The People Made of Maize

Vae cut u tiqeric ta x-naohix vinak, ta x-tzukux puch ri ch’oc u tiohil vinak. X-e cha cut ri Alom, Qaholom, e Tzakol, Bitol, Tepeu, Gucumatz, qui bi: Mi-x-yopihic u zakiric; mi-x-tzak utzinic, mi pu x-galeic tzukul, cool, zakil al, zakil qahol; mi-x-gale vinak, u vinakil u vach uleu, x-e cha. X-molomanic, x-ulic; x-be qui naoh chi gekumal, chi agabal: ta x-qui tzukuh, x-qui pukuh puch x-e naohinic x-e bizon puch varal. Quehecut x-el vi aponoc qui naoh zakil calal: x-qui riqo, x-qui canaizah puch ri x-oc u tiohil vinak. Xa zcaquin chic mavi ca vachin gih, iq, chumil pa qui vi e Tzakol, Bitol.

Here then [is] the beginning when man was thought of, when was sought what would enter the flesh of man. Then they said, the Bearer, Begetter, the Maker, Modeler, Tepeu, Gucumatz, [are] their names: The dawn has come near [?]; the work is finished; the provider, the sustainer, the child of light, the son of light have appeared [?]; man has appeared, humankind [on] the face of the earth, they said. They gathered, they came; their thought went in darkness, in night; then they sought, they sifted [?], they thought, they worried here. So came out clear their thought, bright, clear: they found, they discovered what entered the flesh of man. Only a little more [time, and] sun, moon, stars had not yet appeared above them, the Makers, Modelers.

This is the beginning of the time when humans were planned, and when the gods searched for what would become human flesh. The Bearer and Begetter, the Maker and Modeler, Tepeu and Gucumatz,1 as they are called, said: “The dawn is near. Our work must be finished. Let there be someone to provide for us and sustain us,2 a child of light, a son of light. Let humans appear, people on the face of the earth.” So they gathered and came together. They thought in the darkness, in the night. They searched and sifted, they thought and worried. Then their thoughts came out clear and bright. They found and discovered what would become human flesh. It was only a little while before the sun, the moon, and the stars appeared above the Makers and Modelers.

1. Paired names for the creator gods, roughly “She Who Bears, He Who Begets” and “Maker, Modeler.” Tepeu and Gucumatz are also creators; Gucumatz means “Feathered Serpent.”
2. That is, the people who would honor the gods and feed them with offerings.

Pan Paxil, Pan Cayala u bi x-pe vi gana hal, zaki hal. Are ca qui bi chicop va qamol r’echa: Yac, Utïu, Qel, Hoh, e cahib chi chicop x-biyn u tzihel gana hal, zaki hal chique, chila que pe-vi pan Paxil, x-qut u beel Paxil. Are cut x-qui riqo riy echa are cut x-oc u tiohil vinak tzak, vinak bit, ha cut u quiqel, u quiqel vinak x-uxic, are x-oc cumal Alom, Qaholom ri hal.

From Paxil, from Cayala, [as] its name [is], came the yellow ears, white ears. These are the names of the animals, these bringers of the food: Yac [fox?], Utïu [coyote], Qel [parrot], Hoh [raven], four animals who told the news of the yellow ears, white ears to them, there [where] they came from, from Paxil; [they] showed the road to Paxil. There then they found the food; that then entered the flesh of made man, modeled man; water [?] then [was] his blood, the blood of man it became; that ear entered [him] through the Bearer, Begetter.

From Paxil and Cayala,3 as the place is called, came the yellow ears and the white ears.4 These are the names of the animals who brought the food: Fox, Coyote, Parrot, and Raven. These four animals told the creators the news of the yellow ears and white ears that came from Paxil, and showed them the road there. There the creators found the food. This became the flesh of the people they made and modeled. Water became their blood, human blood. So the ears of maize entered into people, by the work of the Bearer and Begetter.

3. Places named in the text as the source of maize. Their location is not known.
4. Yellow and white maize.

Quehecut x-e quicot vi rumal ri u riqitahic utzilah huyub, nohinak chi guz, tzatz chi gana hal, zaki hal, tzatz naipuch chi pek, chi caco; mavi ahilan tulul, cavex, ginom, tapal, ahache, cab; nohinak quilah echa chupan ri tinamit pan Paxil, pan Cayala, u bi. Qo-vi echa u vachinel ronohel, chuti echa, nima echa; chuti ticon, nima ticon, x-qut u beel cuma chicop. Ta x-queex cut ri gana hal, zaki hal, beleheb cu uqaal x-u ban Xmucane, echa x-oquic, r’ucha, r’openal x-vinakir, u gabchial u ganaal vinak x-uxic. Ta x-qui ban ri Alom, Qaholom, Tepeuh, Gucumatz que uchaxic.

