Page:The Annals of the Cakchiquels.djvu/117

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
ANNALS OF THE CAKCHIQUELS.
111

40. The sun had already risen, said our fathers and ancestors of old; the dawn had appeared, when were formed the families of Gekaquch, Cibakihay, Cavek and Ahquehay. Baqahol had not been well received, as he had forced the families to accept him as their ruler. When he forced them to this, they said: "I shall not go forth to meet you, Baqahol. Do you not come to say: 'I am the chief, I say it?' And do you not come to show your precious stone to the eyes of the families? Have you not called yourself the Counselor Baqahol? And have you not called yourself the head of our house?" Thus they spoke; but those who were with him answered: No one has said, 'I am the head of your house.'" "Be thou our ruler," they cried, and thus he succeeded.

41. Immediately they gave him, as their chief, the, signs of royalty. They seated him on the seat and royal throne. They washed him in the bath, the painted vessel. They clothed him with the robe, the girdle and green ornaments. He received the colors, the yellow stone, the paint, the red earth, and thus he obtained the signs of royalty from the other families and tribes, as said our ancestors, oh my children. Thus was constituted the family by us the ahpop; all the warriors did likewise in the place of their dawn; thus was established the royalty by the families and tribes. They became more numerous in the place where their dawn had appeared. Three tribes of our nation had seen the dawn appear, the Zotzils, the Cakchiquels and the Tukuches. As to the Akahals they were but a little distance from the place when the dawn appeared to the three nations. At the spot called Tohohil the Quiches saw their dawn, and those of Rabinal saw it shine at the spot Zamaneb, and the Tzutuhils sought to see their dawn at Tzala. But their labors had not been completed by this tribe when the sun arose. They had not as yet finished drawing their lines in Tzala when it rose in the sky, precisely above the place Geletat. It continued to spread its light along its course, and at last set at the place called