[This is the republication of an epigraphical research project I conducted as part of my undergraduate studies in Spring 2011.]
Bird Jaguar IV and the Great Skull Legacy:
An analysis of Yaxchilan Lintels 13 & 14.
The ancient Mayan city of Yaxchilan occupies the area in Mexico known presently as Chiapas. During the Late Classic period of Maya civilization, Yaxchilan was a thriving autonomous polity which carved a swath of political hegemony along the Usumacinta river region (Sharer, Traxler 2005:239). Yaxchilan cast a modest sphere of influence and possessed the resources and power to wage war with equally prestigious (or even more powerful) rivals like Hix Witz and Piedras Negras. The mid-to-late Eighth Century would see the city of Yaxchilan reach its apex of power, with successful military victories over longtime rivals, widened political consolidation, and an array of new constructions venerating the same. The two lintels analyzed here—lintels 13 and 14 of Structure 20—were created during this rising crescendo of Yaxchilan and epitomize precisely these aforementioned events that were of supreme importance for the ruler of the time, Yaxuun B’alam.
Lintel 14 hangs over the northwest doorway on the south side of Structure 20 and was first “discovered” by Alfred Maudslay in 1882. Maudslay was enthralled by the number of ruins present and he compiled a list of stelae, lintels and structures, as well as the first map of the Yaxchilan area (Tate 1992:5). The Peabody Museum describes the physical condition of Lintel 14 as follows:
[The lintel is] in pristine state. [It is comprised of] fine yellowish limestone. The carved surface is flat; the edges are parallel. The border of the sculptured area is by no means rectangular, although the slanting upper and curved lower margins conform well to the masonry jambs upon which the lintel rests. (Peabody 2011:1)
Lintel 14 is of modest size, with a mean width [MW] of 0.91 meters, a carved area measuring 0.78 meters tall [HSc] by 0.80 meters wide [WSc] and a mean thickness [MTh] of 0.32 meters (Id.). It is incredibly well-preserved, and every detail of its iconography and the entirety of its glyphs remain discernible.
Lintel 14 bears a date of 4 Imix, 4 Mol, and the long count date for this lintel is 9.15.10.0.1. Using the GMT correlation constant, this date converts to Sunday, June 29th, 741 CE (Famsi 2011). At this point in Mayan Late Classic history, Itzamnaaj B’alam (Shield Jaguar III) still ruled as Ox K’atun Ajaw, but was old and only a year away from his impending death in 742. The subsequent ten-year period, from 742 to 752 CE, is well-documented by Proskouriakoff and other Mayanists as an interregnum period, where various entities were vying to fill the political vacuum (Martin, Grube 2008:127). The combination of this power vacuum, Bird Jaguar IV’s own obsessive insecurity and the ailing condition of Itzamnaaj B’alam III renders the 9.15.10.0.1 date highly suspect as a useful reference for the lintel’s manufacture. This is clearly evidenced when an accurate interpretation of the lintel is scrutinized within the context of the period.
When Yaxuun B’alam (Bird Jaguar IV) acceded to lordship in 752, his legitimacy was questionable. During his father’s reign he had been rather unremarkable, a minor underlord at best, with little claim to greatness. His mother, Ixik Ik’ Cham (Lady Eveningstar) was Itzamnaaj B’alam’s third wife, and was apparently so insignificant as to warrant no mention during his father’s entire reign (Martin, Grube 2008:126). In order to solidify his position, the recently acceded Yaxuun B’alam immediately went to work fabricating a fictitious history. He erected many series of stelae and lintels which served several purposes. Some, like Stela 35, were designed to embellish the prominence of his mother (Id.). Others, like Stela 11, had the purpose of cementing his own legitimacy as king. By portraying the necessary rituals between himself and his father, such as the flapstaff dance, Yaxuun B’alam was able to falsely render his claim to heir apparency in recorded historical fact (Id.). The three-panel series of lintels 12, 13, and 14 were likewise intended to bolster this fictitious history, by strengthening political solidarity and raising the prominence of Yaxuun B’alam’s bloodline, paving the way for his son (Itzamnaaj B’alam IV) to succeed him.
