Sisimito III--Topoxte

by Henry W. Anderson

  The ballcourt was independent of any adjacent buildings, similar to the one in Xibalba, but not as elaborate. The field was open at either end, the tiered platforms with their sloping walls marking the two sides. Everyone who was attending the feast, except for the ah’-cuabs,295 was on the court; the ah’-cuabs were on the northern upper tier. They were playing a very rhythmic melody with ch’aw-baqs, la’j-tuns, and sochs.

  “No harp and marimba,” grumbled Teul.

  “What’s harp and marimba?”

  Teul hesitated in answering. “Mix-ba’al.”

  Xipilli shrugged. “You keep saying “Mix-ba’al.”

  “Mix-ba’al,” repeated Teul.

  The markers used during the pitz were all decorated with flags, and colorful tapestries were placed across the sloping walls. Torches were arranged in regular lines and in a circle at the center of the court around a small stone platform.

  “Why is there a stone platform in the middle of the ballcourt, Xipilli? That shouldn’t be there.”

  “Mix-ba’al,” responded Xipilli, roguishly. Teul sighed.

  Ilhuitl indicated to a place that was reserved for them beside Ajaw But’z Chan, his wife, and their six children, four boys and two girls, all seated on rugs. Teul and Xipilli hit their chests saying together, “Ajaw But’z Chan.” He nodded and they sat on the rugs provided for them.

  “This is my wife, Lady Tlazohtzin.”296 She nodded. “And this is Nabeal K’ojol Toltecatl.”297 He indicated to the eldest boy who appeared about nineteen or twenty. The boy nodded. “He will be going with you as my Nim-q’ij Envoy to Ajawinel K’an II. He will ask for aid for our neighboring kingdoms, on behalf of Pusilhá.”

  “And I am Ukab K’ojol Xiuhcoatl,”298 said another son, probably a year younger.

  “I did not introduce you, Ukabal,” said Ajaw But’z Chan, reprimanding the young man, looking sternly at him. Xiuhcoatl simply nodded, looking askance at his taat, a meaningful smile on his face. The Ajaw shook his head.

  The conversation was interrupted as several servants and slaves, male and females, brought food and drink. The music continued and groups of decorated and painted dancers entertained for about a k’ab. When that was finished, young women took white pieces of fabric and held them in front of the men and the couples went together to dance at the center of the ballcourt. Those who were not dancing were playing board games like bul. Three young women approached, one dangled her cloth in front of Ukabal Xiuhcoatl, the other two in front of Teul and Xipilli. Teul looked at Xipilli, uncertainty marking his face. Xipilli and Xiuhcoatl, who had been deep in conversation, looked at him grinning while gesticulating to the crowd. No madafok help from them and I don’t know a madafok about dancing that … that type of dancing. Teul looked back at the gathering crowd. But if I don’t dance, Ajaw But’z Chan will know there is something different about me. He may also be offended. So, I dance to madafok.

  Ajaw But’z Chan turned to Xiuhcoatl, who was getting up, and put up his hand, looking threateningly at him. He sat back down. The girl remained standing in front of him. A few seconds later, another girl waved her piece of fabric in front of Toltecatl and he got up and they went off into the crowd. It was only then that Xiuhcoatl was allowed to stand, which he did, looking angrily into the crowd. That one is trouble, thought Teul as he made his way to where the dancing was happening. Anyway, that’s not my problem. Now, let’s dance Teul. And he danced, providing much amusement for the citizens.

  After each selection, the ballcourt emptied and everyone went back to their seats. Then the whole process started again and a piece of white cloth appeared before Teul, Xipilli, and Xiuhcoatl.

  The waning full moon was bright and at its zenith when Ajaw But’z Chan spoke to the Batab who signaled the musicians, ah’-cuabs, to stop. There was the roll of the nim-tums and then all was quiet except for the constant chirp-chirp of the xirs.

  It is our time, said Xipilli, looking at Teul.

  Teul frowned. “Our time for what?”

  “The ceremony between you and I. We will now perform the ceremony of the Ch’ahb,299 give sacrifice to the gods that we are Achalal and Chaq’.”

  “Xipilli. I don’t know what you’re getting me into. I’m already pretty drunk and when I’m like that I’m not very reasonable.”

  “You said we were Achalal and Chaq’. Do you go against your word? A T’oit’ik-jolom does not go against his word.”

