The Controversial Mayan Queen: Sak K'uk of Palenque (The Mists of Palenque) (35 page)

When he turned back to Yonil, he saw tears glistening in her eyes.

“Yonil, we cannot become lovers,” he said with voice not quite steady.

“Why not? It is what we both want. This passion that I feel, I also feel in you. Why must we deny it?”

“You know why. It is because of who I am. Yonil, as much as I desire you, I am bound by duty to my dynasty and the people of Lakam Ha. I must follow the traditions expected of me, and marry the woman selected by my parents. We both know that will not be you.”

“Your mother hates me!” Yonil was crying now, tears streaming down her cheeks. Between sobs, she gasped a few words. “She . . . always disliked me . . . from that first time . . . we danced together.”

Her tears tore at his heart, and he grasped her hands in his, pressing strongly.

“It is not you, she does not even know who you really are,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “It is that . . . that your family lineage is . . . not suitable for a royal wife. Please do not take offense. You are lovely, so beautiful you cannot imagine. Any man would be fortunate to have you for his wife.”

His earnest praise seemed to comfort Yonil, and she stopped crying. Wiping her eyes, she glazed wistfully at Pakal.

“Any man but you,” she murmured.

“Not so! I also would be fortunate, but . . . it cannot be.”

“Then take me as your concubine.” Her gold-flecked eyes locked onto his with the force of a female jaguar. “You are the ruler. You can have any woman, or all the women, that you desire. Your word is law. Your command is as binding as death. To be with you is all I want . . . to love you.”

“Ah, Yonil . . . my heart is aching. There is so much you do not understand, cannot possibly know about me, my destiny. About what I must do and how I must do it. Truly am I sorry . . .”

His voice trailed off as her fierce eyes continued to bore into his.

“You can do what you want. You are K’uhul B’aakal Ahau.” Her eyes softened into pools of honeyed delight. “All you have to do is command, and I will become yours.”

A tiny fount of possibility surged upward from the desolate place within Pakal. What she said was not impossible. He knew of other rulers, not in Lakam Ha but in Pa’chan and Uxwitza, who had married secondary wives, and who kept concubines. He was ruler here, and might he not begin a new practice in his dynasty?

He smiled and she relaxed, breathing out a deep sigh.

“Come,” he murmured. “Let us part on a sweet note. As you wisely observe, many things may be possible, even for a ruler.”

She melted into his arms, snuggling against his chest, reveling in his masculine scent and hard pectoral muscles. He lightly wrapped one arm around her and stroked her hair with the other, fingers combing through silky tresses, murmuring under his breath “So beautiful, so exquisite.”

Neither wanted their embrace to ever end. Long moments passed while the breeze sighed and the river warbled. White puffy clouds bunched over the southern peaks, forming tall thunderheads with gray bellies beginning to fill with rain. The sun was dropping closer to the horizon, sending lengthening shadows across the meadow.

Pakal’s lips brushed her crown as he slowly disengaged from their embrace. She did not protest, lifting eyes bright with promise to meet his once again.

“Climb quickly over the hill, there is a deer path through the meadow,” he said, pointing the direction. “I will return to my grandmother’s temple, so we will seem to come from different places.”

She nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly she whirled around, grasped his shoulders and pulled herself up to brush her lips against his.

“Remember that I am waiting, ever waiting, for your command.”

List of Characters and Places

Sak K’uk – Characters          (*historical person)

