The Controversial Mayan Queen: Sak K'uk of Palenque (The Mists of Palenque) (18 page)

“Iiit – iiis – nooot – heeer – tiiimeee,” hissed the snake.

Quickly Sak K’uk went to stand next to the snake, as the cold blue-yellow flames wrapped around them. Keeping eye contact, she and the snake danced together, matching each other’s movements. The snake communicated directly into the woman’s mind:

“Feeed meee.”

Sak K’uk’s eyes widened with dread. Had the snake saved her from the Death Lords to make her own meal? But the snake did not bite; it waved its huge head from side to side, flicking its tongue repeatedly. Looking around, Sak K’uk saw that each Death Lord was holding up a small bundle. She recognized that these were for the snake, and took from each their bundle, feeding these one by one into the jaws of the snake. In this act, she understood that the snake needed the Death Lords to feed her so she could feed the world and give sustenance to life. The snake fed the soil that fed the roots of trees and plants that fed animals and people. The essence of the snake fed the serpent of life within the spine of all creatures, so this life force could reach all their cells.

Once fed, the snake seemed to want something else. She glanced at the water and rubbed her head against Sak K’uk’s clothing. It was a request to be bathed. Sak K’uk took a gourd from one of the Death Lords, filled it with water from the pool and tore the hem off her huipil. With this soft cloth she washed the snake’s scales and feathers carefully, making certain each was wiped thoroughly. Then she took a reed growing by the island, shredded one tip and used this to clean the snake’s fangs and jaws.

The snake seemed satisfied, closed her eyes, coiled up and dozed. The Death Lords began to fade away, their forms becoming less substantial until they dissolved into nothingness. Sak K’uk stood beside the snake in puzzlement about what to do next. Her mind formed a request:

“How can we fulfill the requirements for the next K’altun?”

The snake did not respond, and Sak K’uk sat beside her, discouraged. The red-eyed lizard had climbed out of the water and settled next to Sak K’uk. They waited.

Sak K’uk tried again:

“This have I done: I have offered myself completely, I have traveled to the Underworld, I have fed and bathed you. Now I request this, help me know how my people can fulfill the requirements for the next K’altun.”

The snake stirred, yawned to display an enormous maw with long fangs, and rubbed her head against Sak K’uk’s legs. Her long feathered body slipped under Sak K’uk’s legs until the woman straddled the snake. As the snake undulated into the water, Sak K’uk wrapped her arms around the snake’s neck and held on during a rapid journey through another water-filled tunnel and into another cavern. An island in the center of this cavern supported the immense root system of a huge tree whose trunk rose through the roof of the cave. The snake deposited Sak K’uk on the root-filled island and swam away.

Sak K’uk’s heart beat riotously as she recognized the Underworld roots of the Wakah Chan-Sacred Tree. She threw herself onto the roots, laughing and crying as she embraced their radiant tendrils. No sooner had she touched the roots than she felt herself dissolving into sap and quickly ascending the massive trunk, flowing through sap vessels upward into large limbs, then smaller branches until she reached the tiny tips of twigs at the top of the tree. The treetop soared into the Upperworld, surrounded by clouds and twinkling stars. A sea of indigo rippled away into the incalculable distance.

Perched on an uppermost twig, Sak K’uk yearned to fly into the sky. As her yearning became intense, a large white quetzal approached, its long tail feathers waving in the breeze and she leapt onto its back. The white quetzal was her uay, her power creature for whom she was named. Her being merged into the white quetzal, and soared upward in spirals through rippling cloud waves, looking down at the round globe of earth below with its green lands and blue waters.

What did she seek? What must she do now that she was in the Upperworld?

Faintly, as if from far away, came the whispers of her mother’s voice, the last thing she said before transition to the spirit world:

“When in difficult times, turn to Muwaan Mat.”

Muwaan Mat, the primordial mother, the progenitor of the B’aakal Triad.

As Sak K’uk formed these memories into a request, she perceived a huge dark bird flying toward her. Its long body was sleek, its wings wide and curved, its neck elongated with rounded eyes and a pointed beak – the cormorant or “duck hawk” called Muwaan Mat in her language.

