Ixkik

In our last post we spoke about XIbalba, The Place of fear. The Lords of Xibalba had summoned Huh Hun Ajpu and Wuqub Ajpu after their ball playing had offended the lords with the noises above their subterranean domain.

Jun-Kame and Wuqub-Kame, the Principal lords, challenged Huh Hun Ajpu and Wuqub Ajpu to play ball in the court of Xibalba.

The Popol Wuh tells us that Huh Hun Ajpu and Wuqub Ajpu would not make it to the game. They were first tested, tricked and then eventually killed.

Inside the Dark House, where it was pitch black, Huh Hun Ajpu and Wuqub Ajpu were given a torch and two cigars. The Lords had warned them to keep them burning all night without consuming them. They did not pass this test..

This test was designed for them to fail. The Lords kill Huh Hun Ajpu and Wuqub Ajpu the next day instead of playing ball with them. Both of them were buried at the Ball court of Xibalba, except for the severed head of Hun Hun Ajpu, which is placed in the fork of a tree. After the burial of the head the tree bears fruit instantly, a fruit that it did not bore before. It becomes difficult to tell the head from the fruit.

This is the origin of the calabash tree, whose fruit has the character of a human skull when dried and hollowed.Everyone in Xibalba becomes aware of this fruit, and they are warned to stay away.

One particular resident of XIbalba does not… Her name is Ixkik. She is the daughter of one of the Lords of Xibalba, Kuchuma Kik (Gathered Blood). Let's break down her name..

Ix (ish) - Kiche prefix for the feminine and/or diminutive (Little or Young)

Kik - Kiche root word for Blood

The Kik part of her name has a double meaning, Ik in Kiche also means Moon

Sam Colop writes that the best possible translation would be Young Blood Moon. Others may translate it as Lady Blood Moon.

In our video we read out loud the passage where Ixkik approaches this tree with the head of Hun Hun Ajpu, in which he spits in head which leads her to be impregnated.

There is much debate over the type of tree in this part of the story. We do see this tree depicted in Ancient Maya art. In ancient art we see a round fruit growing along with a human head. Some have said that it is the Cacao tree. Although Cacao was super important to the ancient Maya, the Cocoa tree does not match the artistic representation of the flowers, leaves or the fruit.Crescentia cujete, commonly known as the calabash tree, is most likely the best candidate. This tree grows a fruit that resembles a human head. In ancient art, We can see that this tree is a perfect match. In Guatemala this tree is known as Jicaro, and in today’s Maya communities, drinking vassals and bowls are made with the dried out fruit. These are called Jicaras and Guacales.

Here we find lots of metaphors and symbolisms. One of them is how the fruit of this Calabash tree gives life. This is the fundamental philosophy that nature gives humans the substance to keep humanity developing and growing. As humans we nourish our bodies with fruit that nature produces. It's interesting that this part of the story takes place in Darkness (Xibalba), it is a direct correlation to how a seed is watered, buried in the ground, then rises above like we see Ixkik do later on.

Another metaphor of the story is in the following passage

“ In my saliva and spittle I have given you my descendants," said the voice in the tree. "Now my head has nothing on it any more, it is nothing but a skull without flesh. So are the heads of the great princes, the flesh is all which gives them a handsome appearance. And when they die, men are frightened by their bones. So, too, is the nature of the sons, which are like saliva and spittle, they may be sons of a lord, of a wise man, or of an orator”

This is the poetic way that The Popol Wuh explains DNA. How inside the spittle is the lineages of future descendants. It is saying that although our ancestors become skulls without flesh, we the new generation carry on their likeness. It is heredity law, where our ancestors pass on their intellectual and moral as well as physical characteristics.

After 6 months of being impregnated, Ixkik is sentenced to death by her father. He is enraged because of her “fornication”. The lords demands the messengers of Xibalba (owls)to kill her and to bring back Ixkik’s heart. Ixkik then convinces these owls not to kill her, and instead they gather the sap of a tree. She directs them to shape a heart of this sap.

This tree is identified as the Croton sanguifluus, Croton (cochinal croton) tree sap. This tree secretes a sap that when dried can be used as incense, Pom (in Kiche) Copal (in Nahuatl), which is used today. It's important to note that Pom or Copal are generic words, used for resin of various different trees.

The owls bring the fake heart and burn it in front of the lords. As a result of this it is destined that the lords of Xibalba will receive offerings of incense made from croton sap rather than human blood and hearts. The lords heat the fake heart over a fire and are entranced by the aroma; meanwhile the owls show Ixkik to the surface of the earth.

Once she is out of the underworld, Ixkik goes to Xmucane and claims to be her daughter-in-law, but Xmucane resists the idea that her own son could be responsible for Ixkik's pregnancy. She puts Ixkik to a test, sending her to get a netful of corn from the garden.

Here we get ready for the birth of Jun Ahjpu and Xbalamque. The Journey begins for the hero twins that eventually result in the humans made of corn.

For our next post we will take a very important break from the Popol Wuh and talk about Ixim (Maize/Corn). This will help us further understand the story since its most important and fundamental metaphor of the Popol Wuh is about the cultivation of Ixim.