Once in a Lifetime, part 3
The Pestilence at Iximche
Draft: this translation has not yet been checked against the original by a separate review.
- Written
- events of the early 1520s (Brinton dates the king’s death to 1521); written down later in the sixteenth century
- Place
- Iximche
- Language
- Kaqchikel
- Kind of source
- annals
- Reading time
- 2 minutes
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
Epidemics in the Americas after 1492Death and burialFamily and lossRulers and courtsMesoamerica
When the pestilence came to Iximche, a boy of the ruling family saw his grandfather, the king, and then his father die two days apart. Years later he wrote for his descendants: “We were small boys, and all of us were left.”
These annals were written in Kaqchikel, a Maya language of highland Guatemala, in the Latin letters the Spanish brought. Their writers belonged to the Xahil family, one of the ruling lineages of the Kaqchikel kingdom, whose capital was Iximche. The writer of this part lived through the epidemic as a child and wrote it down later in the sixteenth century; other members of the family carried the record on after him.
The epidemic struck in the early 1520s, a few years before Spanish soldiers under Pedro de Alvarado reached the highlands in 1524. The writer could describe the symptoms and count the dead in his own family. He could not know where the sickness came from, and he does not say.
He writes as an eyewitness, though long after the events and as a family record. The passage ends by saying that the family’s claim to rule was set aside, so the deaths mattered to him for that reason too. Our text depends on Brinton’s printing of 1885; the Kaqchikel here is a first reading, guided by Brinton’s English, and is marked for checking.
Watch for the signs of the illness he names, what became of the dead, and how the losses changed his family’s place.
The edited translation, in simplified modern English. Bracketed words were added for clarity; [...] marks a cut. Tap a note number to read the note.
127In the fifth year the sickness began, my children.1 First people fell sick with a cough. Then the blood was corrupted,2 and they were sick with yellow urine. Truly terrible was the dying in that time. Then Lord Vakaki Ahmak died. Great darkness and great night fell on our fathers and grandfathers, and on us too, my children, when the pestilence3 struck.
On the day 1 Ah, one cycle and five years had passed since the Revolt,4 and the pestilence spread.
128That year the pestilence spread, and our grandfather Diego Juan died.5 On the day 5 Ah our grandfathers carried war to Panatacat, and then the sickness of the pestilence began to spread. Truly terrible was the death that came upon the people, and the people did not escape it.
129Forty [days]6 after the sickness began, our fathers and grandfathers died. On the day 14 Camey, King Hunyg,7 your grandfather, died.
130Only two days later our father died too, the counselor8 Balam, your grandfather, my children. Grandfathers and fathers died alike. Great was the stench; the people stank of death. When our fathers and grandfathers died, half the people fell into the ravines.9 Only dogs and vultures fed on the people. Terrible was the death that destroyed your grandfathers. The king’s son died together with his younger brother and his elder brother. So we were left in poverty, my children. We were small boys, and all of us were left. So our birthright was set aside.10
131The counselor Balam was the name of the eldest son of King Hunyg. He was already honored before the lords when the great death of the pestilence came.
135Ahtzalam Hunahpu was the sixth son. He and our three fathers were saved from the pestilence. We were small then, all of us, when we were left, and we saw all the sickness, my children. [...]
Notes
- The writer addresses his descendants throughout the annals. back
- So Brinton translates. The Kaqchikel word may instead name the nose, that is, nosebleeds. back
- In Brinton’s spelling qhac, a word for any disease with a rash or sores. Brinton guessed measles. Historians have also identified this epidemic as smallpox, among other diseases. back
- Dates are given by the Kaqchikel day count, a number with a day name such as Ah or Camey. The writer counts years from a revolt at Iximche, which Brinton dated to about 1496. back
- Brinton could not explain this Spanish name, given here to an ancestor who died before the Spanish came. back
- The Kaqchikel says only “forty”; Brinton translated “forty were seized with the sickness.” back
- Hunyg was one of the two rulers of the Kaqchikel kingdom. Brinton dated his death to 1521. back
- Rahpop achi, a title of high rank, which Brinton translated “counselor.” back
- Brinton read this as “threw themselves into the ravines.” The Kaqchikel says only that they fell or went down there, perhaps as corpses. back
- The meaning of this line is uncertain. Brinton took it to mean that the family’s claim to rule was passed over, as the following sections tell. back
127. Chupam <J-a voo huna, vae ok ixtiquer yauabil, yxnu^-ahol, nabey xyabix ohb, ratzam xyavabix chi^-a £ana chuluh, kitzih tixibin chi camic xi^-o oher. Haok xcam ahauh Vakaki Ahmak, xe hala chic ma tipe nima £ekum, nima a£a pa qui vi ka tata ka mama pa ka vi Qa, yxnu^-ahol, ok xyabix ^-hac.
