanihic; huley chivi chi pokon xka[c]am chic, xkacolah can ri labal. Camul ki chi nimak chi camic xkaban.

162. Three hundred days after Chiixot was taken, began the payment of tribute to the Captain by Chinta Queh. It was here at Tzolola, on the day 6 Tzi, that the tribute began. At that time was born my son. Diego Pabo Cotanoh. Thou wert born, O my son, on that day, 6 Tzi, on which the tribute began. Deep, indeed, were the sufferings we underwent to escape from the wars, and twice we were on the point of losing our life.

Chi vakaki Ah, xel humay cablauha yuhuh.

On the day 6 Ah was completed the 32d year after the Revolt.

163. Xvahxak vinak ok ru caba, toc patan ok xcam ahauh Ahtun Cuc Tihax, chi vakaki Akbal xcam. Xavi [c]a maha que [c]utun ahaua Ahpopco[c,]il, Ahpopxahil chiri.

163. It was two years less one hundred and twenty days after the beginning of the tribute when died the chief Ahtun cuc Tihax. He died on the day 6 Akbal. The chiefs Ahpopzotzil and Ahpopxahil had not yet submitted.

Chi oxi Ah, xel humay oxlauha.

On the day 3 Ah was completed the 33d year.

164. Chupam huna ok xe[c]utun chic ahaua, ahpop co[c,]il ahpop Xahil, chuvach Tunatiuh, cahvinak ruvaka xquiban ahaua xe chee xe[c]am, maqui [c]a xax cutzih ahaua xeba, [c]hi[c]h tal qui[c]amic ruma Tunatiuh, xax [c]atun qui tzihol ahaua chuvach Tunatiuh. Ha [c]a chi vuku Ahmak xebokotah el ahaua, xeapon Paruyaal Chay, tzatz chi ahaua xcuchu ri ronohel [c]a ru mam ahauh, ru [c]ahol ahauh, xbe tzatz chi vinak cachbiyil ahaua. Chi vahxaki Noh [c]a xeapon Panchoy, xa[c]a tiquicot Tunatiuh chique ahaua, tok x[c,]et chic quivach ruma Tunatiuh.

164. In the course of this year the chiefs Ahpopzotzil and Ahpopxahil came before Tunatiuh. For eighty-six days these chiefs had hid in the woods. Not only did they wish to come forth, but their labors and sufferings were known to Tunatiuh, and the memory of these chiefs came to Tunatiuh. On the day 7 Ahmak the chiefs decided to come forth. When they arrived at Paruyaal chay, many chiefs, all the fathers of the chiefs and their sons, and a mult.i.tude of people accompanied the chiefs. On the day 8 Noh they reached Panchoy. Then Tunatiuh rejoiced with the chiefs, when their faces were seen again before Tunatiuh.

Chi oxlahuh Ah xel humay cahlauha yuhuh.

On the day 13 Ah was completed the 36th year after the revolt.

[_I append the translation of the remainder of what I believe to be the original work (see Introduction, page 58); but as its contents are of little general interest, I omit the text._]

165. During this year frightful imposts were levied; they paid gold and silver before the face of Tunatiuh, and there were demanded as tribute five hundred men and five hundred women to go to the gold was.h.i.+ngs; all the people were busy seeking gold. Five hundred men and five hundred women were also demanded by Tunatiuh to aid in building Pangan for his princely residence. All that, yes, all that, we ourselves witnessed, O my children.

On the 10th Ah was completed the 35th year after the Revolt.

166. Forty days were lacking to complete three years from the date of the submission of the kings when Belehe Qat died. He died on the 7th Queh, when employed in was.h.i.+ng for gold and silver. As soon as he was dead Tunatiuh set to work to appoint his successor. The prince Don Jorge was appointed by the sole command of Tunatiuh. There was no council held nor a.s.sembly to confirm him. Tunatiuh gave his orders to the princes and they obeyed him; for, truly, he made himself feared.

On the 7th Ah was completed the 36th year after the revolt.

167. Three hundred and forty days after the death of Belehe Qat the princes were forced to place Don Jorge in possession of the throne. His father was Don Juan Xuares.

Oh[TN-23] the 4th Ah was completed the 37th year after the revolt.

168. In the course of this year the king Cahi Ymox Ahpozotzil withdrew and went to inhabit the capital. He intended to separate from the others, because the tribute had been imposed on all the chiefs, even on the king himself.

