Escolio 4 recto, lines 27–31
Ximénez employs the apparent neologism “duodernídad” to characterize the dual nature of divinity within the Popol Wuj. He specifically references Folio 1 recto of his Empiezan las historias… manuscript, in which deities are almost always mentioned in pairs: Tzaqol, Bitol; Alom, Qajolom.
Escolios: Folio 2, side 1, lines 22–41
Here Ximénez recounts an incident that he also included in his Historia de la provincia. Because his conclusions in the Historia and Escolios differ substantially, we reproduce key lines from the Historia in full:
The first magic war begins with the family of Wuqub Kak'ix, which according to Nahum Megged and Rafael Girard, represents the “horizonte primitivo” (Los héroes gemelos 59). They bespeak ignorance through and through. That is why, in the words of Girard, “El gigante [Vucub-Caquix] ignoraba la manera de curarse y por esto gritaba de dolor, ofreciendo, un cuadro patético en el que se quiso destacar la ignorancia de los primitivos en el campo de la medicina, en contraste con los conocimiento de una época mas avanzada” (El Popol-Vuh, fuente histórica 79).
To fully understand Jun Batz' and Jun Chowen, we must know what it means to be an artisan. In general, Mayanists agree that "artisan knowledge" must be defined on its own terms. Rafael Girard argues in particular that artisans, or artists who transform raw matter into a higher order of culture, represent a key stage in the development of a civilization.
In the series of the first, second, and third magic war, the third and ultimate magic war is the clearest manifestation of the power of the word. Junajpu and Xbalanke/Ixbalanqué use their intelligence to communicate with the natural world, achieve a common end, bring about the punishment of transgressors, and maintain the equilibrium of life -- the ultimate goal of Mesoamer
The House of Cold was one of the challenges for the Hero Twins put in place by the Lords of Xibalba. However, the name changes depending on whether Jun Junajpu and Wuqub’ Junajpu, or Junajpu and Xb’alamke are entering. The name itself changes from “House of Cold” or “Shivering/Rattling House” to “Kneeling House.” Ximénez first calls it, in K’iche’, “vcab / chi cut xuxulim ha vbi ꜩaꜩ chi teu vpam zac xuruxuh zac / caracoh,” and, in Spanish, “casa donde arrodillaban, do solo auía mucho / frío de muy intolerable, eínsoportable frío” (15r).
Anthropologist Dennis Tedlock (1996: 84 and endnote) co-authored his English-language translation with aj q'ij Andrés Xiloj. When Xiloj got to the passage in which Junajpu and Xbalamke trick Zipakna into getting on his back, in imitation of a crab (tap), Xiloj began to laugh. The K'iche' elder said, "'This Zapacna is abusing the boys here, he's saying they shouldn't be afraid.
Aquí en el folio 15v en la columna española, el padre dominico Francisco de Ximénez escribe un comentario y lo borra completamente. Nuestro mejor esfuerzo de interpretar el texto tachado y rayado es: "✝," así indicando la palabra que inspiró la nota, "san ts esten en alta mal li Joan 21," o "San Tomás está en alta mar libro Juan 21," una referencia -- tal vez -- al pasaje bíblico en el que Simón Pedro, Tomás (el gemelo) y Natanael salen a pescar en el lago de Tiberíades.
Los autores k'iche' del Popol Wuj proporcionan una larga lista de tinamites que participaron en la guerra contra K'ikab. Un pueblo, "chihunahpu" o "chi Junajpu" en la ortografía moderna (Colop 1999: 187) y "chí hun ahpu" en la traducción española del padre dominico Francisco de Ximénez (1666-1729) produce diferentes interpretaciones entre los investigadores. El equipo de lingüistas yucatecos que publicaron una nueva edición del texto en maya yucateco interpretan el nombre del tinamit como "Jun Ajpúub" (Junajpu) (Briceño Chel et al. 2012: 214).