U Kahlay Katun: The Count of Years

U Kahlay Katun: The Count of Years, A Maya TL

AKA The Land of Turkey and Deer v2. Well, it's been a long and arduous experience I must say. Despite being my sole reason for coming here, it took me at least a year to even start the only Maya TL here, and then I had a year-long hiatus during the making of it, twice. And what finally came out turned out to be a mangled, erratic mess, probably due to my erratic method of thinking and typing. Suffice to say it wasn't up to snuff. A lot of incorrect stuff, outdated stuff, not very descriptive, not very Maya, etc. So I promised a version 2, and I called the one I typed up a "rough draft", which it quite frankly should've been. And then my computer died for two months, then I had to read up on several books and fix the damn thing and restore all my stuff, and then I went on vacation. So I've been putting it off for a while, but the procrastination ends here. Or at least it temporarily ends here, who knows what the future may bring.

Anyhow, it's on to the TL itself. The last one had several problems many of which will change. In fact almost everything will change. The PoD will probably no longer be so far back, but I will still go on about a lot of stuff before the PoD to give you a clearer idea of Maya politics and as others suggested let you acclimate to the different names of TTL, as I will be exclusively using the ancient, true names of cities and places as long as they are known, and I might make up some as well if they are unknown. I'm so naughty. Basically, this TL will spend much more time in the Classic era long before the Spanish come. So if you want to skip ahead and just read about that part, you can either wait patiently or read the original version of this, Land of Turkey and Deer, but be aware that I will no longer be updating it.

Also, I must give you guys some sources that can help you get a clearer idea of this stuff. I must also thank this webpage, for the graphic calendar converter I shall make great use of. Why must I use it, you ask? Well why not? Also, here are some useful maps for you guys: a trade map, a neat map, and a detailed map. Can't get enough maps. I would post a political map of the area if I could find one on the web, but I can't right now. Also, for things I am unable to find out in any book or webpage, I will be using some material from the novel In the Courts of the Sun. After all, I got my username from that book. If you guys want, I may also make a detailed list of Mayan cities TTL that has all of their modern OTL names and whatnot. Oh, and so you don't get confused, I will be using mostly the older orthography of the Mayan languages, at least for established place names. Basically, everything is pronounced as it would be in Spanish, with a few exceptions. 'X' represents a 'sh' sound, a double vowel (such as 'aa' or 'oo') simply represents an elongated vowel, and a lone apostrophe is a glottal stop.

Also, forgot to mention, the Maya calendar may play some importance here, so you might want to read these notes of mine. I will use multiple Mayan calendrical terms for it was of great importance to them, and ultimately the TL. Basically, since they counted by 20's, and not by tens like us, they had a unit of time called a katun, which was twenty tuns, a tun being 365 suns, or days. A baktun was 20 katuns. The long count calendar is organized by baktun, then katun, then tun, then uinal (20 days, a Maya month), then the day itself. For example, February 28th 2011 is 12.19.18.2.18. That is, it's the 12th Baktun, 19th Katun of the baktun, 18th tun of the katun, 2nd month of the year, and 18th day of the second month. If you know Maya units, you can easily tell that in two days it'll be a new month. December 21st of next year is the start of the 13th baktun, so yay. Also, there are numerous references to "katun preophecies". The Maya believed time to be cyclical, and what happened in one cycle would repeat itself, so rather than being actual prophecies these were more like forecasts.

Whew, longest TL intro ever, dude. Finally, here comes the part where I man up, chug down half a box of Cokes, and type like the Devil himself. Enjoy the show.

The Arrival From The West

U Kahlay Katun: The Count of Years

How the Maya survived the Great Laments

The Arrival From The West

When the Spanish conquistadores landed on the shores of the New World, they asked the natives what they called their land. They responded, "Ci u than" or, "I don't understand what you're saying." The Spanish, over time, turned this into Yucatan, and so we called it too. The Maya also says his land is Yucatan in Spanish, but in his own tongue, it is Uluumil Cutz Yetel Ceh, the Land of Turkey and Deer.