On the 1st Ah was completed the 38th year after the revolt.

169. During this year Tunatiuh departed for Castile, making new conquests on his road. Thus he destroyed those of Tzutzumpan and of Choloma; and many other towns were destroyed by Tunatiuh. There occurred an unheard of event at Tzutzumpan. I saw Hunahpu tremble a litle[TN-24]

while before the prince Mantunalo arrived here. Tunatiuh went to Castile, leaving Tzutzumpan.

On the 11th Ah was completed the 39th year after the revolt.

170. In the course of the year, on the 11th Noh, Prince Mantunalo arrived. The prince Mantunalo arrived to relieve the nation from its sufferings; the was.h.i.+ng for gold and silver promptly ceased, and the tribute of young men and women ceased; the burnings alive and the hangings ceased, and, indeed, all the various acts of violence of the Castilians and the imposts which they had forcibly laid upon us. The roads were once more frequented by travelers when the Prince Mantunalo arrived, as they had been eight years before, when the imposts were first laid upon us, O my children.

On the 8th Ah was completed the 40th year after the revolt.

On the 5th Ah was completed the first year of the third cycle.

171. Before the close of the second year of the third cycle, the prince Tunatiuh arrived, landing at Porto Cavayo. When Tunatiuh came back from Castile with the position of commander, each of us went before him to receive him, O my children. It was then that he killed with his sword the Ah-tzib Caok on account of his lineage; it was on the day 11 Ahmak that he killed the Ah-tzib.

On the day 2 Ah was completed the second year of the third cycle.

172. One hundred and twenty days after the death of Ahtzib and of the return of Tunatiuh to Panchoy, the prince Mantunalo departed, leaving Tunatiuh in command. Two hundred and sixty days after his return, Tunatiuh hanged the king Ahpozotzil Cahi Ymox, on the day 13 Ganel.

They hanged with him Quixavit Caok, by order of Tunatiuh.

On the day 12 Ah was completed the third year of the third cycle.

173. Two hundred and eighty days after the execution of the king Ahpozotzil he hanged Chuvy Tziquinu, prince of the city, who had angered him. They hanged him on the day 4 Can at Paxaya. They seized him on the road and executed him secretly. Seventeen other chiefs were hanged at the same time. On the day 4 Ig[TN-25] the chief Chicbal, who had caused the death of Chuvy Tziquinu, was hanged in his turn, and with him Nimabah and Quehchun. Meanwhile, Tunatiuh had left for Xuchipillan, appointing as his lieutenant and to see to the hangings, Don Francisco, who attended to them. One hundred days after the prince Chicbal had been hanged, came the news that Tunatiuh had met his death at Xuchipillan.

On the day 9 Ah was completed the fourth year of the third cycle after the revolt.

174. In the course of this year there was a great disaster which destroyed the Castilians at Panchoy. On the day 2 Tihax the waters burst from the mountain Hunahpu, rus.h.i.+ng out from the interior of the mountain, and enveloped the Castilians in destruction. The wife of Tunatiuh was then drowned.

_When Our Instruction Began._

One hundred and sixty days after this disaster there arrived at our house our fathers of St. Dominic, Brother Pedro Anculo and Brother Juan de Torres. They arrived from Mexico on the day 12 Batz, and we began to receive instruction from our fathers of St. Dominic. Then also appeared the Doctrina in our language. Our fathers, Brother Pedro and Brother Juan were the first who taught us the word of G.o.d. Until that time the word and the commandments of G.o.d were unknown to us; we had lived in darkness, for no one had spoken to us of the doctrine of G.o.d. There were also the fathers of St. Francis, Father Alamicer and Father Clerico, with those of St. Dominic, who spoke to us. They translated the Doctrina into our language, and we were soon instructed by them.

On the day 6 Ah was completed the fifth year of the third cycle.

On the day 3 Ah was completed the sixth year of the third cycle after the revolt.

On the day 13 Ah was completed the seventh year.

175. In the course of the year our fathers of St. Dominic separated from those of St. Francis, on account of ashes; the latter went away. Ashes were not given by our Fathers of St. Dominic; therefore, those of St.

Francis went away.

On the day 10 Ah was completed the 8th year of the third cycle.

On the day 7 Ah was completed the 9th year of the third cycle after the revolt.