The white quetzal and the cormorant flew together, side-by-side, diving and gliding, sweeping and soaring in circles and spirals. Pure joy flooded Sak K’uk as she reveled in the ecstasy of freedom and union, the reconciliation of all differences. As the two celestial birds cavorted, the white quetzal understood the immense power of the cormorant and her guidance became clear. Muwaan Mat would take on the responsibility of the K’altun offerings for the people of B’aakal, her own creations. She would give the proper bundles to the deities in the Upperworld, and this would appease them. Sak K’uk would become her representative in the Middleworld, and would perform abbreviated rituals in her city that were primarily symbolic. The people must understand that humans would be unable to perform the full rituals until the Wakah Chan was restored, and that would take some time. Muwaan Mat would continue her Upperworld ceremonies as a substitute until Lakam Ha re-established its portal to the gods and ancestors.

Muwaan Mat would assume the actual rulership of Lakam Ha, with Sak K’uk as her earthly ambassador. As soon as Pakal came of age, he would become ruler and his destiny was to rebuild the portal.

4

“Let me understand this correctly,” said Kan Mo’ Hix, sounding more annoyed than usual. “You journeyed to the Upperworld and met Muwaan Mat, and she told you that she will do the K’altun ceremony there while you undertake a limited ritual here. That will appease the deities until Pakal becomes ruler and is able to reconstruct our portal.”

“In essence, that is what I have spoken,” replied Sak K’uk, holding back irritation at her husband. She needed his support in the council meeting.

“Did you not also say that The Primordial Mother instructed you to assume rulership in her stead until Pakal reaches 12 tuns?” inquired Yaxun Xul.

Sak K’uk nodded to her father-in-law, who despite his advanced age remained mentally sharp.

“To be accurate, the ruler will be Muwaan Mat but I will act in her behalf in the Middleworld,” she said.

Kan Mo’ Hix looked over her head with an exasperated expression.

“How can a goddess in the Upperworld become our ruler? There is no precedent for this.”

“Historically, there is precedent,” interjected a young man among the group. “U Kix Kan, predecessor of our founder K’uk Bahlam, was a divine being but also had human form. He was not born in a human way, but came into being by the instigation of Muwaan Mat, and thus he is of the B’aakal Triad lineage. He lived a very long time, many human lifetimes, before K’uk Bahlam was born fully human. In a sense, U Kix Kan was a representative of the Primordial Mother, who passed rulership into the B’aakal lineage through him.”

Sak K’uk smiled and looked around at the small group gathered in her reception chamber. These were the ones she believed would support her plan. In addition to her husband and father-in-law, the group included Pasah Chan the High Priest, Usin Ch’ob the High Priestess, Chakab, elder Nakom-war chief, Oaxac Ok and Ch’amak, her distant cousins, and Yax Chan, the young man who just spoke. He demonstrated remarkable talent as an architect at an early age, and she intended to put that skill to good use in re-building Kan Bahlam’s pyramid-temple.

“Words of wisdom spoken by the youngest among us,” she remarked wryly, but quickly caught her mistake. “Except my son Pakal, even younger but equally wise.”

By Sak K’uk’s insistence, Pakal attended the gathering. He was to play an integral role in her plan, and needed to know every nuance. Much would be expected from him, and his preparation could not omit any aspect, however small. She smiled at him, noting his serious and determined expression. He acknowledged her only with his eyes.

“In extraordinary circumstances, unusual measures must be taken,” observed Pasah Chan. “There is great truth in this, for only one residing in the realm of the gods could perform the rituals without an existing portal.”

“Muwaan Mat is the perfect choice to assuage the Triad Deities, for what sons could deny their mother? And the Lords of the First Sky are her companions in the starry vastness. This plan is brilliant,” added Usin Ch’ob.

Oaxac Ok, a seasoned courtier, spoke to other concerns.

“There may be difficulty convincing the Council to accept Pakal as heir, the first prince-
ba-ch’ok
, the ruler to follow Muwaan Mat. They are disgruntled with the Bahlam family and other contenders have ambitions for rulership, although few will risk revealing their goals in our current turmoil.”

“Can they not see that something must be done, and quickly?” retorted Sak K’uk. “The katun-ending is closing upon us, we have not much time to establish the structure for the K’altun ceremony.”

“Perhaps they can be convinced of Muwaan Mat’s intercession, but will balk at designating Pakal,” said Ch’amak.

“This must be overcome. Here you have the totality of the Primordial Mother’s instructions, and these include both her intercessory rulership and Pakal’s designation. His hoof-binding must closely follow the K’altun ceremony to keep the ahauob from becoming contentious and fractured again.” Sak K’uk spoke forcefully, her eyes blazing.