The 5th Katun of the 8th Baktun (roughly 150 AD) was a time of troubles for the Chatan Winik, the people of the Snake Kingdom. They had set up a great dynasty, dominated the lowlands north of their ancestral home in the highlands [1]. The cities of Nakbe and Chiiknahb [2] were under their heel, and even the lords of far off Mutul and Lam'an'ain [3] paid tribute to them. They had built the greatest mul (pyramids) that the world had ever seen. But those times were gone, and the Chatan Winik had grown restless. The forests had been cleared to make plaster for the faces of the great mulob and to make fields to feed the burgeoning population, but they had grown too big and the cleared forests led to soil erosion. Famine was spread. Warriors from the west and south had been ravaging the land. The death god Kimi stalked the corn. At long last the proud Kaan lineage founded by Sky Raiser went north, to start anew. The city of Oxte'tuun [4] fell into ruin.

-A picture of Oxte'tuun at its Preclassic height-

This was done at the end of the cycle they had presided over, an auspicious time. The rituals were to be done, the roads were to be severed, the ruling family shrine given offerings and burned to honor the ancestors who ruled here. This was the telling of the 5th Katun, 12 Ahau, that there would be friendship and peace, there would be abundance in the land and rulers would be wise. The tumult, the war, the disasters, and the excesses of the previous katuns would be at an end. So it was that chilanes (seers) were wise, and searched for a land of abundance and peace. The rulers ignored the telling of the katuns, and it was on 8.7.0.0.0 (179) that their troubles came back to destroy them. It was the katun 8 Ahau, the worst of the katuns. It was the katun of destruction, an end to greed reached by fighting. It was a time of settling down in a new place. This was done, and the Kaan dynasty went north. They went to a city in Chaktemal, and named their city Oxte'tuun in honor of their proud former home. [5] Here they settled, and set up a new Kaan that would last through the ages.

In the years after the fall of great Chatan, their former vassal of Mutul had risen to even higher prominence. The dynasty started at the beginning of the second katun of the eight baktun, 8.2.0.0.0, 5 Ahau 6 Zac. The founder was Yax Ehb Xook (First Step Shark). It was said of the Katun 5 Ahau that it was a time of rulers and subjects separating from eachother. There would be famine, an abundance of snakes, and rulers being hung. The famine happened, and Yax Ehb Xook said the abundance of snakes was the amount of Kaan patrons and nobles and their relations, who were corrupt and nepotistic. Yax Ehb Xook declared himself kaloomte' (overlord, or emperor), and rid himself of the "Snakes" in Mutul. This was part of the grevious damage that Mutul did to Kaan, and part of the hurt that brought down Chatan.

His successors lived to see Chatan's fall and the flight of the Kaan dynasty. They increased the greatness of Mutul. Their glory culminated in the radiant reign of Chak Tok Ich'aak (Great Misty Claw), fourteenth in the line of Mutul kings counting from the founder. Big houses were built, and the temples rebuilt and decorated. Many victories were won over their enemies. He celebrated the katun ending on 8.17.0.0.0 1 Ahau 8 Ch'en. Katun 1 Ahau was an ominous time. It brings great misfortune, great wars. Rulers were destined to fall. The portents were ignored. This was the undoing of the line of Yax Ehb Xook. The imperial power of Tamoan was great, and its eye had fallen over the lands of the Maya. They had made allies and vassals of the highland peoples, especially of the highland power of Tulam Tzu [6].

The great ruler of Tamoan, Jatz'om Koh (Spearthrower Owl) sent his best general, a man of Tulam Tzu names Siyaj K'ak' (Fire is Born). With a large force of warriors from Tamoan and Tamoanacob, armed with powerful spearthrowers and obsidian-edged clubs and wearing squared-off pyrite helmets that covered their jaws and backshields covered in pyrite that dazzled and blinded when they turned around to hurl their weapons. They were given shell necklaces, fringed legging, and high, rubber-soled sandals to show off their wealth. They were tough men, the most disciplined warriors. These he took to Waka', and ally of Mutul to secure a river port and passage upriver to his main target.



