Oc is Maya for the King Vulture, Sacoramphus papa. It is also known as Carroñero Rey, and Zopiloto Rey.
[←99]
Patzapik is the name used for Cadejo in the Sisimito Series. Patzapik is Maya for ‘hairy, shaggy, thick (beard)’. Cadejo means ‘tangled hair’. He is a hairy goat-like animal or a large shaggy dog. He sometimes appears as a human skeleton dragging a chain.
[←100]
Alaj Chaj-r-ij Wíinik is the name used for Hashishi Pampi in the Sisimito Series. Hashishi means ‘ashen in color’. Pampi means ‘small boy’ or ‘dwarf. Alaj is Maya for ‘little’, chaj-r-ij for the color ‘grey’, and wíinik for ‘man’. They are small creatures that look like little men having the color of ashes, and frolic mischievously in the fire-hearth at night. They are smaller than duendes.
[←101]
Alaj Ponopik is the name used for Duenditos in the Sisimito Series. Ponopik is Maya for ‘dwarf (person, animal)’. Alaj is Maya for ‘small or little’. Duenditos are playful characters, miniature duendes (dwarfs). At night they play, leap in the ashes of the burnt milpa, and create a ruckus by throwing stones and whistling continuously, imitating the sound of the wind.
[←102]
Q’eq Ja’ Wíinik is the name used for Negro de Agua (Black Man of the River) in the Sisimito Series. Ja’ is Maya for water. Q’eq is Maya for the color ‘black’. Wíinik is Maya for ‘man’. Negro de Agua takes drowned bodies to dens under water. The palms of his hands and the soles of his feet are white.
[←103]
Xwáay Kumätz is the name used for La Sirena (Spanish for ‘mermaid’) in the Sisimito Series. Xwáay is Maya for ‘witch’. Kumätz is Maya for ‘snake’. La Sirena is evil, has long black hair and is clothed in white. She is half woman and half snake.
[←104]
Tata Ponopik is the name used for Tata Duende (Spanish for ‘dwarf) in the Sisimito Series. Tata is Maya for ‘old man’ and ponopik is Maya for ‘dwarf (person, animal)’. Tata Duende is three feet tall and wears a wide brimmed hat. He is stocky built, has a hairy body, and an ugly and mean face. He has his feet turned backwards. He has no thumbs and will wring off those of anyone who falls prey.
[←105]
Pujuy is Maya for the Common Pauraque, Nyctidromus albicollis. Other names are Tapacamino and Pucuyo.
[←106]
Kos is Maya for the Laughing Falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans. Another name is Halcon Guaco.
[←107]
Batz is Maya for the Black Howler monkey, Alouatta pigra. The animal’s main vocals consist of loud, deep guttural growls or “howls”.
[←108]
Peeniwali is the Kriol name for ‘fireflies’.
[←109]
In Sisimito I - Ox Witz Ha, the first book of the Sisimito Series, Molly’s thumbs were ripped off by Sisimito. She was later fitted with metallic thumbs when she was in France. Also, in Sisimito I - Ox Witz Ha, Eutimio carves the image seen on the Green Scapular on a medallion of Maya Jade (ya’ax-chich) and gives it to Molly. Molly later gives it to Ajawinel K’an II, Ruler of Ox Witz Ha. Eutimio made another one for her.
[←110]
Nabac-cuc is the Maya name for the allspice tree, Pimienta dioica.
[←111]
Beriyin is the Kriol word for ‘funeral’.
[←112]
The Ke’kchi believe that Tzultacah, the deity who protects them from wild animals, has taken Sisimito into the few densely jungled areas remaining in Belize. Thus, he is rarely seen today.
[←113]
Lika is Kriol for ‘liquor’.
[←114]
Grip is another word for valise or suitcase.
[←115]
Bergen is a British military rucksack.
[←116]
Miramar has its roots in the Spanish language. It is the union of two words, mirar (to look at) and mar (the sea). The hill is named Miramar as one is able to see the sea from there.
[←117]
Ko’one’ex is Maya for ‘Let’s go’. Chiac likes to use the Maya version.
[←118]
TAB is Tactical Advance to Battle, typically a long march carrying weight and wearing boots.
[←119]
Lej-xajäbs is Maya for ‘sandals’.
[←120]
Bajan is the colloquial term for Barbadian.
[←121]
Chicleros are men who collect chicle. The tapping of chicle, a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products, is similar to the tapping of latex from the rubber tree. Zig-zag gashes are made in the tree trunk and the dripping gum is collected in small bags. It is then boiled until it reaches the correct thickness.
[←122]
Sak-ya is the Maya name for the sapodilla tree, Manilkara zapota. It is also known as chico zapote, sapote, zapote (Spanish); sapadilli, cheekleh (Kriol); chicle, sapodilla, and grows from 18 to 30 meters, its fruit sweet and delicious. The wood is highly prized for its durability and resistance to termites and fungi. Carved timbers, which once formed lintels and supporting beams at Tikal, have been found intact in the ruins, surviving 1,200 years. When punctured, the tree exudes copious amounts of a gummy resin used for making chewing gum. This latex was used by the ancient Maya in dental surgery as a crude filling for dental cavities. Trees are still found in the jungles of Belize that carry the herringbone cuts made on the bark by the Chicleros. (See Kate Harris, Trees of Belize.)
