Fig. 27.—Ek Ahau, the Black Captain.
About his name, however, there can be no doubt. The paintings correspond precisely with what Nuñez de la Vega tells us of the Tzental divinity Ical Ahau, Maya, Ek Ahau, names which he translates, “the black chief,” or, “the king of the blacks.” He was reported to have been “a famous warrior and most cruel.” He was depicted “in the figure of a ferocious blackamoor with the members of a man.”[[88]] The “blacks” of whom he was king were seven in number, and were painted in most of the native calendars which the bishop found among the Tzentals. They were the signs of seven days, beginning, he adds, with Friday, which may have been an erroneous explanation of the “masters.”
Among the remainder of the seven were doubtless the god Ek Chuah, of the cacao planters, and the god “L” of Dr. Schellhas’ list. The latter is found in the Cod. Dresden., pp. 7, 14, 21, 24, 46; but not at all in the Troanus. It is evident, however, that, as Dr. Schellhas observes, several minor black gods are depicted, which is explained by the statement of the Bishop of Chiapas, that there were seven of them.[[89]]
5. The Maya Priesthood.
Not all the designs of the inscriptions and Codices are to be considered deities, however. Doubtless the priests, their representatives, also appear. These were numerous and of both sexes, called respectively, ah-kin and ix-kin, masters of days and mistresses of days, that is, having power to predict auspicious and inauspicious days. The chief priest was variously called ah-kin mai and ahau can mai, the word mai, dust, fragrance, vapor, referring to the sacred rite of blowing substances through a tube in incantation, as we find often represented in the Codices.[[90]] Ahau can, which at times means “rattlesnake,” should perhaps here be translated, “master of words,” as another term for the high priest was ah-chun can, which is rendered “one who has the right of the first speech in business; also, high priest.” (Dicc. Motul.)
They were divided into a number of classes exercising special functions; as the ah-mac ik, who conjured the winds; the ah-uai chac, who could bring rains; the ah-pul, “fetchers,” who could cause sickness, induce sleep, etc.; the ah-uai xibalba, who made a specialty of interviewing departed spirits; the ah-cunal than, who conjured by magical words; and others.[[91]]
Fig. 28.—A Maya Priestess, bearing the Moan Bird. (From the Dresden Codex.)
In their rites they were accustomed to appear in masks, koh, and dressed in skins of wild animals, as tigers, etc.[[92]] Their ceremonies were often painful, as the old writers report, and as the words to express them, kup, to cut, ppeta, to cry out with pain, testify. This is also abundantly shown by the pictures of scarifying the body and transfixion of the tongue and ears, on the monuments.
They are said to have worn their hair uncombed and long, often matted with the blood of the sacrifices. The expression for this was hunhun buclah u tzotzel hol, (el que trae largos revueltos y marañados los cabellos como los traen los idolatras. Dicc. Motul).