Here the ajaw (lord) K'inich Balam received Siyaj K'ak', and gave him gifts of jade and warriors to join him. The treachery of K'inich Balam occurred on 8.17.1.4.7, 6 Manik 10 Mac (January 8th, 378). They gathered in the canoes and went eastward upriver to Mutul. Eight days later was their Arrival. Chak Tok Ich'aak resisted him, but by the end of the day he had entered the water [7], and the monuments and palaces of Mutul were broken. Replacing him on the mat and throne of Mutul was the young son of Jatz'om Koh, a boy who took the name of Yax Nuun Ahiin.


A contemporary rendition of the arrival of Siyaj K'ak'. Here he is the warrior in Mexican garb on the left. Fuller version here.

Siyaj K'ak' was still the overlord, however, and after placing this foreigner on the throne of a great Maya city he went on to despoil and take Maasal, Siaan K'aan, and Sak Ha' Witznal [8]. At Siaan K'aan he brutally slayed the entire ruling family, stalwart allies of the great Chak Tok Ich'aak. He took for himself the title of Ochk'in Kaloomte' (Overlord of the West). This title he would pass down to the rulers of Mutul whose line he had set up. He had disturbed the balance in the lowlands of the Peten, and for this the Kaan lineage was most offended. The Mexican lineage of Yax Nuun Ahiin, despite their attempts to marry into the family of Yax Ehb Xook and Chak Tok Ich'aak, was considered insulting and their further attempts to install foreign dynasties in more cities and turn Kaan's allies against them had now provoked a rivalry the intensity of which The Land of Turkey and Deer had never seen before, and it would determine the fate of the land for centuries and millenia to come.

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Whew, that took some time. Have not reached the actual PoD yet, just setting things up and giving you guys a clearer idea of the background. All this really is important. Hell, my next update will probably still not get into the actual PoD, which I've planned for the 600's. The next update will probably be a continued summary of the the 400/500's. Hope you enjoy what I have so far.

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[1] The Ch'olan speaking Maya were originally from the highlands, and it was the language of the Classic lowlands and of all Classic rulers, just as French was in the Medieval ages.

[2] Calakmul, in the Preclassic it was a vassal of Kaan, the Snake Kingdom.

[3] Tikal (Mutul means Bundle) and Lamanai (both names mean Submerged Alligator). Lamanai is of little importance, despite its size. Mutul will be very important.

[4] Oxte'tuun (Three Stones) was perhaps the name of the city of El Mirador itself. It was used for other places later as well.

[5] Chaktemal is the old name of Chetumal, referring to what used to be the province around this city. The city the Snake lineage moved to is Dzibanche. OTL they moved here for a time before going to Calakmul. Whether that still happens remains to be seen.

[6] Tamoan is referring to Teotihuacan. Mayan texts often call it Puh, Place of Reeds. Aztecs called the place of gods Tamoanchan, which is a Mayan word. Mayans often shortened names, and the name Tamoan is used for Teotihuacan in In The Courts of The Sun. Tulam Tzu is a possible name of Kaminaljuyu. The novel mentioned above refers to it as Tamoancob "Little Tamoan", I may use that as well.

[7] A Maya euphemism for death that was actually used in the passage describing this incident.

[8] Naachtun, Uaxactun, and Rio Azul. All large-ish and mildly important places.

Phew, finished a bunch of edits. Beefed it up a little, added some pretty images, added some more stuff to OP as well. So... what do you guys think so far? Clear enough? Need more explanation? Need that list of cities and ancient names and kingdoms and whatnot?

You only come here for this TL? Aw get to know us....

MNP said:

You only come here for this TL? Aw get to know us....

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Er, I've been here for a while and I'm pretty sure you know me...

Didn't think the name change was that drastic... I did warn people...

9 Fanged Hummingbird said:

Er, I've been here for a while and I'm pretty sure you know me...

Didn't think the name change was that drastic... I did warn people...

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Missed you name change, though I remember you pondering if you should make it. Mostly I was commenting on this:

Despite being my sole reason for coming here, it took me at least a year to even start the only Maya TL here, and then I had a year-long hiatus during the making of it, twice.