So they rejoiced because of the finding of the good mountain, full of sweet things, thick with yellow ears, white ears, thick also with pataxte, with cacao; not to be counted [were] the sapotes, anonas, jocotes, nances, ahaches [?], honey; full of delicious food within the town of Paxil, of Cayala, [as] its name [is]. There was food, the fruit of everything, small food, great food; small plants, great plants; the road was shown by the animals. Then were ground the yellow ears, white ears, and nine drinks Xmucane made; the food entered, [and] his strength [?], his fatness [?] came to be; the muscle, the vigor of man became. So did the Bearer, Begetter, Tepeuh, Gucumatz, as they are called.

The creators rejoiced at finding such a good mountain, full of sweet things. It was thick with yellow and white maize, thick also with pataxte and cacao.5 There were more sapotes, anonas, jocotes, nances, and ahache6 than anyone could count, and honey too. The town of Paxil and Cayala, as it is called, was full of delicious food. There was food of every kind, small foods and great foods, small plants and great plants, and the animals had shown the way. Then the yellow and white maize was ground, and Xmucane7 made nine drinks from it. This food went in and became strength and fat. It became the muscle and vigor of humans. This is what the Bearer and Begetter, Tepeuh and Gucumatz, as they are called, did.

5. Pataxte, a wild relative of cacao, and cacao, whose beans were made into a prized drink.
6. Fruits of the region, given here by their usual Spanish names (zapote, anona, jocote, nance). For the last, ahache, the translation is uncertain.
7. An elderly creator goddess who takes part in the making of people. Her name is often spelled Xmukane today.

Qatecut x-qui coh pa tzih u tzukic, u bitic ka nabe chuch, cahau: xa gana hal, zaki hal u tiohil, xa echa r’akan, u gab vinak; ri e ka nabe cahau, e cahib chi vinak tzak, xa echa oquinak qui tiohil.

Then they put into words the making, the modeling of our first mother, father: only yellow ears, white ears [were] his flesh, only food the legs, the arms of man; those [who were] our first fathers, four made men, only food had entered their flesh.

Then they began to speak of making and modeling our first mother and father. Only yellow and white maize made up their flesh. Only this food made up the legs and arms of humans. Our first fathers, the four men who were made, had nothing but this food in their flesh.

Vae qui bi nabe vinak x-e tzakic, x-e bitic; are nabe vinak ri Balam-Quitze: u cab Balam-Agab; r’ox chicut Mahucutah, u cah cut Iqi-Balam, are cu qui bi ri ka nabe chuch, cahau. Xa tzak, xa bit que u chaxic; ma habi qui chuch, mahabi qui cahau; xa utuquel achih chi ka byih. Mana ixok x-e alanic, ma-naipu x-e qaholanic rumal ri Ahtzak, Ahbit, ri Alom, Qaholom.

These [are] the names of the first men who were made, who were modeled: this [is] the first man, Balam-Quitze; the second, Balam-Agab; the third then Mahucutah; the fourth then Iqi-Balam; these then [are] the names of our first mothers, fathers. Only made, only modeled they are called; they had no mother, they had no father; only lone men we say. Not by a woman were they born, nor were they begotten by the Builder, Modeler, the Bearer, Begetter.

These are the names of the first people who were made and modeled. The first man was Balam-Quitze, the second Balam-Agab, the third Mahucutah, and the fourth Iqi-Balam.8 These are the names of our first mothers and fathers. They were simply called the Made and the Modeled. They had no mother and no father; we call them simply men. No woman gave birth to them, and the Builder and Modeler, the Bearer and Begetter, did not beget them as children.

8. The founders of the K’iche’ lineages. Their names are given as Brasseur printed them.

Xa puz, xa naual qui tzakic, qui bitic rumal ri Tzakol, Bitol, Alom, Qaholom, Tepeu, Gucumatz: ta x-e vinak-vachin cut e vinak x-e uxic; x-e chauic, x-e tzihon puch, x-e mucunic, x-e taon puch, x-e binic, x-e chapanic, e utzilah vinak echaom, achihil vach qui vachibal. Qo quxlal x-uxic: x-e mucum naipuch huzuc x-opon qui mucubal; x-quiz qu’ilo; x-quiz qu’etamah ronohel xecah, uve que mucunic libahchi chi qui zolvachih, chi zolmucuh puch u pam cah, u pam uleu.

