Personages of the highest rank, of the “blood royal,” combined these titles. They were _ahau ahpop_, “lords of the council.” Uniting the latter title to the family names of the ruling house, the chief ruler was known as _Ahpo’ Zotzil_, and the second in rank and heir-apparent, as _Ahpo’ Xahil_. The oldest son of the former bore the title _Ahpop-[c]amahay_, which is translated by the best authorities “messenger of the council,” and ordinarily was applied to an official who communicated the decisions of the councils of one village to that of another.[37-1] Another title, mentioned by Xahila, is _ahpop-achi_, the last word means man, _vir_. A third article, which distinguished the higher classes, was the seat or stool on which they sat during solemn ceremonies. This was called _[t]aalibal_, an instrumental noun from the verb _[t]al_, to be visible or prominent, persons so seated being elevated above, and thus distinguished from others, from this the verbal form, _[t]alel_, was derived, meaning “he who is prominent,” etc., or, more freely, “illustrious,” “distinguished.”[37-2] The title _ahpop [t]alel_ meant, therefore, originally “he who is entitled to a mat and a stool,” that is, in the council chamber of his town. Another official connected with the council was the orator appointed to bring before it the business of the day. His title was _ah uchan_, from _ucheex_, to speak, and it is translated by Spanish writers, the “rhetorician, orator.”[37-3] A similar personage, the _ah tzih vinak_, “the man of words,”[37-4] was in attendance on the king, and, apparently, was the official mouth-piece of the royal will. Still a third, known as the _lol-may_, which apparently means “silence-breaker,” was, according to the dictionaries, “an envoy dispatched by the rulers to transact business or to collect tributes.”[38-1] Very nearly or quite the same organization prevailed in the courts of Quiche and Atitlan. The chiefs of the latter province forwarded, in 1571, a petition to Philip II, in which they gave some interesting particulars of their former government. They say: “The supreme ruler was called _Atziquinihai_, and the chiefs who shared the authority with him, _Amac Tzutuhil_. These latter were sovereigns, and acknowledged no superiors.... The sovereign, or king, did not recognize any authority above himself. The persons or officers who attended at his court were called _Lolmay_, _Atzivinac_, _Galel_, _Ah-uchan_. They were factors, auditors and treasurers. Our titles correspond to yours.”[38-2] The name here applied to the ruler of the Tzutuhils, _Atziquinahay_, recurs in Xahila’s _Annals_. It was his family name, and in its proper form, _Ah [c,]iquin-i-hay_, means “he who is a member of the bird family;”[38-3] the bird being the totemic symbol of the ruling house.