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Which made it sound like you only stick around on AH.Com for this TL. In fact I started reading the Land of Turkey and Deer when it first started but abandoned it when you took one of your long breaks so I might start reading the new version.

MNP said:

Which made it sound like you only stick around on AH.Com for this TL. In fact I started reading the Land of Turkey and Deer when it first started but abandoned it when you took one of your long breaks so I might start reading the new version.

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Will, it's kinda true. Joined so I could make Maya TL, and to be honest there's not a great deal of other areas where I can contribute.

Oh, by the way, is there anyone here who knows a thing or two about the pre-Columbian Mississippians? Or the Mixtecs? Or the other Mexican cultures of the Classic Era? And by a thing or two I kinda meant a lot, or at least a good deal. Because I was kinda planning on involving them later. Way later, but it would be nice to know if anyone can help in the future.

9 Fanged Hummingbird said:

Will, it's kinda true. Joined so I could make Maya TL, and to be honest there's not a great deal of other areas where I can contribute.

Oh, by the way, is there anyone here who knows a thing or two about the pre-Columbian Mississippians? Or the Mixtecs? Or the other Mexican cultures of the Classic Era? And by a thing or two I kinda meant a lot, or at least a good deal. Because I was kinda planning on involving them later. Way later, but it would be nice to know if anyone can help in the future.

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I'm researching the Mississippi cultures for the Raptor of Spain but I'm in a similar situation as you. I'll let you know if I find good sources if you do the same.

MNP said:

I'm researching the Mississippi cultures for the Raptor of Spain but I'm in a similar situation as you. I'll let you know if I find good sources if you do the same.

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Well I've found that one good step for learning a little bit about them is looking up info on the Natchez tribe. Seems they were some kind of remnant of the Mississippian mound-builder culture. Even had a well-defined class hierarchy and whatnot. In the meantime I should probably update this, shouldn't I? Maybe after lunch.

All right then, time to get right down to it. This part still won't have the POD, just a continued summary of things, possibly more expansive than the last one because quite frankly there isn't all that much information on that period. But there is more information for the centuries of the Early Classic I am about to describe, and it's when things start to really set a pattern and create the Maya world we shall come to know and love. Without any further ado...

The Rise to Prominence of Mutul; The Eternal War with Kaan


-emblem glyph of Mutul-

The death of the foreign Mexican overlord Yax Nuun Ahiin marked a great change for Mutul. On 8.18.15.11.10, 3 Ahau 13 Zac, his son Siyaj Chan K'awiil (Sky Born Lightning God) ascended to the mat and throne of Mutul. He was given the royal headband, the K'awiil scepter. He acknowledged his foreign descent, his father's foreign origin, and he honored the western peoples who created his line. But he also honored the Maya, the origins of his kingdom. He counted himself to be sixteenth in the line of Yax Ehb Xook, taking the name of a previous Mutal lord, and the tombs and temples of Chak Tok Ich'aak were made sacred. Siyaj Chan K'awiil derived strength from both the traditions of his kingdom and from the powerful empire of Tamoan.

-a banner stone (stela) showing Siyaj Chan K'awiil flanked on both sides by his father who is dressed in the regalia of a Tamoan warrior-

This made the people happy and proud once more. This gave them the strength to forge a new destiny for themselves, that saw them rise to heights they had never dreamed of. Using soldiers from the west and local warriors trained to their style, Siyaj Chan K'awiil and his generals went south. Foremost among these warlords was K'uk' Mo' Ajaw (Quetzal Macaw Lord), a noble of one of the foremost families of Mutul, and proud of his western heritage. At the Wi'te Naah (Root Tree House, place of royal origins), in the year 8.19.10.10.17, 5 Caban 15 Yaxkin (September 3rd, 426) he took the k'awiil scepter and the title of Lord of The West, at the request of Siyaj Chan K'awiil who wanted him on the throne and mat of the south. This was his gift to K'uk' Mo' Ajaw. He and his warriors, bearing effigies of their gods, went to the most powerful city of the south, Oxwitik [1]. It was many uinals later, in 8.19.11.10.13, when he Arrived. Here it was he came to the throne. Further following Yax Nuun Ahiin's example, he married a local noblewoman while still stressing his ties to Tamoan and Mutul. He also changed his name to K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' (Radiant Green Quetzal Macaw). From Oxwitik he now ruled the kingdom of Xuxpi, a stalwart ally of Mutul for ages to come. From Oxwitik he now dominated the southeastern lands.