In the fifth year, then the sickness began, you my children. First [people] sickened with cough; [ratzam: ?the nose, i.e. nosebleeds; Brinton ‘the blood was corrupted’] they sickened with yellow urine [qana chuluh]. Truly terrible was the death that came then. Then died Lord Vakaki Ahmak; [...?] great darkness, great night [fell] upon our fathers, our grandfathers, and upon us, you my children, when the pestilence [qhac] sickened [people].
In the fifth year the sickness began, my children. First people fell sick with a cough. Then the blood was corrupted, and they were sick with yellow urine. Truly terrible was the dying in that time. Then Lord Vakaki Ahmak died. Great darkness and great night fell on our fathers and grandfathers, and on us too, my children, when the pestilence struck.
- The writer addresses his descendants throughout the annals.
- So Brinton translates. The Kaqchikel word may instead name the nose, that is, nosebleeds.
- In Brinton’s spelling qhac, a word for any disease with a rash or sores. Brinton guessed measles. Historians have also identified this epidemic as smallpox, among other diseases.
Chi hun Ah xel humay voo yuhuh, ok xyabix ^.hac.
On [the day] 1 Ah there went out one may [cycle] and five [years] from the Revolt, when the pestilence sickened [people].
On the day 1 Ah, one cycle and five years had passed since the Revolt, and the pestilence spread.
- Dates are given by the Kaqchikel day count, a number with a day name such as Ah or Camey. The writer counts years from a revolt at Iximche, which Brinton dated to about 1496.
128. Vae chupam huna xyauabix vi ^-hac, ha ok xe^-iz chi camic ka tata ka mama Diego Juan; chi voo Ah ;J-axoc chi vi labal Panatacat, cuma ka mama, ha^-a ok xtiquer yavabil ^-hac. Kitzih tixibin chi camic xpe pa ru vi vinak, mani yabim viri quere ri x;J-hol vinak.
In this year the pestilence spread; then were finished in death our fathers, our grandfathers, Diego Juan. On [the day] 5 Ah war entered at Panatacat, by our grandfathers; then began the sickness of the pestilence. Truly terrible death came upon the people; [mani yabim viri quere ri xqhol vinak: not understood; Brinton ‘nor did the people escape from the pestilence’].
That year the pestilence spread, and our grandfather Diego Juan died. On the day 5 Ah our grandfathers carried war to Panatacat, and then the sickness of the pestilence began to spread. Truly terrible was the death that came upon the people, and the people did not escape it.
- Brinton could not explain this Spanish name, given here to an ancestor who died before the Spanish came.
129. Xcavinak ok xtiquer yauabil, tok xecam ka tata ka mama, chi cablahuh Carney xcam ahauh Huny£ yxiquin mama.
It was forty [days? people? Brinton ‘forty were seized’] when the sickness began; then died our fathers, our grandfathers. On [the day] 14 [cablahuh, which would be 12?] Camey died Lord Hunyg, your grandfather.
Forty [days] after the sickness began, our fathers and grandfathers died. On the day 14 Camey, King Hunyg, your grandfather, died.
- The Kaqchikel says only “forty”; Brinton translated “forty were seized with the sickness.”
- Hunyg was one of the two rulers of the Kaqchikel kingdom. Brinton dated his death to 1521.
130. Xaja ru cabih xcam chic ka tata rahpop Achi Balam ri y mama, yxnu^-ahol ; xa £a hunam xecam y mama rujJ-in ru tata ki tan ti chuvin, ti ^Jayin vinak chi camic. Tok xecam ka tata ka mama, xax be tzak chi el <J-hakap vinak chi civan, xa ^ij, xa ^-uch, xtiochic vinak ; tixibin chi camic xecamigan ymama, herach camic ru ^J-ahol ahauh ru^Jin ru cha£ ru nimal : querela xoh canah vi can chi mebail ri yxnu^-ahol, ^-aoh ok zjhutik ^-ahola, ok xoh canah can konohel. Rupoyibal alaxic.
Only two days [later] died also our father the rahpop achi Balam, your grandfather, you my children. Alike died your grandfathers with their fathers. Truly [great] was the stench; the people stank of death. When our fathers, our grandfathers died, half the people fell [went down?] into the ravines; only dogs, only vultures [kuch; Brinton ‘foxes’] ate the people. Terrible in death [xecamigan, ?were destroyed] your grandfathers; together died the son of the king with his younger brother, his elder brother [Brinton ‘the oldest son of the king died at the same time as his young brother’]. So we were left in poverty, you my children; we were small boys when we were left, all of us. [Rupoyibal alaxic: meaning uncertain; Brinton ‘Hence the putting aside of our claims.’]