  “Xipilli. What kind of ceremony is this? I don’t like when people stare at me and I told you I’m not a T’oit’ik-jolom.”

  “Be quiet! The Ajaw and people of Pusilhá think you are.”

  “Madafok!” Why did I lie? Chiac, you must be laughing where ever you are. Dead or alive.

  The Batab approached and whispered, sounding urgent. “The Ajaw, his family, the Ah-k‘in and his Ah-k’inob, and the citizens are waiting. Please go to the central platform.”

  Teul looked around him. About five hundred people were staring at him. What the madafok did I get myself into? “I don’t know, Xipilli.”

  “When we agreed to become achalal and chaq’, I told you there would be a ceremony. You agreed.”

  “I didn’t think it would be so soon and like this. I thought it would just be something between you and me. We’d probably give ourselves a small cut on our hand and mix our blood, become blood-brothers, like the Apaches, like I’ve seen in the pictures. Not this!”

  “Apaches? The pictures?”

  “Oh Fok! Mix-ba’al.”

  “Well, there will be blood.”

  “Oh madafok! I’m madafoked.” Teul put his hands on his head.

  “We need to begin,” the Batab reminded them, forcefully. “Follow me.” Teul blew air heavily out of his mouth then stormed behind the Batab, Xipilli walking beside him. They got to the platform and climbed up. The beautiful sound of the ch’aw-baq floated through the night.

  “I don’t understand why you hesitate, Achalal. This ceremony is usually done only by the nobles, the elites, leaders, and priests. It is a special honor granted to us by Ajaw But’z Chan. You cannot reject that honor.”

  “And what is this ceremony, Chaq’?”

  “It’s the bloodletting ceremony, the Ch’ahb. I said that before.”

  “You madafok! You mentioned it, but I wasn’t really listening. Oh No! You must be madafok joking. Chiac told me about that ceremony. Is that when you cut your toon?” Xipilli nodded. “Oh no! I’m not cutting my toon. No madafok way.”

  “The ritual of piercing your toon is not that important. Did you hit your head during the Qas Nim Wo-ja’ why you act as if you’ve forgotten our basic traditions and beliefs, like you never knew them? That may be dangerous for you, especially since you are from Ox Witz Ha and there are rumors …”

  Teul raised his hand in frustration. “Tell me, Xipilli. Chaq’. Just tell me what will happen, what’s this blood thing is all about.”

  Xipilli raised his eyebrows, frowing in disbelief. “You have me worried, Achalal.” He looked down then back up. “The gods gave up some of their divine blood in giving life to us. When we sacrifice our blood, we symbolize the renewal of the continuation of life. In giving our blood in sacrifice, we also return to the gods the blood they had given to us when we were created. You should know that.” Teul stared as if he wasn’t seeing anything.

  The Ah-k’in and his Ah-k’inob began chanting and several small children placed incense burners at the edges of the platform, others swinging theirs as they stood around. The Batab walked away and Xipilli started taking off his loincloth. “Madafok!” cussed Teul, but he began taking his off also.

  When they were finished, Xipilli said, “Let’s sit.”

  Once they were seated, the Ah-k’inob placed a bowl containing strips of parchment in front of each of them saying, “The glyph on your bowl, Xipilli, Nabeal K’ojol of Zipactonal, Nimalaj Achi of Nito, carries the image of Cacoch, Creator God, so that he may grant you great fertility b
ecause you invoke his blessings with this ceremony. Teul, T’oit’ik-jolom of Ajawinel K’an II of Ox Witz Ha, the glyph on your bowl carries the image of Xaman Ek, God of Travelers and Merchants. May he guide your travels, protect your trade, because you invoke his blessings with this ceremony and the offerings you have given and will give to him on the sides of sacbeobs while you journey. He then handed Xipilli the tzitz,300 blood-letter.

  “What’s that,” asked Teul.

  “It’s the tzitz. You use this to pierce and let the blood flow.”

  “Let me see it,” said Teul, stretching out his hand. Xipilli handed him the blood-letter.

  “The blade is a shark’s tooth,” shouted Teul, incredulously. What did I get myself into? That madafok Chiac. He’s to blame for all of this. “Here. Take it back. And I’m not going to use it.”