An image of K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' Ajaw

From these lands in the south Mutul gained a new and powerful ally, and an important source of jade, obsidian, cacao, and basalt. From trade and tribute Mutul grew ever richer. And their reach didn't slow down. Far to the west they sponsored the coming to power in Baakal [2] of the lord K'uk' Balam, who could trace his lineage all the way to Muwaan Mat [3]. In Baakal Siyaj Chan K'awiil gained another valuable ally for generations to come, and his kingdom was the most expansive in the entirety of Uluumil Kutz Yetel Ceh. He oversaw the riotous celebrations of the baktun ending 9.0.0.0.0, 8 Ahau 3 Ceh, and dedicated a banner stone in its honor. The death of Siyaj Chan K'awiil in 9.1.0.8.0 (February 456) was a big shock to the world. Mutul and their vassals and allies mourned the loss of their greatest leader to date, and even the other kingdoms were shocked at the death of such a powerful man. But his legacy was continued by his son, K'an Chitam, who won a great victory over Maasal an expanded the kingdom, and his son after him Chak Tok Ich'aak II. These times were dominated by Mutul.

These times did not last forever, and Kaan was becoming more than a shadow of their former selves. Under the leadership of K'atuun Hix (Stone-bound Jaguar) and his son, the Snake Kingdom conquered the Buuk' region. Then they made alliances with Saal and K'antu [4], the former being a kingdom which Mutul had once been allies with.

21st in the line of Yax Ehb Xook, Wak Chan K'awiil ascended the throne on 9.5.3.9.15, 12 Men 18 Kankin (December 27th, 537). The son of Chak Tok Ich'aak II, he had returned from an exile that had lasted through the short reign of his older sister, who co-ruled with Kaloomte' Balam, a lord who had played a great role in the defeat of Maasal many years prior and whose military expertise gave him the position of co-ruler and 19th in the line. and then an even shorter reign of yet another lord. The political intrigues that had plagued the previous katun had weakened Mutul, but they remained strong. Wak Chan K'awiil oversaw the accession of Yajaw Te' K'inich to the throne of K'antu, but three years afterward he had joined Kaan and war had broken out between Mutul and their former ally. Mutul had won, but Yajaw Te' K'inich had escaped with his life.

6 years after this war, another broke out, this time orchestrated by the overlord of Kaan himself. With his ally of K'antu, they fought Mutul once more. Wak Chan K'awiil was forced to commit into battle. At the sound of the conch shells, horns, trumpets, and the drums that shook the earth, battle was commenced, and the mighty power of Mutul met it's greatest defeat since the Arrival From The West. Wak Chan K'awiil was captured alive on the battlefield, along with many of his nobles and warriors. The nobles were adorned for execution, with their jade earflares and earspools replaced with paper, and soon many were sent to the axe. The captured warriors were either tortured and made into slaves, or tortured and then killed. But Wak Chan K'awiil met a more dignified fate. He was adorned richly, and upon the top of the highest mul in Kaan, he gracefully knelt over the altar, and had his head chopped off by the Axeman. So began the flowering of Kaan's power. So began a century of darkness for Mutul.
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Damn, not as long as I'd have hoped, but then again it's a summary piece, I'm really not making much up at all here, that part comes later. Ah well, maybe one more summary piece at max before I can move on to the actual PoD. These summaries might be tedious, but then again it's important as I doubt many of you know the intricacies of Early Classic Maya politics.

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[1] Oxwitik (3 Roots) is Copan, a very famous ruin on the edges of Honduras, the frontier of the Maya world.

