Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya

Christenson (2007: note 225, page 101) notes, "Chouen is derived from the Yucatec Maya word chuen, meaning 'howler monkey.' In addition, aj chuen is a title meaning 'artisan' (Barrera Vásquez 1995, 110), a reading consistent with the artistic nature of these twins. Twin monkey scribes appear frequently in Classic Maya art as patrons of writing. It is also the Yucatec Maya day name that corresponds to the day B'atz' in the Quiché calendar."

Xikiripat es uno de los Rajawal Xib'alb'a (Señores de Xib'alb'a). Tìpicamente se nombra en una orden particular: después de la invocación de Jun Kame y Wuqub' Kame y antes de su par, la deidad Kuchuma Kik', quien llega a ser el padre de la diosa Ixkik', la madre de los gemelos Junajpu e Xb'alamq'e. Cabe notar que el sabio k'iche' Sam Colop (2008: 101n154) no explica el significado de su nombre, sino más bien afirma que al nombrar las deidades "es una manera de derrotar al otro.

Christenson (2007: note 236 p. 103) translates the name of this Lord of Xib'alb'a as "Janudice Demon," following the meaning of q'ana, “yellowness, jaundice.” He also notes that like Ajal Q'ana's complement, Ajal Puj, Ajal Q'ana carries part of a name, Ajal, that "is likely a loan word from Chol, meaning “evil spirit” (Campbell 1983, 81)."

Ximénez (13r) defines the name as "el q’hazía vasura" (he who makes trash). However, this translation flattens the spiritual significance of sweeping. Within K'iche' cosmovisión, the act of sweeping (mes) with a broom (mesb'al), is considered a way to keep demons from the underworld from entering the house. See Christenson (2007: note 239, p. 104), citing Tedlock (1996: note 92, p. 253).

Xik and Patan are two of the deities who cause travelers to perish on their journeys: sudden death (rax kamik/muerte súbida), as the Popol Wuj calls the condition. According to Mayanist scholar Allen J. Christenson (2007: 237n671), "Aj patan (he/she of the pack strap) is a servant, or more specifically a bearer. Patan is both the pack strap worn by men around the forehead to carry loads, as well as metaphorically any task or errand. In a larger sense, the term may be used to describe someone who is subsidiary such as a vassal or tribute payer." 

This character, whose K'iche' name, Juraqan Tukur is translated by scholar Alan J. Christenson (2007: 107) as "One Leg Owl," is one of the four messengers of Xibalba. Each messenger takes the form of a different kind of owl: Ch'ab'i Tukur (Arrow Owl), Juraqan Tukur (One Leg Owl), Kaqix Tukur (Macaw Owl), and Jolom Tukur (Skull Owl).

The lords of Xib'alb'a are a group of deities. Within the group, each deity is paired with another lord, both having a specific combined way of killing or torturing humans. In turn, the pairs are ruled by two main deities: Wuqub’ Kame and Jun Kame. Anthropologists Dennis Tedlock (1996: 136) and Allen J. Christenson (2007: 162-63) maintain the parallelism of the naming of the lords of Xib'alb'a in a critical scene in which a mosquito, named X'an, bites all the lords on the Black Road.

Ixtoj is one of the goddesses invoked by Ixkik' [Lady Blood] in order to return a netful of maize to Ixmukane [the Grandmother]. Christenson relates her name to the day Toj on the K'iche' calendar round (2007: 138, note 311). For more information, see the entry on "Goddesses of the Milpa."

Ixkakaw is one of the goddess invoked by Ixkik' [Lady Blood] in order to return a netful of maize to Ixmukane [the Grandmother]. Christenson relates the name to Mesoamerican cacao, a highly valued currency in this region (2007: 138, note 313). For more information, see the entry on "Chajal echa' Goddesses of the Milpa)."

Wak es el nombre del pájaro que come la serpiente que trae en su barriga el sapo que comió anteriormente; éste, a su vez, lleva en su boca el piojo que comunica a los dos muchachos el mensaje que los Rajawal Xib'alb'a (Señores de Xib'alb'a) quieren que juegen la pelota en siete días.

En el inframundo de Xib'alb'a la deidad K'ik Re, cuyo nombre se traduce como "dientes sangrantes" y su par, Kik' Rixk'aq, "garras sangrantes", reemplazan a las deidades Ajal Mes y Ajal toq'ob, tal como documenta el lingüista k'iche' Sam Colop (2008: 101n153). Cabe notar, conforme observa el sabio guatemalteco Adrián Recinos (1953: 149n176, citado por Colop), "Es verdad que entre uno y otro episodios media una generación y esos cambios son naturales ...

Two bird deities, Pujuyu' and Xpurpuweq, guard the floral garden of Jun Kame' and Wuqub' Kame'. Their names are also onomatopeic representations of the sounds that the birds make. Mayanist Allen J. Christenson (2007: 157n383) cites Dennis Tedlock (1996: 274n123), who interprets the names and sounds "as the call of the whippoorwill." He adds, "Interestingly enough, the Quiché version of the call is phonetically very similar to the English name for the bird as well as to its song."

En la nota 173 Colop explica, “En el diccionario de Basseta encontramos ajxulu como “adivino”, equivalente a ajq´ij. Conforme a Coto (1983: 140), xulu son “unos demoñuelos o familiares que se les aparecían junto a los ríos”. Conforme a Varea (1997: 358), “al que curaba con estos diablillos, llamaban aj-q´ij, aj-xulu”. Todo indica que Xulu es el “sacerdote del agua”. Pak´am parece derivar de pak´alik, “dar vuelta”, “boca arriba”, cuyo significado sería darle vuelta a lo que se mira. D.

The second of the first four K’iche' men and the founder of the Nija’ib’ division. Aq'ab' means 'night' and b’alam literally means ‘jaguar’ but as a title can describe something as ‘mighty, powerful’ (Christenson 2007:196n477). Hence, his name could be translated as “jaguar night” and “mighty jaguar.” According to van Akkeren (2003:121), however, “Aq’aab’ is just another name for the Q’eqchi people.” In Ximenez's Spanish translation, his name is conflated with Don Ikib’alam into don yqui Balam Acab as one name (Álvarez Arévalo 1987: 41).