A sign which now stands at Yaxchilan Structure 20, erected by the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History, tells with brevity the events depicted in lintels 12, 13 and 14:
There are several sculptural monuments associated with [Structure 20]: Lintels 12 (today at the Museum of Anthropology), 13 and 14, plus Hieroglyphic Stairway 5. Lintel 12 shows a scene from one of Shield Jaguar I’s conquests. On 13, one sees Shield Jaguar II’s parents, Lady Large Skull and Bird Jaguar IV, commemorating the ruler’s birth with a “vision of the snake” ceremony. Lintel 14 also portrays Shield Jaguar II’s parents, but in a ceremony of self-sacrifice connected to the “vision of the snake” (see Appendix A).
As is further established by the subsequent transcription detailed in this paper, there are numerous mistakes with the INAH summary of events. Contemporary understandings of Mayan Late Classic history reveal that Bird Jaguar IV’s father was Shield Jaguar III, not Shield Jaguar I as the INAH summary indicates. Likewise, Bird Jaguar IV’s son was Shield Jaguar IV, rather than the second. Though perhaps only a minor semantic matter, current scholarly work also interprets Bird Jaguar IV’s wife as Lady Great Skull, rather than “Large Skull” as understood by INAH. A closer epigraphical look at lintel 14 reveals a significant misinterpretation of the events depicted thereon.
At first glance, the iconography of lintel 14 looks nearly identical to that of lintel 13, and it is easy to see how the two might be interpreted as featuring the same individuals performing the same (or a similar) ritual. In both lintels, two prominent individuals face each other, the more dominant figure on the right, in typical Mayan fashion. The two wield bloodletting knives and bowls from which a nawal, or Maya vision serpent, is invoked. The major differences are between the identity of the individuals appearing in each lintel, respectively, and the overall context of what is being depicted. These differences are explicitly stated in the glyphs.
Using Ian Graham’s drawing and corresponding labels (Appendix B), Lintel 14’s text begins with the series of 12 glyphs marked D1 through F4. The reading order is standard, dual-column. In Mayan, this series reads: “Kan Imix, Kan Mol, tzakaj k’awil, Kab Ajaw [alt. Muwan], Chanaal-ij, chakb’ay kan, u wayaj, Ch’ul Ixik, Ixik Chak Cham, Ixik Sajal, Yaxuun Ajaw” (Appendix C). The English gloss is “4 Imix, 4 Mol: is conjured the god of generations, He [or Bird] of the Earth, in/from the sacred space, the great image serpent, her nawal, Holy Woman Lady Great Skull, she who serves, mother of the lord” (Id.). The lintel then proceeds to glyphs A1, B1, and C1, In Mayan: “[ch’ul] U b’a, Ch’ul Ixik Kab Ajaw, Yax Ixik” (Id.). This phrase translates to “Her [divine] image, Holy Woman of the Earth, First Lady” (Id.). The final passage is the five-glyph series G1-G5, which in Mayan reads “U b’a Yax Chit Chan Aj Tuubayeet, Chak Cham Sajal U Ajaw” and glosses in English as “His image, First Father, Captor of He of Tuubayeet, Great Skull, elite subordinate to his Lord” (Id.).
Taken in its entirety, Lintel 14 identifies Lady Great Skull and Great Skull Sajal, not Bird Jaguar IV as the INAH summary states. The two have bloodlet and summoned Lady Great Skull’s vision serpent, most likely an ancestor. The deeper purpose behind the ritual itself is not explicit, but the event’s depiction is important because it establishes the prominence of the Great Skull lineage. Bird Jaguar’s repeated emphasis on his wife, Lady Great Skull, seems to exemplify his determination to prevent her from falling into obscurity, as occurred with his own mother. By maintaining her high status in Yaxchilan’s history during his own reign, Yaxuun B’alam is ensuring that his heir, Shield Jaguar IV, will avoid the problems of legitimacy that plagued the former in his attempt to accede.
Lintel 14 also reveals the elite status of Great Skull himself. He is referred to as “First Father,” referencing him as the founder of the Great Skull bloodline (Schele 1990:288). Though their relationship is not known with certainty, Great Skull is likely the Uncle of Lady Great Skull. That he bears the title “Captor of” reinforces the known fact that he was the favored sajal (subordinate) of Yaxuun B’alam IV. It should be noted that the G3 glyph, glossed here as “He of Tuubayeet” is speculative. As is the case with obscure glyphs, its meaning is determined by the surrounding context and is subject to change as scholarly understanding of Mayan history and epigraphical analysis improve.