[2] Baakal (Bone) is the kingdom ruled later from the famous capital of Palenque (Lakamha, or Big Water). However at this time it was ruled from the city of Toktahn (mist center), the location of which I haven't the slightest clue.

[3] Muwaan Mat is a deified ancestor (or ancestral deity) who allegedly was born in 3121 BC and took the throne in 2324 BC. Yeah...

[4] Saal is Naranjo, and K'antu is Caracol. Both are large, and extremely important. Also, both were on-again off-again rivals, seeming only to have stopped fighting eachother whenever Kaan made them fight their common enemy of Mutul.

Wow...just wow. I must say that this is quite impressive. I have a few friends who I thought knew alot about the Mayans, but this is pretty damn impressive.

Now I feel a strong urge to start looking for books regarding Mayan history and culture

btw, your first link in that post gives me 403 error. Don't know if its just my comp or not.

You know what this needs? Authentic Mayan music playing in the background. Anyone got a link to some?

I have to wonder, will the coming of the Europeans force them to end up adopting some of the ideas of the East*, or will they manage to keep their own ideas and beliefs? I some of my history friends are of the opinion that the only way the Mayan's or the Aztec would have survived is if they had completely adopted the ways of Europe.

Not just cultural or philosophical things mind you, but also eastern science.

Anywho, subscribed, and looking forward to this.

*Some of you may find it odd, as you may consider them the ideas of the western world. However, from the Mayan and Aztec point of view, it's the ideas of the Eastern world.

EDIT: SoA OST-Kingdom of Ixa'Taka isn't really close, but it is jungle themed. My attempts at finding Mayan music via google have failed once again.

Maybe I just don't know where to look...

RookieHistorian said:

Wow...just wow. I must say that this is quite impressive. I have a few friends who I thought knew alot about the Mayans, but this is pretty damn impressive.

Now I feel a strong urge to start looking for books regarding Mayan history and culture

btw, your first link in that post gives me 403 error. Don't know if its just my comp or not.

You know what this needs? Authentic Mayan music playing in the background. Anyone got a link to some?

I have to wonder, will the coming of the Europeans force them to end up adopting some of the ideas of the East*, or will they manage to keep their own ideas and beliefs? I some of my history friends are of the opinion that the only way the Mayan's or the Aztec would have survived is if they had completely adopted the ways of Europe.

Not just cultural or philosophical things mind you, but also eastern science.

Anywho, subscribed, and looking forward to this.

*Some of you may find it odd, as you may consider them the ideas of the western world. However, from the Mayan and Aztec point of view, it's the ideas of the Eastern world.

EDIT: SoA OST-Kingdom of Ixa'Taka isn't really close, but it is jungle themed. My attempts at finding Mayan music via google have failed once again.

Maybe I just don't know where to look...

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Not just you, the first link is giving me a 403 as well. Was working when I first posted it. Ah well, just the same image really, but with bolder colors I felt might make it hard to see some details so I uploaded another. Also, in regards to Mayan music, this is the best I've seen on youtube. Then again, your link has flutes whereas the one I posted has no flute bits at all.

And I do plan on having them keep much of their own culture. Well, they already did OTL to a huge extent. Not only are tons of people there trilingual (I've been to parks where signs were in Spanish, English, and Yucatec), but in some places there are people who continue to worship the old gods, albeit in some cases as saints. To say nothing of the native rituals that have survived and their cuisine, which is the best in the world...

Odd thing is, I don't know if the Skies of Arcadia music for Ixa'Taka is exactly based off of Mayan Music. Although...now that I think about it, the Ixa'Takan's sure do have plenty of similarities to the Mayans...

I'd forgotten that the Mayan people are still in existance today, probably one of the larger New world civ's that still exist today. I was remembering that some of the native peoples of the america's effectively had their culture and ideas yanked out of their own hands, trampled to death, spit on, and shoot to pieces, (literally in some cases) and was thinking that might happen to a certain extent to the Mayans in this case.

A thought came to my mind...could it be possible for the Portugese to find the Mayan's first? I can't remember for sure, but I do believe that Portugal was kinder to the natives of the new world (and its colonies elsewhere) compared to Spain.