Only by wonder, only by power [were] their making, their modeling by the Maker, Modeler, Bearer, Begetter, Tepeu, Gucumatz: then they took the form of men, men they became; they spoke, they talked, they looked, they listened, they walked, they took hold; they were good men, handsome [?], manly faces [were] their faces. There was thought [in them]; they looked, and at once their sight reached [far]; they saw [everything]; they came to know everything under the sky; if they looked, at once they turned their faces, turned their sight within the sky, within the earth.

They were made and modeled by wonder and by power alone, by the Maker and Modeler, the Bearer and Begetter, Tepeu and Gucumatz. They took on the form of humans and became people. They spoke and talked, looked and listened, walked and took things in their hands. They were fine, handsome men, with manly faces. They had minds. As soon as they looked, their sight reached far. They saw everything; they came to know everything under the sky. Whenever they looked, at once they turned their eyes all around the sky and all around the earth.

Muhucatahil nachi qu’ilix-tah ronohel, ma que bin-ta na-on nabe; qate ta chi qu’il ri u xecah, xavi chiree qo-vi ta que mucunic. Tzatz qu’etamabal x-uxic; x-iqou qui vachibal pa che, pa abah, pa cho, pa palo, pa huyub, pa tagah: quitzih vi e logolah vinak ri Balam-Quitze, Balam-Agab, Mahucutah, Iqi-Balam.

The hidden [things], far [?], they saw all, not walking first; then they saw the [world] under the sky, from right where they were they looked. Great their knowledge became; their sight passed into trees, into rocks, into lakes, into seas, into mountains, into valleys: truly they were admirable [?] men, Balam-Quitze, Balam-Agab, Mahucutah, Iqi-Balam.

They could see everything, even what was hidden and far away, without first having to walk there. They saw the world under the sky from right where they stood. Their knowledge became great. Their sight passed through trees and rocks, through lakes and seas, through mountains and valleys. Truly they were wonderful men, Balam-Quitze, Balam-Agab, Mahucutah, and Iqi-Balam.

Ta x-e tzonox cut rumal ri Ahtzak, Ahbit: Huchalic y qohei qu’y nao? Ma qu’yx mucunic, ma qu’yx taonic, ma utz y chabal ruq y binibal? Qu’yx mucuna nacut, ch’yv’ila u xecah ma calah huyub, tagah; qu’yv’ilo ch’y tiha nacut, x-e u chaxic. Qatepuch x-quiz qu’il ronohel u xe cah: qatecut qui qamouanic ri chire Tzakol, Bitol: Quitzih vi chi camul qamo, oxmul qamo! Mi-x-oh vinakiric, mi pu x-oh chiynic, x-oh vachinic, koh chauic, koh taonic, koh bizonic, koh zilabic: utz ca ka nao x-k’etamah nah, nakah; mi pu x-k’ilo nim, chutin upa cah upa uleu. Qamo cut ch’yve; mi-x-oh vinakiric, Ahtzak, Ahbit, mi-x-oh uxic, at k’atit, at ka mam, x-e cha, ta x-qui qamouah qui tzakic qui bitic.

Then they were asked by the Builder, Modeler: What [is] your being, do you think? Do you not look, do you not hear? Are not good your speech and your walking? Look then, see under the sky whether the mountains, valleys appear; see [them], try then, it was said to them. And then they finished seeing everything under the sky; then [came] their thanks to the Maker, Modeler: Truly twice thanks, three times thanks! We have been made, we have been given mouths, given faces; we speak, we hear, we think, we move; well we perceive, we have known far, near; and we have seen the great, the small within the sky, within the earth. Thanks then to you; we have been made, Builder, Modeler; we have come to be, you our grandmother, you our grandfather, they said, when they gave thanks for their making, their modeling.

Then the Builder and Modeler asked them, “What do you think of your being? Do you not see? Do you not hear? Are your speech and your walking not good? Look, then! See the world under the sky. Do the mountains and valleys not appear to you? Try, then, and see them!” And then they saw everything under the sky. They gave thanks to the Maker and Modeler: “Truly, twice we thank you, three times we thank you! We have been made. We have been given mouths and faces. We speak and we hear, we think and we move. We know things well, both far and near. We have seen great things and small things in the sky and on the earth. We thank you, then, for making us, Builder and Modeler. We exist because of you, our grandmother, our grandfather!” So they spoke, giving thanks for their making and modeling.