The date of 741 CE on lintel 14 begs repeated emphasis. If the purpose of lintel 14 was to strengthen the appearance of political solidarity and promote the Great Skull lineage, it was not enough for Bird Jaguar IV to simply erect monuments depicting them. In order to create lasting legitimacy, Yaxuun B’alam needed to manipulate the historical record in truly Orwellian fashion. By bestowing lintel 14 with the date of 741 CE, Bird Jaguar’s heirship was given legacy and depth. Moreover, since that date precedes the death of Itzamnaaj B’alam III, the depicted events and Great Skull lineage are granted the appearance of de facto consent and legitimacy from the former ruler himself. This act alone reveals the brilliant political savvy of Yaxuun B’alam IV.
Lintel 13 (Appendix D), though iconographically similar to lintel 14 as previously stated, depicts Lady Great Skull and Bird Jaguar IV. The Peabody Museum describes the scene as follows:
This lintel depicts Bird Jaguar IV and his wife or consort Lady Chak Chami wielding hafted bloodletters and other bloodletting paraphernalia. A large serpent disgorges the probable form of their child, the future Shield Jaguar IV (the figure's headdress touches a reference to Shield Jaguar IV's birth in the main text, at A3). The scene is probably a metaphorical one, though many key textual passages remain eroded and obscure. (Peabody 2011:2)
Overall, the Peabody description of lintel 13 is quite good. This is indeed a ritual venerating the birth of Itzamnaaj B’alam IV, and despite the greater degree of erosion and the number of obscure glyphs, the context remains clear.
The reading for Lintel 13 (Appendix E) begins with the five-glyph passage A1-B1 and reads in Mayan as “Jun Chikchan, Oxlajun Pop: Sijya Chelte’ Chan K’inich,” which glosses in English as “[on] 1 Chikchan, 13 Pop, Chelte’ Chan K’inich is born.” The text then proceeds to the 12-glyph panel C1 through D6. In Mayan, this section reads “[Ch’u] U b’a, Ch’u Ch’ok K’oj, ?-Ixik Ixik Chak Cham, Ixik Sajal, Ox K’atun Ixwaate Aj ?-n, Aj Oxlajun Bak, ?-chan, Pachaan.” Accordingly, the English gloss is “She, her [divine] self, her divine youthful image, holy woman Lady Great Skull, She who serves, 3 K’atun Tree Lady, She of ?, She of 13 Captives, ?-sky, split-sky.” Several of the glyphs in this passage are obscure and as title glyphs, are difficult to transcribe with surety. Despite the above gloss generally agreeing with that provided by the Peabody Museum, portions remain specious.
One major point of contention lies with the two titles which begin with “Aj.” This affix is extremely common throughout Mayan writings and is always understood to represent the male agentive. It seems rather unlikely that this glyph would be employed here as an exception for Lady Great Skull, despite Bird Jaguar’s inclination to build his wife’s prominence. Another possible interpretation that still works within the contextual framework of lintel 13 would gloss the D4 glyph as Ix yete’—“Lady in the company of.” This would entail that the following two title glyphs correspond to her unknown companion, who is presumably male. One possibility might be that this is a reference to Great Skull Sajal, though this remains purely speculative on the author’s part. Another similarly speculative possibility is that the titles refer to the ancestor which has been summoned in the form of a nawal. Glyphs C6 and D6 are eroded and open to interpretation (particularly the former), though D6 almost certainly represents the phonetic spelling of Pachaan (“split-sky”), seen frequently throughout Yaxchilan in the Late Classic and featured in one of the Polity’s emblem glyphs. These final two glyphs of this passage might also be referencing the name of the ancestral vision serpent. At this point in time, however, these interpretations must be relegated to the realm of conjecture.
Lintel 13 continues with the sequence E1-E4 and F1-F5, both of which pertain to Yaxuun B’alam. The first sequence reads in Mayan as “U b’a Jun Chan, Yaxuun B’alam, Aj K’al Bak” or “His image, 1 Sky, Bird Jaguar IV, He of 20 Captives.” This is followed by the customary title sequence “U Chan Aj Uk, Ox K’atun Ajaw, Ch’u Pa’chan Ajaw, B’akab’,” which is glossed in English as “Captor of He of Uk, 3-K’atun Lord, Divine Lord of Yaxchilan, the Standing One.” These last two lines are transparent and typical to monuments of this time, where Yaxuun B’alam consistently touts his preeminence.