Ehh, IIRC the Portuguese were very big on slavery. Anyhow, time for me to stop being a lazy ass and update this, with what will be the last "summary" bit. Again, it'll probably be short and perhaps a tad boring, but it's necessary to establish the critical elements of Classic Maya politics.

The Ascendancy of the Snake Kingdom


-emblem glyph of Kaan-

At the fall of Mutul the Snake Kingdom was now the uncontested power of the Maya lands. Shortly after they had beaten their chief rival, they had their ally Oxhuitza strike a blow at Oxwitik, where the temples and monuments were broken. Then the kaloomte' of Kaan allowed a new ajaw to come to the throne of Mutul, as his vassal. This ajaw was not descended of Yax Nuun Ahiin, the foreign upstart planted by Siyaj K'ak', but rather he was descended through his mother to Yax Ehb Xook, the true founder. The foreign nobles in Mutul were troubled, and they were cast aside.

They even went all the way from Chiiknahb to Lakamha to sack that ally of Mutul's. Covering a great distance (300km is very long for a large army on foot requiring supplies) they set out and crossed the great Utzacbe (Howler's White Road [1]). On 9.8.5.13.10, 8 Oc 3 Zip (April 21st, 599) they arrived at Lakamha, routing its warriors and throwing down the idols of their three founder deities. The ruler of Lakamha, Lady Yohl Ik'nal, barely escaped with her life. Many years later, her son Ajen Yohl Mat took the throne, but again, on 9.8.17.15.16, the forces of Kaan crossed the Utzacbe and attacked, this time directly under the command of their great ruler, the Captor of Wak Chan K'awiil. Lakamha was devasted, but a few years later, the young son of the powerful Lady Sak K'uk', K'inich Janaab Pakal, would take the mat and throne of Lakamha. At the age of 12, on 9.9.2.4.8, 5 Lamat 1 Mol (26th July, 615), he took the headband and headdress of the k'uhul ajaw of the kingdom of Baakal. He would reverse that land's fortunes and rise to greatness.

-an image of Pakal the Great-

But he would not stop the reign of Kaan. They ruled over vassals and allies from Edzna to Oxhuitza, and over an even larger area they held dominant sway. But they were not free of troubles. When the ruler of Oxhuitza and the K'antu kingdom, Sak Witzil Baah, tried to appease Kaan by conquering lands close to Saal, another Kaan ally, Saal's ruler K'uxaj retaliated by attacking K'antu, and was defeated twice. As punishment, Kaan sent their own forces to aid Sak Witzil Baah in defeating Saal for the third time, and this time K'uxaj was captured, tortured, and executed by Kaan. Soon after, Yuknoom Ch'een ascended to power in Kaan. During the early years of his long reign Saal and K'antu continued to fight and sack eachother's cities in a constant conflict, but he could not intervene, his attention was thoroughly focused on his oldest and greatest rival, Mutul.

Previously, Mutul's king K'inich Muwaan Jol II had dispatched his younger son Balaj Chan K'awiil to an outpost in the Petexbatun region named after his own city, Mutul [2]. Here Balaj was to rule a small kingdom that acted as Mutul's southern vanguard. Here he was seemingly out of Kaan's reach. He was sent to the outpost at the age of 4, but in 19 years he had proven himself to be a capable leader. In that time, his father had died and his older brother Nuun Ujol Chaak took the throne of greater Mutul. But by this time Kaan had decided to put an end to the upstarts trying to free themselves of their grasp. They even reached the Petexbatun region, putting both Balaj and Nuun Ujol Chaak to flight as their cities were sacked. Kaan had won again, and they were forced to come to terms as loyal vassals, attending to important ceremonies whenever Yuknoom Ch'een demanded it.