[←123]
Wahmil is a secondary fresh-scrub growing on what was originally a milpa.
[←124]
Ajwoyotz’ is the Mopan word for the Kinkajou, Potos flavus. It is also called Night Walker.
[←125]
Baläm is the general Maya word used for the ‘jaguar’ in the Sisimito Series. The scientific name is Panthera onca, but is also known as chakmo’ol and koh. The yellow jaguar is Ek Baläm, the black jaguar is Ix Balanque, and the white jaguar is Majahuta Baläm. The jaguar is the third largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar has an extremely powerful bite and employs an unusual killing method. It bites directly through the skull of its prey, between the ears, to deliver a fatal bite to the brain. The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. The jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of the Maya and the Aztec, and is one of the most important emblems in Maya culture.
[←126]
Tapesco is a triangular platform built above ground. It is used for sleeping and storing goods.
[←127]
Flippin was a favorite word of Pte. Hulse M. It probably meant ‘bloody’ or ‘damn’ or …
[←128]
Ground sheet: The MKVI Brown ground sheet was issued to British Army soldiers from 1915 to the 1940s. The British army soldier carried this waterproof ground sheet with him in the field and it could be used as a waterproof ground sheet, a shelter to keep you dry, and a cape by tying a piece string though the two top holes.
[←129]
Yax’-nik is Maya for the fiddlewood tree, Vitex gaumeri. It is an attractive graceful tree growing 30 meters tall, often having buttresses to support its large canopy. It has orchid-like purplish blue blossoms. Its roasted bark was used by the Maya to treat foot fungus, ringworm, and foot parasites.
[←130]
K’oy is Maya for the Spider Monkey, Ateles geoffroyi. They are regarded as the most intelligent New World monkeys. They can produce a wide range of sounds and will bark when threatened; other vocalizations include a whinny similar to a horse, and prolonged screams.
[←131]
Lean-to: This is an improvised structure built out of available materials like branches with leaves for the covering, and sturdier stripped branches or young tree-trunks as the supporting structure. It is used as a temporary camp deep in the jungle or even for a single overnight stay.
[←132]
Waata daag is Kriol for the Water Dog. It is the Neotropical River Otter, Lontra longicaudis.
> [←133]
Bum fodder is the term the British Military uses for ‘toilet paper’. Fodder in this case means ‘material that is used for a specific purpose’.
[←134]
Wi da famili is Kriol for ‘We are family (immediate)’.
[←135]
Yoo da mai kozn is Kriol for ‘You are my cousin’.
[←136]
Bombali is Kriol for ‘good friend’.
[←137]
Bakra is Kriol for ‘a white skinned person’.
[←138]
Jigging is slang for ‘masturbating’.
[←139]
Ahn di stoari neba don deh is Kriol for ‘And the story did not finish there’.
[←140]
Chaparral is a dense growth of shrubs or small trees.
[←141]
Marmite is a dark brown-colored savory spread made from the yeast that is a by-product of the brewing industry. It has a very strong, slightly salty flavor. It is definitely a ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ type of food.
[←142]
Ala is Maya for ‘boy’.
[←143]
Cho-otz is Mopan Maya for the trumpet tree, Ceropia pelata L. It is also known as a’kl and po-hór (Ke’kchi Maya), and guaramo and warumo in Spanish.
[←144]
Ih gi mi lee waif, loosely translated in Kriol is ‘she allowed me to have sex with her’.
[←145]
Pereetos is Kriol and refers to a woman who is able to give great sexual satisfaction.
[←146]
Bad-siknis is Kriol for ‘gonorrhea’.
[←147]
Sacpa or chí are Maya names for Craboo, Byrsonima crassifolia. The Kriol name is kraabu. The Wild Craboo fruit is sour and is called sour craboo. It is often soaked with very hot peppers and usually eaten while men are drinking.
[←148]
¡Ai yai yai! ¡Hijueputa! (Spanish). This is an interjection plus the vulgar form of ‘son-of-a-bitch’.
[←149]
Mes-bél is Ke’kchi Maya for chichibe (Mopan Maya), Sida rhombifolia L. Other names are escoba, and malva (Spanish). It is traditionally used for burning of the urine, stoppage of water (urine), gonorrhea, and as an expectorant to loosen dry coughs.
[←150]
Lahun Chan is Venus. For the Maya, the important celestial bodies are deities, the sun, the moon, and Venus being the most important. Venus, sometimes the sun’s (Kinich Ahau) brother, has a plethora of named aspects. Most are malevolent and dangerous, particularly when the planet first rises as the Morning Star.
[←151]
Here, Chiac refers to the Moon Goddess as Ix Chel.
[←152]
Combats is the term used when one refers to combat uniform tops and trousers together.
[←153]
Sorosi (Spanish) is Momordica charantia L. Another name is condiamor (Spanish). Its mature yellow-orange fruit, containing seeds in a red pulp, are edible. Sorosi is the most renowned medicinal plant of Belize and is used to treat many complaints. Belizean East Indians relish ripe sorosi fruits in curry dishes.
