animal : vac

Christenson (2007: 45) uses the name of this bird, vac, as an example of K'iche' linguistic features: "Long and short vowels are treated as separate letters in Quiché and should be distinguished when written. The Ximénez transcription of the Popol Vuh seldom makes such distinctions. For example, the word transcribed as vach might be read with a long vowel vach ('my companion'), or with a short vowel väch ('my face')."

Tedlock includes a picture of the Vac/Pájaro in his edition of the Popol Vuh. This is the picture that has been selected for this entry.