Wuqub Kakix

We learned last week about Ixim and its connection with its cultivation and the cycles of the sun.

This week we head back to the Popol Wuj, the story of creation.

Until this point, we have sprinkled in a few connections between the observable sky and how they relate to parts of the story.

Given that Ixim helped fuel the development of not just the Maya but of other meso-american civilizations, we can determine the importance of observing the sky and the cyclical movements of Sun, Moon, Stars, Planets and Milky Way.

We see the observation of the skies consistently expressed throughout the entire ancient Maya world, in surviving codices, and texts like the Popol Wuj , in the vast range of artworks, carved on ceramics, murals, and sculptures.

Knowing the cosmos helped our Maya ancestors be aware of their present place in the universe, plan for the future and look into the past.

We have spoken about Xmucane, Xpiyacoc and their perspective constellations, this post is about another name that appears in the story: Wuqub Kakix

Wuqub Kakix literally translates as Seven Macaw, But also can be translated to Seven Red Feathered and direct translation of K'iche Maya is Seven Red thorns.

Wuqub Kakix appears early on in the story, just after creation but before the coming of the first dawn.

In the Sam Colop translated version of the Popol Wuj, he states that Wuqub Kakix is associated with the consolation of the Big Dipper. It's important to note that the constellation of The Big Dipper is formed by seven stars.

Wuqub Kakix appears early on in the creation story, when there was no dawn. There was only darkness on the face of the earth since there was no sun.

There was only Wuqub Kakix who magnified itself as the sun.

The earth and sky were there, but the face of the sun and moon were not yet seen. This is happening in the times of humans made of wood.

These beings were the second failed attempt of making humanity, ultimately they would be wiped out by a flood.

American anthropologist Barbara Tedlock, states in her book Popol Vuh: The Mayan Book of The Dawn of Life

“The rising of Wuqub Kak’ix (Big Dipper, in mid-October) now marks the coming of the dry season, and his fall to Earth and its disappearance (beginning in mid-July) signal the beginning of the hurricane season. It was its first fall, brought on by the blowgun shot of Hunahpú and Xbalanque, that opened the way for the great flood that brought down the wooden people.

Wuqub Kakix proclaims himself as the Sun and the light .

Wucub Kakix is described with teeth that glitter with jewels, and turquoise so blue that they stand out like the face of the sky.

And its nose shines into the distance like the moon.

Wucub Kakix Says:

“My throne is silver .

I brighten the face of the earth

whenever I step forth.

So I am the sun,

as well as the moon,

for all children born

beneath my light.

So be it.

My vision is vast”

The story goes on to say that hero Twins Jun Ajpu & Xbalamqe, were not fond of the boasting of Wucub Kakix. They decide to take it down. In order to accomplish this, the twins hid under a tree and waited with their blow-guns for him to arrive. When Wucub Kakix arrives, Hunahpu shoots him in the face with his blowgun. Wucub Kakix becomes enraged, it rips off Hunahpu’s arm, & escapes. The hero twins then convinced an old couple named Great White Peccary and Great White Coati to pose as healers and visit the bird, offering to cure his eyes and teeth. The old couple tricked the bird by telling him that in order to cure him, they needed to replace his eyes and teeth. When he agreed, they substituted grains of corn for his teeth and eyes. After that, Wuqub Kak'ix loses its power and quickly dies.

This part of the story can be seen on multiple works of Ancient Maya art. One of the oldest is the Panels of the Preclassic sites like El Mirador and Izapa. A plaster panel at El Mirador dates to approximately 200 - 300 B.C. and depicts the hero twins, Hunaphu and Xbalanque underneath a bird with outstretched wings.

Izapa’s stela 25 shows Jun Ajpu & Xbalamqe shooting a perched bird with a blowgun.

The perched bird imagery is seen with varying stylistic developments throughout the span of Maya history.

The Popol Wuh talks about Wucub Kakix’s wife, Chimalmat. Chi is a preposition and Malmat is a verb that indicates something that trails behind. It has been proposed that Chimalmat corresponds to the constellation of the Little Dipper, which makes sense since it Is seen in the sky trailing along its partner the Big Dipper (Wuqub Kakix)

The Popol Wuh’s creation story consistently makes metaphors or poetic expressions of specific celestial moments and cycles as they are crucial to the development of agriculture. The story of Wuqubb Kakix is one of the best pieces of evidence we have of the importance the Maya gave to knowing the cycles of the observable sky.

Next time we come back to the Popol Wuh we will meet the two sons of Wuqub Kakix:

Zipacna, the Alligator

Kabraqan, the Earthquake