At this time, Yuknoom Ch'een, most powerful Overlord in the Maya realm, had cleverly persuaded Balaj Chan K'awiil to his side. Promises of the throne of Mutul were given, and Yuknoom Ch'een used the younger brother's jealousy as a tool to twist him and turn them against eachother. This worked as planned, but Nuun Ujol Chaak was wise to their gambit. He attacked Balaj's small capital and put him to exile. Five years were his dominion over the Petexbatun. Hope was kindled in the eyes of the Mutul lords who were so resentful of their subservience. But then Kaan struck back, driving Chaak's forces from the Petexbatun, returning Balaj to his throne. By this time Balaj was quite angry, and he and his masters attacked the heart of Mutul. Nuun Ujol Chaak escaped the destruction, but his people did not. The great battle caused pools of blood to be gathered, and there were piles of heads. Balaj took the powerful lord Nuun Balam captive, and once more Mutul was subjugated, circled entirely by Kaan's hegemony. But they would not stay subservient forever.


-The Brothers of Mutul, Nuun Ujol Chaak and Balaj Chan K'awiil (right)-
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Phew, finally done. No more summary chapters from here on. And now I can eat lunch, yay!

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[1] OTL's Rio Usumacinta. Biggest river in Mesoamerica AFAIK.

[2] The modern name of this ruin is Dos Pilas.

RookieHistorian said:

Odd thing is, I don't know if the Skies of Arcadia music for Ixa'Taka is exactly based off of Mayan Music. Although...now that I think about it, the Ixa'Takan's sure do have plenty of similarities to the Mayans...

I'd forgotten that the Mayan people are still in existance today, probably one of the larger New world civ's that still exist today. I was remembering that some of the native peoples of the america's effectively had their culture and ideas yanked out of their own hands, trampled to death, spit on, and shoot to pieces, (literally in some cases) and was thinking that might happen to a certain extent to the Mayans in this case.

A thought came to my mind...could it be possible for the Portugese to find the Mayan's first? I can't remember for sure, but I do believe that Portugal was kinder to the natives of the new world (and its colonies elsewhere) compared to Spain.

Click to expand...

The Skies music makes me think of the Incas not the Mayans. That said Horeteka is one of my favorite songs on the entire soundtrack bar the battle musics and ending theme.

Before I got to the actual pod, I wanted to go over some stuff (misconceptions and clarifications mostly) that relate to it.

Now, in my last version I had the pod being the Maya learn from El Mirador's mistake and get better agricultural methods. This was based on the old hypotheses that claimed that the big Collapse was partially due to soil erosion because all the Maya did was slash-and-burn farming that cleared too much of the rainforest. But recent evidence shows that they tried just about every agricultural method possible to sustain their gigantic population. Not just swidden agriculture, but chinampas, terraced fields, complicated canal/moat systems, architecture was designed to have the rain sweep off into channels for the fields, etc. Basically the politics and social issues of the time are far more important to look at.

So I'm just sticking with the second part of the previous version's PoD, more stability in the region and some of the changes marking the "Postclassic" still occur, as in more decentralization and less grand-scale building projects, but still gradual and no more total societal collapse. So the cities will all still be around and the population will roughly be the same, as in maybe slightly higher than 10 million the Maya lands. The details will be covered in the future, but it should be interesting, I promise you.

Anyhow, I also feel like giving you a better idea of how Maya politics work. The common public idea nowadays is that they were all independent city-states and whatnot, but that's not completely accurate. They were more like Feudal Europe, with actual kingdoms dotting the landscape, and well-defined borders, capitals, etc. Most polities were ruled by an ajaw (also spelled ahau, as in Spanish the 'j' in Mayan words is pronounced as a hard 'h') who sat in his city and had lesser nobles, the highest of which was called a sajal, ruling the various towns under his dominion. But some polities, usually larger ones, had a ruler who used the title k'uhul ajaw, holy lord, and typically an ajaw ruled as a vassal of a k'uhul ajaw. And there was one title higher, kaloomte' (the double o is just and extended 'o' sound). This was reserved for the very powerful (or very vain) lords that usually had even k'uhul ajaws under them. Kingdoms typically functioned just like their medieval European equivalents.

Phew, now I really need to start reading of on Classic Era Mexico as well. Can anyone help, I plan on involving them quite a bit. Well, I don't need info on Teotihuacan (not that there's much to know anyways) as I still plan on having them fall into ruin.