Only two days later our father died too, the counselor Balam, your grandfather, my children. Grandfathers and fathers died alike. Great was the stench; the people stank of death. When our fathers and grandfathers died, half the people fell into the ravines. Only dogs and vultures fed on the people. Terrible was the death that destroyed your grandfathers. The king’s son died together with his younger brother and his elder brother. So we were left in poverty, my children. We were small boys, and all of us were left. So our birthright was set aside.
- Rahpop achi, a title of high rank, which Brinton translated “counselor.”
- Brinton read this as “threw themselves into the ravines.” The Kaqchikel says only that they fell or went down there, perhaps as corpses.
- The meaning of this line is uncertain. Brinton took it to mean that the family’s claim to rule was passed over, as the following sections tell.
131. Rahpop achi Balam, rubi, nabey ru^ahol ahauh Huny£, ha ki tanti £a£ar chi quivach ahaua, ok xpe nima camic ^-hac.
Rahpop achi Balam [was] his name, first son of Lord Hunyg; he was already [gagar: ?renowned] before the faces of the lords when the great death of the pestilence came.
The counselor Balam was the name of the eldest son of King Hunyg. He was already honored before the lords when the great death of the pestilence came.
135. Ah^alam Hunahpu ru vakak al, he /J-a xecolotah chic ri he oxi ka tata ruma ^hac ; ^aoh ok, ok £-a ^-hutik konohel cu^-in ok xoh canah, xka z^et ^-a ronohel ri yavabil, ix nu^-ahol ;
Ahtzalam Hunahpu [was] the sixth son; they were saved, the three our fathers, from the pestilence. We were then small boys, all of us with them, when we were left; we saw all the sickness, you my children.
Ahtzalam Hunahpu was the sixth son. He and our three fathers were saved from the pestilence. We were small then, all of us, when we were left, and we saw all the sickness, my children.
Page images of the original object or of the printed edition, from the libraries and archives that hold them. The pages shown are copied here where the holder marks them public domain; titles link to the holder's own viewer. Click a page to see it full size.
Brinton, The Annals of the Cakchiquels, Philadelphia 1885
Internet Archive (Getty Research Institute copy). pp. 170–173. Public domain (published 1885).
The printed edition our text follows, with the Kaqchikel and Brinton’s English on facing pages.
Other translations of this passage. Links go to copies that are free to read online.
Daniel G. Brinton, 1885. English. Public domain.
The whole passage.
Memorial de Sololá: Anales de los Cakchiqueles
Adrián Recinos, 1950. Spanish. In copyright; not free online.
The whole passage.
New translation from the Kaqchikel text of Daniel G. Brinton’s edition (Philadelphia, 1885), pages 170 and 172, made through an intermediary: Brinton’s English translation on the facing pages (public domain). We read the Kaqchikel as far as we could; where it was unclear, our English follows Brinton, and every doubt is marked in the literal version.
The whole account of the pestilence in sections 127–131, and the first sentence of section 135. Brinton’s section numbers are shown in braces.
- Original
- Text as printed in the named edition or on the object, read from page images. Edition: Daniel G. Brinton, ed. and trans., The Annals of the Cakchiquels: The Original Text, with a Translation, Notes and Introduction (Philadelphia, 1885), Kaqchikel text pp. 170 and 172, English pp. 171 and 173. Digital text: Internet Archive item annalsofcakchiqu00unse (Getty Research Institute copy), OCR text, extracted by code. Brinton’s special letters for Kaqchikel sounds are garbled in the OCR and are left as it has them. Not yet read against the page images.
- Transliterated
- Not needed: the original is in the Latin alphabet
- Close English
- Close translation drafted by Claude (Anthropic), kept as a working draft
- Simplified English
- Drafted by Claude (Anthropic) from the original. Not yet checked by a separate review.
- Editor’s review
- Not yet.
- Specialist review
- Not yet. Readings a specialist should confirm are listed for later review.
- Rights
- Original: public domain. Edition: public domain.
Sources for the notes
- Brinton, Daniel G., ed. and trans. The Annals of the Cakchiquels: The Original Text, with a Translation, Notes and Introduction. Philadelphia, 1885. Introduction (on the authors, the dating and the printed text) and sections 127–135, with notes to 127–128.