Sak K’uk* – Acting ruler of Lakam Ha 612-615 CE, mother of Janaab Pakal

Kan Mo’ Hix* – husband of Sak K’uk

K’inich Janaab Pakal* – son of Sak K’uk and Kan Mo’ Hix

Muwaan Mat – Primordial Mother Goddess, named ruler of Lakam Ha 612-615 CE

Hun Pakal* – father of Sak K’uk

Aj Ne Ohl Mat* - Ruler of Lakam Ha 605-612 CE, brother of Sak K'uk

Hohmay - wife of Aj Ne Ohl Mat

Yaxun Xul – father of Kan Mo’ Hix

Pasah Chan – High Priest of Lakam Ha

Kab’ – wife of Pasah Chan

Ah Kuy – old calendar priest

Usin Ch’ob – High Priestess of Lakam Ha

Tunsel – Pakal’s nursemaid

Chakab – older Nakom (warrior chief) of Lakam Ha

Oaxac Ok – distant cousin of Sak K’uk

Ch’amak – distant cousin of Sak K’uk

Uc Ayin – courtier, musician, artist of Lakam Ha

Manik – sister of Uc Ayin, lives in Sak Tz’i

Ek Chuuah – vengeful noble of Usihwitz, leader of attack plot

Yax Chapat – son of Ek Chuuah

Yuknoom Ti’ Chan* – ruler of Kan 619-? CE

Tajoom Uk’ab K’ak* – ruler of Kan 622-630 CE

Uneh Chan* – ruler of Kan 579-611 CE

Tajoom – High Priest of Kan

Wamaw Took – Nakom (warrior chief) of Kan

Zodz (Bat) Dynasty – displaced Kan Dynasty from Uxte’tun

Yahau Chan Muwaan I* – ruler of Usihwitz 603 - ? CE

Kitam – noble opponent to Bahlam dynasty in Lakam Ha

Pax Koh – noble opponent to Bahlam dynasty in Lakam Ha

Yax Chan* – young architect of Lakam Ha

Ho’ Tok – visitor from Nab’nahotot with traders

K’anal – scribe of Lakam Ha

Ikim – potter of ceramics at Lakam Ha

Yonil – young noblewoman of Lakam Ha, in love with Pakal

Tulix – young noblewoman of Lakam Ha

Muyal – young noblewoman of Lakam Ha

Cities and Polities

Matawiil – mythohistoric origin lands at Six Sky Place

Toktan – ancestral city of K’uk Bahlam, founder of Lakam Ha dynasty

B’aakal – “Kingdom of the Bone,” polity governed by Lakam Ha (Palenque)

Lakam Ha – (Palenque) “Big Waters,” major city of B’aakal polity, May Ku

Kan – refers to residence city of Kan (Snake) Dynasty

Uxte’tun – (Kalakmul) early home city of Kan Dynasty, usurped by Zodz (Bat) Dynasty

Dzibanche – home city of Kan dynasty (circa 400-600 CE)

Ka’an – “Kingdom of the Snake,” polity governed by Kan

Usihwitz – (Bonampak) in B’aakal polity, later enemy of Lakam Ha, allied with Kan

Yalamha – coastal trading city on long peninsula (Ambergris Caye)

Nakbe – (El Mirador), called Chatan Uinik – Second Center of Humans

Xpuhil – City near Wukhalal Lagoon

Kuhunlich – City near Wukhalal Lagoon

Becan – City near Wukhalal Lagoon

Popo’ – (Tonina) in B’aakal polity, linked to Lakam Ha by royal marriage

Yokib – (Piedras Negras) in B’aakal polity, later allied with Kan

Wa-Mut – (Wa-Bird, Santa Elena) in B’aakal polity

Nututun – City on Chakamax River, near Lakam Ha

Sak Tz’i – (White Dog) in B’aakal polity, later allied with Kan

Anaay Te – (Anayte) in B’aakal polity

B’aak – (Tortuguero) in B’aakal polity

Pakab – (Pomona, Pia) in Ka’an polity, joined Usihwitz in raid on Lakam Ha

Pa’chan – (Yaxchilan) in Ka’an polity

Uxwitza – (Caracol) allied with Mutul, later with Kan

Mutul – (Tikal) great city of southern region, ally of Lakam Ha, enemy of Kan

Nab’nahotot – (Comalcalco) city on coast of Great North Sea (Gulf of Mexico)

B’uuk – (Las Alacranes) city where Kan installed puppet ruler

Nahokan – (Quirigua) southern city, ally of Oxwitik

Oxwitik – (Copan) southern city allied with Lakam Ha by marriage

Tan-nal – (Seibal) southern city, ally of Maxam

Imix-ha – (Dos Pilas) southern city, ally of Tan-nal and Kan

Maxam/Saal – (Naranjo) southern city, initially offshoot of Mutul, then ally of Kan

Kan Witz-nal – (Ucanal) southern city, ally of Kan and Tan-nal, former Mutul ally

Waka’ – (El Peru) ally of Kan, enemy of Mutul

Peten – lowlands area in north Guatemala, densely populated with Maya sites

Places and Rivers

K’uk Lakam Witz – Fiery Water Mountain, sacred mountain of Lakam Ha

Nab’nah – Great North Sea (Gulf of Mexico)

K’ak-nab – Great East Sea (Gulf of Honduras, Caribbean Sea)

