The Title of Totonicapan

The Title of Totonicapán is a significant document composed by the Kiche Maya in the highlands of Guatemala, second only to the Popol Vuh. This volume contains a new translation from the original Kiche Maya text, based on the oldest known manuscript copy, rediscovered by Robert Carmack in 1973. The Title of Totonicapán is written in the elevated court language of the early Colonial period and describes the mythic origins and history of the Kiche people. It agrees with the Popol Vuh's version of Kiche history and cosmology in many instances, but is richer in detail and departs from it in other instances. It also contains significant passages of cosmology and history that do not appear in any other highland Maya text. This volume makes a comprehensive and updated edition of the Title of Totonicapán accessible to scholars and students in history, anthropology, archaeology, and religious studies, as well as those interested in Indigenous literature and Native American/Indigenous studies more broadly.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 424 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: University Press of Colorado

The Title of Totonicapán is a remarkable work, representing the first complete English translation of one of the most important documents composed by the Kiche Maya in the highlands of Guatemala. This document stands second only to the Popol Vuh in terms of its significance within the Kiche Maya culture. The original version of the Title of Totonicapán was completed in 1554, just a few decades after the Spanish Conquest of the Kiche people in 1524. This volume presents a brand new translation of the original Kiche Maya text, based on the oldest known manuscript copy that was rediscovered by Robert Carmack in 1973.

The Title of Totonicapán is a land title written by surviving members of the Kiche Maya nobility, a branch of the Maya that dominated the highlands of western Guatemala prior to the Spanish invasion in 1524. This document was duly signed by the ruling lords of all three major Kiche lineages: the Kaweqib, the Nijayib, and the Ajaw Kiches. Titles of this kind were relatively common for Maya communities in the Guatemalan highlands in the first century after the Spanish Conquest, serving as a means to assert land rights and privileges for their leaders.

Similar to the Popol Vuh, the Title of Totonicapán is written in the elevated court language of the early Colonial period, and it eloquently describes the mythic origins and history of the Kiche people. The document largely aligns with the version of Kiche history and cosmology presented in the Popol Vuh, providing a complementary account that attests to widely known and understood traditions. However, in many instances, the Title of Totonicapán offers more detailed and intricate descriptions of history, genealogy, and political organization. In other cases, it contradicts assertions made by the authors of the Popol Vuh, perhaps reflecting internal dissent and jealousy between rival lineages within the Kiche.

The Title of Totonicapán is a valuable resource for scholars and researchers interested in understanding the Kiche Maya culture, history, and cosmology. Its new translation based on the oldest known manuscript copy provides a fresh perspective on this important text, and it sheds light on the complex relationships and dynamics within the Kiche society during the early Colonial period.

ISBN-13: 9781646422654