The Annals of the CakchiquelsArana Xajilá, Francisco Hernández
History
The Annals of the Cakchiquels
Arana Xajilá, Francisco Hernández
Cakchikel Indians; Cakchikel literature; Guatemala -- History -- To 1821
37. Then began the execution of Tolgom. He arrayed himself and
entered suddenly. His arms were extended in front of a tree, to be
shot with arrows. A dance was begun by all the warriors, while
Tolgom began his song. They still danced, when they commenced to
shoot their arrows. But not one of the arrows reached the cord;
for it was far to the tree where he was shot at, on the hill
Qakbatzulu, where they shot at him and where all the arrows fell.
At length the arrow of our ancestor Gagavitz was discharged. It
passed rapidly over the place named Cheetzulu, and pierced Tolgom.
All the warriors then slew him, some arrows piercing, him from near
and others from afar. The man being thus killed, a great stream of
blood came forth behind the tree. His body was cut in pieces and
divided among all the seven towns. This gift and this sacrifice of
his death were what founded the festival of (the month) Uchum. At
that festival all were equal; there was eating and drinking; little
children were killed by being shot with arrows, their heads being
adorned with elder flowers, as his substitute, as if they were
Tolgom, as say our fathers of yore, oh my children. In this manner
we obtained power with the Zotzil Tukuches, by knowledge and occult
science, by power and majesty; thus did our fathers and ancestors,
we the Cakchiquels, lift our heads above others, nor our ancestors
lower their glory and their birth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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