[←154]
Wild Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch, is also known as ‘flor depascua del monte‘ (Spanish).
[←155]
Cruxi is Mopan for cross vine, Paullinia tomentosa Jacq. It is also known as ‘skipping rope vine (English)’, and ‘hierba del pensamiento‘ (Spanish).
[←156]
Katy-Katy-yu-baby-di cry is Kriol for ‘Katy, Katy, your baby is crying’. It is the song of the Xan-coti (Maya), the Spot-Breasted Wren.
[←157]
Xan-coti is Maya for the Spot-Breasted Wren, Thryothorus macu-lipectus. Another name is Troglodita Pechimanchada (Spanish).
[←158]
Ko’one’ex is Maya for ‘Let’s go’.
[←159]
Cordonsillo (Spanish) is Buttonwood, Piper amalago L. It is also known as Spanish Elder (English). Traditionally, it is used as an herbal bath for aches, pains, rheumatism, swellings, skin conditions, fatigue, and sleeplessness. It is also used for headache, constipation, sedation, menstrual cramps, delayed menses, toothaches, and as a first aid for snakebite. A person passing through a place where a duende or spirit has been may experience a cold heaviness in the air and may develop muscle cramps. This spiritual disease, known as a Mal Viento or ‘bad wind’, is treated by bathing the patient in an herbal bath made from buttonwood.
[←160]
Xtyay-ach-bak-shúl is Ke’kchi for Vervain, Stachytarpheta cayennensis. Other names are cot-a-cam or kaba-yax-nik (Mopan), vervine (English), verbena (Spanish). Considered sacred by the Maya, vervain is still used in ritual ceremonies to ward off evil influences. To repel evil magic, bunches of stems are hung in doorways and dried leaves are burned as incense.
[←161]
Calaloo (Kriol), is Amaranthus dubius Mart. Ex Thell. Other names are amaranth, pig weed (English), quelite (Spanish). The leaves and seeds of amaranth were a food source for the Aztecs and Mayas. The Aztecs mixed popped amaranth seed with human blood to form a ceremonial cake as an offering to the gods.
[←162]
Xmutz is Mopan for the twelve-o’clock plant, Mimosa pudica L. Other names are prickle (English), dormilon (Spanish).
[←163]
Mis is Mopan for give-and-take (Kriol), Cryosophila stauracantha. Another name is escoba (Spanish). Besides its medicinal uses, brooms (escoba) are made from young dried leaves tied together on a slender stick.
[←164]
Amate is Mopan for the fig tree, Ficus maxima Mill. Another name is higuero (Spanish).
[←165]
Ix-anal and anal are Mopan names for Psychotria acuminate Benth. This is the female plant. The male plant is Psychotria tenuifolia Sw. It is also known as anal, dog’s tongue, and lengua de perro in Spanish.
[←166]
Tsu-jipox or oop are the Maya names for the Wild Custard Apple tree, Annona reticulate L. Other names are bullock’s heart (English), anona del monte (Spanish).
[←167]
Paal is Maya for ‘son’.
[←168]
These questions are actually from the movie Peaceful Warrior. The book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was first published in hardcover as a limited edition in 1980. The author is Dan Millman.
[←169]
Ke’eleen is Maya for ‘I’m cold’.
[←170]
Mal Viento is Spanish for ‘bad/evil wind’, referring to an evil spirit.
[←171]
Kungo owt a ya is Kriol for ‘Let’s get out of here.’
[←172]
Duende is Spanish for ‘spirit’. A person passing through a place where a duende or spirit has been may experience a cold heaviness in the air and may develop muscle cramps. This spiritual disease is known as a Mal Viento or ‘bad/evil wind’.
[←173]
Aquacate is Spanish for ‘avocado’. Aguacate village was previously known as Moho River Aguacate and is the oldest and most traditional village in Toledo. It is 99% Ke’kchi.
[←174]
T’ot’ is Maya for ‘vagina’.
[←175]
San Benito Poite was established in 1963 by a group of Ke’kchi Maya, originally from Otoxha, who fell in love with the rich soil of the area. It remains fully Ke’kchi Maya and its main products are corn, beans, rice, and pigs. It is still relatively isolated. The name Otoxha comes from Kotoxha which means ‘Winding Stream’.
[←176]
Nohoch wíinik is Maya for ‘old man’. Choc uses Nohoch Wíinik as meaning ‘Father’.
[←177]
Lee bit is Kriol for ‘few’, but it is also a Kriol slang for the sexual act.
[←178]
Uye’el-toon is Maya for ‘testes’ or (vulgar) ‘balls’.
[←179]
Ajawinel is Maya for ‘king’. Here it refers to the king of a large independent state or kingdom. Ajawal refers to the king of a vassal state.
[←180]
> Raax Ch’ayom Puag is Maya for ‘Green Medallion’. In the Sisimito Series it refers to medallions made from jade (ya’ax-chich) on which were carved the images found on the Green Scapular. At times, Bas’ Green Scapular is called by that name.
Sisimito II--Xibalba Page 66