God L
Encyclopedia
God L of the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube classification of codical gods is one of the major pre-Spanish Maya deities, specifically associated with trade. He is characterized by high age, jaguar traits (particularly the ear), a broad feathery hat topped by an owl, and by a jaguar mantle or a cape with a pattern somewhat resembling an armadillo shell. The best-known monumental representation is on a door jamb of the inner sanctuary of Palenque's Temple of the Cross.
consists of the head of an aged man painted black. The reading is uncertain.
, god L is associated with maize stalks and cacao trees. God L's wealth seems to include women as well. On the Princeton vase (see figure above), god L is surrounded by five young women, whereas in the Dresden Codex (14c2), he holds a young woman (goddess I
) with a maize sign.
, viz. the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire (or 'Jaguar God of the Underworld'); both deities, who here seem to represent defeated enemy war chiefs, support an emblem consisting of the sacred shield and lances of the Palenque kings. The owl (kuy) of god L could symbolize both aggressive sorcery and warfare.
God L is often combined with god K
, the lightning deity who, as an owner of the seeds, was also an agricultural deity. More specifically, god L can extend the head of god K, or carry an infant god K in a sling on his back. God K is also the victim of god L as a Venus patron (Dresden Codex).
It has been suggested that God L is the underworld counterpart of Itzamna
, the supreme Maya deity.
, the rabbit, the Tonsured Maize God, the Hero Twins, and also (in a Dresden Codex vignette) Chaak, the Rain Deity. In this connection, god L has been interpreted (in terms of the Popol Vuh
Twin myth) as one of the principal lords of the Underworld, or Xibalba
.
, whose manifold associations include long-distance travel, witchcraft, and jaguars. In the cult of Maximón, the latter's cloths receive special emphasis.
Name
The main sign of god L's name glyph in the Dresden CodexDresden Codex
The Dresden Codex, also known as the Codex Dresdensis, is a pre-Columbian Maya book of the eleventh or twelfth century of the Yucatecan Maya in Chichén Itzá. The Maya codex is believed to be a copy of an original text of some three or four hundred years earlier...
consists of the head of an aged man painted black. The reading is uncertain.
Wealth
Recurrent attributes are a bundle of merchandise and a walking-stick. The floating ends of god L's cloth can show footsteps, again pointing to travelling merchants. In view of the further functions of god L, the Maya merchants should perhaps be compared to the Aztec nahualoztomecah, warriors disguised as merchants. The wealth of god L has been suggested to refer specifically to the cacao orchards of the Gulf Coast; in CacaxtlaCacaxtla
Cacaxtla is an archaeological site located near the southern border of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala. It was a sprawling palace containing vibrantly colored murals painted in unmistakable Maya style. The nearby site of Xochitecatl was a more public ceremonial complex associated with Cacaxtla...
, god L is associated with maize stalks and cacao trees. God L's wealth seems to include women as well. On the Princeton vase (see figure above), god L is surrounded by five young women, whereas in the Dresden Codex (14c2), he holds a young woman (goddess I
Goddess I
Goddess I is the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube letter designation for one of the most important Maya deities: a youthful woman to whom considerable parts of the post-Classic codices are dedicated, and who equally figures in Classic Period scenes...
) with a maize sign.
Black Sorcery
The cigar which, more often than not, is smoked by god L suggests a shaman. The owl on the hat points more in particular to black sorcery, and recalls the Nahua term for black sorcerer, tlacatecolotl 'Man-Owl'. The jaguar features could be interpreted in the same vein.Violence and Warfare
God L's jaguar attributes point to sorcery and violence, more particularly decapitation. Such a decapitation once takes place in front of god L's jaguar palace (Princeton vase). God L's Postclassic role as a personification of Venus rising from the underworld and throwing spears at his victims (Dresden Codex) could be taken as another example of his violent nature. On the relief of the Palenque Temple of the Sun - a war temple - god L is coupled with one of the other Maya jaguar godsMaya jaguar gods
The pre-Columbian Maya civilization had various jaguar gods, in addition to jaguar demi-gods, protectors, and transformers. The main jaguar deities are given below. Their associated narratives are still largely to be reconstructed...
, viz. the Jaguar God of Terrestrial Fire (or 'Jaguar God of the Underworld'); both deities, who here seem to represent defeated enemy war chiefs, support an emblem consisting of the sacred shield and lances of the Palenque kings. The owl (kuy) of god L could symbolize both aggressive sorcery and warfare.
Connections to other deities
As a merchant deity, god L is paralleled by another, Postclassic merchant god, the black god M (Madrid Codex). A Yucatec merchant god who, like god L, was connected to cacao orchards, bore the name Ek Chuah. This name could in principle refer to god L and to god M. Together with the deity Bolon-Yokte (‘Nine-Strides’), god L and god M have been argued to represent the abstract idea of travelling and of movement in space and time.God L is often combined with god K
God K
God K is the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube designation of a codical Maya deity representing lightning . In earlier, especially Classic depictions, his main characteristics are a blade or torch running through his forehead, and a serpent for one of his legs...
, the lightning deity who, as an owner of the seeds, was also an agricultural deity. More specifically, god L can extend the head of god K, or carry an infant god K in a sling on his back. God K is also the victim of god L as a Venus patron (Dresden Codex).
It has been suggested that God L is the underworld counterpart of Itzamna
Itzamna
In Yucatec Maya mythology, Itzamna was the name of an upper god and creator deity thought to be residing in the sky. Little is known about him, but scattered references are present in early-colonial Spanish reports and dictionaries. Twentieth-century Lacandon lore includes tales about a creator...
, the supreme Maya deity.
Ritual
The acantun stone shafts depicted in the Dresden Codex, which were venerated during the five unlucky and dangerous days (wayeb) at the end of the year, are draped with the mantle and footprint-marked loincloth of God L.Narrative Scenes
Narrative scenes on pottery show the denudation and clothing of god L, while focussing on his owl hat, mantle, and staff. These scenes involve the Maya moon goddessMaya moon goddess
The traditional Mayas generally assume the moon to be female, and the moon's phases are accordingly conceived as the stages of a woman's life. The Maya moon goddess wields great influence in many areas. Being in the image of a woman, she is naturally associated with sexuality and procreation,...
, the rabbit, the Tonsured Maize God, the Hero Twins, and also (in a Dresden Codex vignette) Chaak, the Rain Deity. In this connection, god L has been interpreted (in terms of the Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
Twin myth) as one of the principal lords of the Underworld, or Xibalba
Xibalba
Xibalba , roughly translated as "place of fear", is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. According to some of the...
.
Presence in contemporary Maya religion
It has been suggested that god L corresponds to that most famous of all Tz'utujil deities, the cigar-smoking 'Grandfather' (Mam) MaximónMaximón
Maximón is a folk saint venerated in various forms by Maya people of several towns in the highlands of Western Guatemala.The origins of his cult are not very well understood by outsiders to the different Mayan religions, but Maximón is believed to be a form of the pre-Columbian Maya god Mam,...
, whose manifold associations include long-distance travel, witchcraft, and jaguars. In the cult of Maximón, the latter's cloths receive special emphasis.