X-qiz qu’etamah ronohel, x-qui mucuh cah-tzuk, cah xucut u pam cah, u pam uleu. Ma cu utz x-qui tao ri Ahtzak, ri Ahbit: Mavi utz ri mi-x-qui byih ka tzak, ka bit. Mi-x-qu’etamah ronohel nim chutin, que cha.

They finished knowing everything; they looked at the four corners, four sides within the sky, within the earth. But not good [it was what] the Builder, the Modeler heard: Not good [is] what our made ones, our modeled ones have said. They have known everything, great, small, they said.

They came to know everything. They looked into the four corners and four sides of the sky and of the earth. But the Builder and Modeler did not like what they heard. “It is not good, what our made and modeled ones have said,” they said. “They know everything, great and small.”

Quehe chicut u qamic chic qui naoh Alom, Qaholom: Hucha chic chi ka ban chique? Xata nakah ch’opon vi qui mucubal, xata zcaquin u vach uleu chi qu’ilo. Mavi utz ri ca qui biyh. Ma-pa xa tzak, xa bit qui bi? Xalabe e qabauil que uxi chic, uve mavi que pogotahic que quiritahic ta ch’auax-oc, ta zakir-oc, uve mavi chi quiaric. Ta ch’uxoc. Xa ka yoho chi zcaquin chic qo chi ca r’ah: mavi utz ca ka nao. Xa-pa x-chi hunamatah qui banoh kuq ri naht c’opon vi k’etamabal qu’ilon ronohel?

So then again the Bearer, Begetter took their counsel: What now shall we do to them? Let their sight reach only near, let them see only a little of the face of the earth. Not good [is] what they say. Are not “made,” “modeled” their names? Gods too they will become, if they do not multiply, do not spread out when the sowing comes, when the dawn comes, if they do not increase. Let it be so. Let us just undo a little what they want; not good [is] what we perceive. Will their works become equal with ours, we whose knowledge reaches far, who see everything?

So the Bearer and Begetter took counsel again. “What shall we do with them now? Let their sight reach only what is near. Let them see only a little of the face of the earth. What they say is not good. Are they not simply called the Made and the Modeled? They will become gods too, unless they multiply and spread out when the sowing and the dawn come, unless they increase. Let it be so. Let us undo a little of what they have. What we see is not good. Are their works to equal ours, when our knowledge reaches far and we see everything?”

X-e uchaxic rumal u Qux Cah, Hurakan, Chipi-Cakulha, Raxa-Cakulha, Tepeu, Gucumatz, Alom, Qaholom, Xpiyacoc, Xmucane, Tzakol, Bitol, que u chaxic ta x-qui ban cut u qoheic chic qui tzak qui bit. Xa cu x-u abax u bak qui vach rumal ri u Qux cah, x-moyic queheri x-uxlabix u vach lemo: x-moyomobic u bak qui vach; xa nakah chic x-e mucun vi, xere chi calah ri e qo-vi.

It was said by the Heart of Sky, Hurakan, Chipi-Cakulha, Raxa-Cakulha, Tepeu, Gucumatz, Bearer, Begetter, Xpiyacoc, Xmucane, Maker, Modeler, as they are called, when they made again the being of their made ones, modeled ones. Then [mist] was blown onto the balls of their eyes by the Heart of Sky; they were blurred as when the face of a mirror is breathed on; the balls of their eyes were blurred; only near now they saw; only that was clear where they were.

So spoke Heart of Sky, Hurakan, Chipi-Cakulha, Raxa-Cakulha, Tepeu and Gucumatz, the Bearer and Begetter, Xpiyacoc and Xmucane, the Maker and Modeler,9 as they are called, when they remade the nature of the people they had made. Then Heart of Sky blew mist into their eyes. Their eyes clouded over, like the face of a mirror when someone breathes on it. Their eyes grew dim. Now they could see only what was near. Only what was close around them was clear.

9. Heart of Sky, also called Hurakan, a creator god; the following names are other forms or aspects of him. Xpiyacoc and Xmucane are an elderly creator couple.

Quehecut u zachic qu’etamabal ruq ronohel qui naobal e cahib chi vinak, u xe u tiqaribal. Quehecut qui tzakic, qui bitic nabe ka mam, ka cahau rumal u Qux cah, u Qux uleu.

So [came] the loss of their knowledge with all their wisdom, the four men, its root, its beginning. So [was] their making, their modeling, our first grandfathers, our fathers, by the Heart of Sky, the Heart of Earth.

So the four men lost their knowledge and all their wisdom, at its root and at its beginning. And so our first grandfathers and fathers were made and modeled by Heart of Sky and Heart of Earth.