Taken as a whole, Lintel 13 continues to further the agenda of Yaxuun B’alam in establishing his legitimacy through his heir, Itzamnaaj B’alam IV, who is herein referenced by his youthful name, Chelte’ Chan K’inich. Again, this depiction reveals Bird Jaguar’s intent to preemptively annihilate any potential question of his son’s political authority, sparing him from facing the same challenges of obscurity the father had incurred. In contrast to lintel 14, there is no apparent reason to believe that the date of 9.16.0.14.5, or February 12th, 752 CE, is a falsification. This was the year that Yaxuun B’alam acceded and his legitimacy would have already been—fictitiously—established for nearly a decade before. In this case, it was important that Itzamnaaj B’alam be venerated, but there was no practical reason to manipulate the past as was necessary for Bird Jaguar IV to solidify his own legacy.
Ultimately, although Lintels 13 and 14 appear facially similar, it is important to distinguish the differences of detail in their depictions. By understanding what each scene represents independent from one another, we can discern with greater clarity the over-arching goals of Yaxuun B’alam IV and the importance of the monuments in Structure 20 as a continuum of significant events. The keen political maneuvering of Bird Jaguar not only insured that his lineage would retain power in Yaxchilan after his death, but also inevitably began a chain of events which saw the polity’s resurgence and subsequent rise to a height of hegemony, culminating in the conquest of longtime rival Piedras Negras in the early 9th century (Sharer, Traxler (2006:431) and a “golden age” which would last until the larger decline of the Maya empire.
REFERENCES
FAMSI. “Date Conversion.”
Retrieved on May 7th, 2011. http://research.famsi.org/date_mayaLC.php
Martin, Simon; Grube, Nikola
2008 Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens. London: Thames and Hudson Inc.
Montgomery, John
2002 Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs. New York: Hippocrene Books Inc.
Montgomery, John
2002 How to Read Maya Hieroglyphs. New York: Hippocrene Books Inc.
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. “Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions.”
Retrieved on May 7th, 2011.
http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/CMHI/detail.php?num=14&site=Yaxchilan&type=Lintel
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. “Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions.”
Retrieved on May 8rd, 2011.
http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/CMHI/detail.php?num=13&site=Yaxchilan&type=Lintel
Schele, Linda; Freidel, David
1990 A Forest of Kings. New York: William Morrow and Company Inc.
Sharer, Robert; Traxler, Loa
2006 The Ancient Maya 6th Edition. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Tate, Carolyn
1992 Yaxchilan: the Design of a Maya Ceremonial City. Austin: The University of Texas
Press.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A—INAH Sign at Yaxchilan
Retrieved on May 2nd, 2011. http://mayaruins.com/yaxchilan/a1_531.html
APPENDIX B—Drawing of Lintel 14 by Ian Graham, 1974.
APPENDIX C – Reading Order and 6-line transcription for Lintel 14
READ: D1-E4, F1-F4, A1,B1,C1,G1-G5
D1 TIV.500a[501] KAN.IMIX Kan Imix Four Imix “4 Imix” | E1 TIV.581v KAN.MOL Kan Mol Four Mol “4 Mol” | F1 Tnn.1000b:32 ?.IXIK:CH’UL Ch’ul Ixik Holy/divine woman “Holy woman” |
D2 T714.181 TZAK.ja Tza[h]k-aj PASS – Conjure “is conjured” | E2 T1030c K’AWIL K’awil Deity name “God of generations” | F2 T1000b.109:736v IXIK.CHAK:CHAM Ixik Chak Cham Lady Chak Cham “Lady Great Skull” |
D3 T526.747v (or 744v) KAB.AJAW (MUWAN) Kab Ajaw Earth Lord (Bird) “He of the Earth”(?) | E3 T86:409[561]:314 NAL:ni?[CHAAN]:ji Chaanal-ij (?) Heavenly location(?) “Heavenly place”(sacred space | F3 T1000b.630[140v].181 IXIK.sa[la].ja Ixik Sajal Lady sajal “She who serves” |
D4 T109:501:126.25:764 CHAK:B’A:ya.ka:CHAN Chakb’ay Kan Great head/image serpent “Great image serpent” | E4 T1:539:125.181:126 U:WAY:ya.ja:ya U wayaj 3A -- Spirit; portal; nawal “Her nawal” | F4 T126.168:756b Ya.AJAW:xu(na) Yaxun Ajaw POSS. – Mother; Lord “Mother of the Lord” |
A1 T1.60:757:? (Ch’u?) U.B’A:? (CH’U?) U b’a (Ch’ul U b’a?) 3A – image “Her (divine) image” | B1 T32:1000b.168:526 CH’UL:IXIK.AJAW:KAB Ch’ul Ixik Kab Ajaw Holy lady Earth lord “Divine Lady of the Earth” | C1 T1000b.16:181[178] IXIK.YAX:-laj Yax Ixik First lady “First Lady” (?) (title?) |
G1 T1.757v:? U.B’A:? U b’a 3A – image “His image” |
G2 T16:580.108:764 YAX:CHIT.cha:CHAN Yax Chit Chan First Father Captor/serpent “First father, captor of?” (?) |
G3 T12: 91:501.710:103 AJ:tu:b’a.ye:ta Aj Tuubayeet He Tuubayeet “He/Lord of Tuubayeet” |
G4 T109:736v.1004v:178 CHAK:CHAM.sajal:la Chak Cham Sajal Great Skull Elite Subordinate “Great Skull Elite Subordinate” |
G5 T1.168:nn U.AJAW:? (AJAW?) U Ajaw His Lord “[to] His Lord; of his Lord” |
APPENDIX D— Drawing of Lintel 13 by Ian Graham, 1974.