  “This Tzitz is very special. It is all the way from the Nohoch Atz’am Ja’. It was taken from the giant mouth …”

  “I don’t care where the madafok it’s from.” Xipilli took the blood-letter. “Is there nothing else we can do? I don’t want to cut my toon. And I especially don’t want to cut my toon with a shark’s tooth. Yoo noa how Bileez pipl frayd fu shaak!”301

  “Bileez?”

  Teul hit his forehead three times. “ Mix-ba’al!” he shouted angrily. Oh God! What did I get into? And it’s Xipilli, that madafok. It’s Xipilli that’s making me cuss so much. Jesus! Lord! I don’t usually cuss so much. I’ll stop cussing. Oh yes! I’ll stop cussing … I’ll really try.

  Xipilli shook his head, beginning to look annoyed. “Well, I picked it as it’s the least painful. It’s like piercing your ears. And it’s not the toon itself, it’s just the foreskin. We will just pierce it. Some nobles, if they want to give a great sacrifice, will hew the foreskin through leaving the flesh in the form of two floppy ears. We don’t need to go that far, unless you insist. Do you think I really want to cut my toon?”

  “Well, you’re certainly not acting as if you don’t want to. I never thought I’d agree to be circumcised.”

  “Circumcised?”

  “Mix-ba’al!”

  Xipilli sighed. “There are other ways to complete the ceremony. You can cut around the ears in strips and let them hang as a sign of your sacrifice. You can also cut a hole in your cheek or lower lip. You can cut your tongue crossways, or your earlobes, and pull a string of chay blades or thorns through it. There is a famous lintel that shows Lady Xoc302 drawing a barbed rope through her tongue. Her husband, the ruler of Yaxchilan, Ajawinel Itzamnaaj B’alam II, holds a torch in front of her. Women sometimes use the stingray spine to pierce their t’ot’. Of course, you can also cut other parts of your body, but it has to be deep.”

  “I’ll cut my madafok toon,” snapped Teul, sweat dripping from his forehead. “And, suddenly, I’m sober … not even drunk.”

  “The Ch’ahb must begin,” interrupted the Ah-k’in.”

  “Shut the madafok up,” barked Teul. The priest stepped back.

  “We have to proceed, Achalal. Why do you keep acting like you know nothing of these things?”

  Teul closed his eyes. “Maybe one day, I will tell you, Chaq’.” If Chiac did it, I can do it too. “Let’s go ahead. Madafok! You first so that I can see how it’s done.”

  “There are two good things to piercing the foreskin of the toon.”

  “I can’t believe that,” Teul said, sarcastically. “But tell me.”

  “Taking blood from the toon in sacrifice increases your fertility.”

  “I am sure I have no worries about my fertility,” interjected Teul, sourly.

  “When you sacrifice the blood from your toon, you are assured of always having iztāc-octli, chukwa’, or balché to drink.”

  “I’ve been drinking that all night. I don’t need to cut my toon with a shark’s tooth.”

  Xipilli raised his hand. “There is a famous carving at the ballcourt in the city of U Hatz’il Cháak303 showing Chac piercing his toon, the blood from which flows into and replenishes a large jar of iztāc-octli.”

  “I won’t drink any more iztāc-octli. That’s for certain. Let’s get on with this madafok, Xipilli.”

  Xipilli nodded to the Ah-k’in. The priest raised his arms high, turned and faced the crowds in all directions. Immediately, the entire gathering began to chant. The ch’aw-baqs stopped and the nim-tums began deep thumb rolls. Teul shook his head. Incense of the Sacred Pom began spilling onto the platform.

  Xipilli pulled his foreskin forward and pierced into it with one quick motion. Blood started to flow. He picked up the bowl that had been placed before him and allowed the blood to scatter on the pieces of parchment. He handed the bloodletter to Teul. Teul took it, pulled his foreskin, hesitated momentarily, closed his eyes, bit down on his teeth, then pierced it. The pain was intense, but only momentarily, nothing he had to react to. He sighed in relief as he dropped the bloodletter, picked up his bowl and placed it to catch the blood. When the bleeding stopped, he laid the bowl on the platform. The Ah-k‘in approached with a child carrying a burner with live cinders. He used a tong to take out a few coals and placed them into the bowls. The parchment strips caught fire and the Ah-k‘in lifted the bowls high above him The crowd roared its approval.

  “Let us stand,” said Xipilli. Immediately, two young female servants came with a jar of sweet smelling oil and began rubbing some over the cuts.