“Pakal must be at least 12 tuns of age for accession to rulership,” added Pasah Chan.

“And none would expect him to fully assume rulership responsibilities for several tuns following,” observed Yaxun Xul. “That means, in actuality, that his parents will be acting regents for some time.” He looked meaningfully at Kan Mo’ Hix.

“Just so, as you say,” sighed Sak K’uk. “Much is yet to be accomplished, even after Pakal becomes ruler. This will not be easy. It is of utmost importance that I have all your support when I bring it before the Popol Nah.”

She looked intently at each person, her eyes hardening as they met those of Kan Mo’ Hix. He still perplexed her, shifting positions unpredictably, but almost without fail offering criticism. She feared that his ambitions to be ruler would undermine his support for Pakal. However, he had already admitted that he was unable to establish the necessary communications with the deities. Perhaps he was chafing over her assuming stand-in rulership for Muwaan Mat. Dropping her gaze and softening her demeanor, she attempted to lure his cooperation.

“It will be made clear that I am not actually acceding to rulership of Lakam Ha,” she said with subdued voice. “I am well aware of my opponents, that many care not for my manner and believe I am not closest in line of succession. With royal lineages from both Kan Bahlam and Yaxun Xul, in whose families course the most pure bloodlines from K’uk Bahlam, Pakal is clearly the leading choice for ba-ch’ok. This must be our emphasis.”

Many were nodding agreement, but Kan Mo’ Hix appeared preoccupied, his expression stony. The well-respected High Priestess and skilled Ix Chel healer, Usin Ch’ob spoke to their higher duties.

“It has come, this time of extreme hardship that was foretold by our beloved visionary ancestor and ruler, Yohl Ik’nal. In times such as this, we are called to surmount our personal goals for the survival of our city, the well-being of our people. The covenant that binds the royal ahauob of B’aakal is to serve our deities, to give what is required and proper, that they may also provide for us. This mutual exchange of sacred itz, in its many forms, is what sustains the world, this Fourth Creation of the gods that brought forth the real people-Halach Uinik. Look deeply into your hearts and find your inner knowledge that all this is so, that it is the way of our people the Maya. When we break this covenant with the gods we are putting in motion forces that will lead to our destruction.”

Silence descended upon the small group as all reflected upon the priestess’ words. Kan Mo’ Hix kept his eyes lowered, but Sak K’uk could tell by his body language that he was deeply affected.

“Let it not be said by our descendants that we were the ones to initiate the forces of destruction.” The tenor voice of High Priest Pasah Chan rang clear notes of celestial command inside the stone chamber.

“Be it so,” rejoined Yaxun Xul and Chakab in unison.

“Be it so,” Oaxac Ok and Ch’amak repeated. Sak K’uk bowed her head and crossed both arms over her chest, the ultimate gesture of respect. Pakal’s eyes were bright with unshed tears as he mimicked his mother’s gesture.

In the charged silence following, all eyes turned toward Kan Mo’ Hix. He looked at his son, their eyes locking for long moments. The profound trust and belief in the boy’s expression struck deep into the father’s heart.

“Be it so,” he repeated softly. Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a long sigh, Kan Mo’ Hix subsumed his ambitions to the collective good. “Usin Ch’ob and Pasah Chan, you have spoken well to remind us of our sacred covenant. To all present I give my respect. And to my wife, I give acknowledgement for her courage to seek this guidance and her strength to carry out the Goddess’ instructions. I am in full support. Let us proceed.”

The stone benches along the sides of the Popol Nah were crowded with ahauob of Lakam Ha, mostly men but a few women. The call to Council had come from Sak K’uk and Kan Mo’ Hix, declaring an announcement of great portent to the city’s future that carried implications for future leadership. Rumors ran rampant through the city, inciting heated discussions and fueling the fire of opponents to the Bahlam family. Leading the opposing group were two young ahauob, Kitam and Pax Koh, whose family bloodlines traced through several branches to K’uk Bahlam, making them contenders for rulership.

The raised platform upon which the ruler would sit was draped with jaguar skins, but was vacant. The High Priest stood beside the platform holding his staff, tipped with shining crystals and red macaw feathers. Several spaces on the benches near the ruler’s platform were kept open for the royal family. Whispers circulated among seated ahauob that one of the royals might have the audacity to sit upon the ruler’s platform, a clear declaration of assuming rulership. The hum of voices hushed as a conch was blown four times outside the council chamber, announcing the beginning of a Popol Nah session.