Wukhalal – lagoon of seven colors (Bacalar Lagoon)

K’umaxha – Sacred Monkey River (Usumacinta River), largest river in region, crosses plains north of Lakam Ha, empties into Gulf of Mexico

Michol – river on plains northwest of Lakam Ha, flows below city plateau

Chakamax – river flowing into K’umaxha, southeast of Lakam Ha

Tulixha – large river (Tulija River) flowing near B’aak

Chih Ha – subsidiary river (Chinal River) flows into Tulixha

B’ub’ulha – western river (Rio Grijalva) flowing into Gulf of Mexico near Nab’nahotot

Pokolha – southern river (Rio Motagua) by Nahokan, near Oxwitik

Small rivers flowing across Lakam Ha ridges

Kisiin – Diablo River

Bisik – Picota River

Tun Pitz – Piedras Bolas

Ixha – Motiepa River

Otolum – Otolum River

Sutzha – Murcielagos River

Balunte – Balunte River

Ach’ – Ach’ River

Maya Deities

Hunab K’u (Hun Ahb K’u) – Supreme Creator Being, giver of movement and measure

Muwaan Mat (Duck Hawk, Cormorant) – Primordial Mother Goddess, mother of B’aakal Triad

Hun Ahau (One Lord) – First born of Triad, Celestial Realm

Mah Kinah Ahau (Underworld Sun Lord) – Second born of Triad, Underworld Realm, Jaguar Sun, Underworld Sun-Moon, Waterlily Jaguar

Unen K’awill (Infant Powerful One) – Third born of Triad, Earthly Realm, Baby Jaguar, Patron of royal bloodlines, lightning in forehead, often has one snake-foot

Ahauob (Lords) of the First Sky:
B’olon Chan Yoch’ok’in (Sky That Enters the Sun) – 9 Sky Place
Waklahun Ch’ok’in (Emergent Young Sun) – 16 Sky Place
B’olon Tz’ak Ahau (Conjuring Lord) – 9 Sky Place

Ix Chel – Earth Mother Goddess, healer, midwife, weaver of life, fertility and abundance, commands snake energies, waters and fluids, Lady Rainbow

Hun Hunahpu – Maize God, First Father, resurrected by Hero Twins, ancestor of Mayas

Yum K’ax – Young Maize God, foliated god of growing corn, resurrected Hun Hunahpu

Wuqub’ Kaquix – Seven Macaw, false deity of polestar, defeated by Hero Twins

Hun Ahau – (Hunahpu), first Hero Twin

Yax Bahlam – (Xbalanque), second Hero Twin

Wakah Chan Te – Jeweled Sky Tree, connects the three dimensions (roots-Underworld, trunk-Middleworld, branches-Upperworld)

Xibalba – Underworld, realm of the Lords of Death

Xmucane – Grandmother Deity of Maya People, Heart of Earth

Xpiyakok – Grandfather Deity of Maya People

Bacabs – Lords of the Four Directions, Hold up the Sky

Ahau Kinh – Lord Time

Itzamna – Sky Bar Deity, Magician of Water-Sacred Itz, Teacher-Builder

K’ukulkan – “Feathered Serpent” God of Transformation

Witz Monster – Cave openings to Underworld depicted as fanged monster mask

Titles

Ahau – Lord

Ixik – Lady

Ix – honorable way to address women

Ah – honorable way to address men

K’uhul Ahau – Divine/Holy Lord

K’uhul Ixik - Divine/Holy Lady

Ah K’in – Solar Priest

Ix K’in – Solar Priestess

Halach Uinik – True Human

Yum - Master

Nakom – War Chief

Sahal – ruler of subsidiary city

Ah Kuch Kab – head of village (Kuchte’el)

Chilam – spokesperson, prophet

Batab – town governor, local leader from noble lineage

Kalomte – K’uhul Ahau ruling several cities, used often at Mutul and Oxwitik

May Ku – seat of the
may
cycle (260 tuns, 256 solar years), dominant city of region

Yahau – His Lord (high subordinate noble)

Yahau K’ak – His Lord of Fire (high ceremonial-military noble)

Ba-ch’ok – heir designate

Juntan – precious one, signifies relationship between mother and child as well as between deities and ahau, also translated “beloved of”

Dynasty of Lakam Ha (Palenque)

Codes: b. born a. acceded d. died r. ruled

All dates are CE