  “Madafok,” mumbled Teul. Now I’ll embarrass myself with a madafok tutuchci, but maybe something good will come out of it because the gyals will definitely like what they see.

  When the servants were finished with the oiling, not showing any response to both Teul’s and Xipilli’s tutuchcies, they dressed them in their loincloths. The Ah-k’in showed them that the parchment had been burned then he and his followers left the platform in a cloud of incense. The crowd, once again, roared along with the beating of many nim-tums.

  “We can go back to But’z Chan now. The feast will continue.”

  “Is it done?”

  “It is done. We are achalal and chaq’ and we have done sacrifice. We have also shown that our toon can still have a tutuchci after the blood-letting and so we will receive the blessings of Cacoch and Xaman Ek.”

  “What do you mean, “Can still have a tutuchci?”

  Xipilli stared at Teul. “If you do not get the blessings of Cacoch and Xaman Ek, you can never have a tutuchci again. It has happened.”

  “What?” cried out Teul, looking terrified. Xipilli howled with laughter. Teul shook his head. “After all I’ve been through, I will take any madafok blessings. From anyone. From any god. Why did the priest burn the parchment with our blood?”

  “Indeed, you will have to tell me why you do not know these things, Achalal. The act of burning the sacrificed blood symbolizes the transferal of the offering to the gods via its transformation into the rising smoke.”

  “I see.” Teul furrowed his forehead.

  “Well, we’re heroes tonight,” Xipilli smiled, wickedly. “Many women will want to share our mat with us. Xiuhcoatl is arranging something for us.”

  “Xiuhcoatl?” Xipilli nodded. “But I just cut my toon.”

  “That’s why we must drink, my Achalal. Then we will feel no pain.” Xipilli put his arms around Teul and pulled him into the feasting crowd.

  “And I haven’t taught you anything yet, Chaq’.”

  Xipilli laughed. “And I also haven’t taught you anything yet. Maybe it is the chaq’ that will teach the achalal tonight.”

  Teul hugged Xipilli. “Ko’one’ex, Chaq’. I am happy to be your achalal,” grinned Teul as they walked towards where But’z Chan and his family sat. “No more madafok ceremonies. Got that!”

  “Sure, Achalal.” Xipilli walked away laughing loudly.

  That laughter doesn’t make me feel safe a madafok, thought Teul.

  The festivities continued far after midnight and they danced, ate, and drank heavily of the balch�
�. Xiuhcoatl was around them a lot of the time, consuming a lot of balché as well, Xipilli talking with him a lot. But’z Chan finally called an end to the festivities and Xipilli and Teul made their way to their residence, staggering, holding on to each other.

  “Madafok! I didn’t think that balché would get me this drunk. But then there was the k’uutz too.”

  Xipilli laughed as they staggered on. “And we didn’t even pour it into our xut’.”304

  “Xut’? What the madafok do you mean?”

  “Don’t tell me that’s another think you don’t know?” Xipilli stared at Teul. “If you want to really feel the effects of balché, and quickly, you pour it into the xut’. We have special narrow neck mugs for that. Haven’t you done it?”

  “Not a madafok.”

  Xipilli shook his head. “Again, something you should know that you don’t. We must do it sometime. It makes you feel very good.”

  “Not a madafok. Not my xut’” stressed Teul. Xipilli shrugged his shoulders as they entered the residence and threw themselves onto their rugs. “Madafok! Everything is spinning,” he groaned.

  “Don’t worry,” said Xipilli. “Xiuhcoatl has arranged for us to sweat out the balché and the k’uutz.”

  “What do you mean?” Teul asked, drunkenly.

  “You’ll see,”

  Within a few seconds, Teul heard giggling and Xiuhcoatl walked in stealthy with three girls. Before Teul knew what was happening, his loincloth was off and one of the girls was sitting on his stiffening toon.

  “If I am ever going to madafok die,” shouted Teul, “I pray to the Lord, please let me die this way. I won’t even have to journey to Heaven as I’ll already be in Heaven. Oh madafok!”

  “Heaven?”

  “Just shut up, Chaq. Just shut up and juk.”

  “Juk?”

  “Mix-ba’al!”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  TEUL

  AN

  ARRIVAL AT PUSILHÁ

  K’iin 21 - The Uinal of Yaxk’in’