APPENDIX E– Reading Order and 6-line transcription for Lintel 13.
READ: A1-B1, C1-D6, E1-E4, F1-F5
A1 TI.500[764] JUN.CHIKCHAN Jun Chikchan One Chikchan “1 Chikchan” | B1 T561v:23.316:184 CHAN:na.ku:K’INICH Chan K’inich Chan K’inich “Sun-eyed Sky” (name) |
A2 TXIII.551:130 OXLAJUN.POP Oxlajun Pop Thirteen Pop “13 Pop” | |
A3 T740:126.181v SI:ya.ja Sij-ya INT – Born “is born” | |
A4 T148.188:87v Che.le:TE’ Chelte’ Chelte’ “Tree?“ (name) |
C1 T1.45:757 U.ju:b’a U-b’aaj 3A – Himself “He himself/His image” | D1 T36v.758:220.217:1009b Ch’u.CH’OK:k’o.k’o:jo Ch’u ch’ok k’oj Divine youthful image “Divine Youthful image“ (title) |
C2 T?.1000b:32 ?.IXIK:k’u ?-Ixiik Divine/holy woman “Holy Woman” (title) | D2 T1000b.552v? IXIK.? Ixiik-? Lady “Lady” |
C3 T109.736v:173 CHAK.CHAM:MI Chak Cham “Great Skull” | D3 T1000b.630.181:78 IXIK.sa.ja.la Ixik Sajal Female subordinate elite “Lady Sajal; She who serves” |
C4 TIII.25.528.25:548 OX.K’ATUN Ox K’atun Three K’atun “3 K’atun” | D4 T130:1002v.87 Wa:IX.te Ixwaate Lady tree “Tree Lady” (title) |
C5 T12.nn:23 AJ.?:na Aj ?-n He/lord of ?-n “She of –” | D5 T12.XIII:570 AJ.OXLAJUN:B’AK Aj Oxlajun B’ak Lord thirteen captives “She of 13 captives?” |
C6 T?:?:?.561a:764 ?:?:?.CHAN:CHAN ?- Chan ?-sky; four, snake “?- Sky” (name/title?) | D6 T602?:520v.561:23 pa?:cha.CHAAN:na Pa’chaan Split-sky “Split-sky” (title) |
E1 T1.60:757 U.B’a U-b’a 3A - Image/Doing “His image” | F1 T1.228:764 U.cha:CHAN U-chan 3A – Captor “Captor of” |
E2 TI.764(?) JUN.CHAN Jun Chan One sky/snake “1 Sky” (title?) | F2 T12.513:528 AJ.U.ku Aj Uk He/lord Uk “He of Uk” (title) |
E3 T126.236:751 Ya.YAXUN:B’ALAM Yaxuun B’alam Yaxuun B’alam “Bird Jaguar IV” | F3 TIII.25.528.25:747a OX.K’ATUN:AJAW Ox k’atun Ajaw Three k’atun lord “3-K’atun Lord” |
E4 T228.683v:111 AJ.K’AL:B’AK Aj K’al Bak He twenty captives “He of 20 Captives” (title) | F4 T38.168:562 CH’U.AJAW:PA’CHAN Ch’u Pa’chan Ajaw Divine split-sky lord “Divine Lord of Yaxchilan” |
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