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Pascual Abaj

Pascual Abaj (alternatively written Pascual Ab'aj),[1] also known as Turcaj,[2] Turk'aj,[3] Turuk'aj and Turukaj,[4] is a pre-Columbian Maya idol at Chichicastenango that survived the Spanish conquest of Guatemala and which is still venerated by the local community. It is the best-known example of such an image.[5] The image was badly damaged in the 1950s by members of Catholic Action.[6]

History

Front view of Pascual Abaj in 2008

After the Spanish conquest, the stone figure is said to have been carried away from a site in the village of Chichicastenango and reset upon the hill so offerings could be made away from the vigilance of the Catholic Church and the Spanish colonists.[2]

Before it was defaced, the statue was described as a grotesque human figure with a large head and high, pointed forehead. It had two circular earspools in line with its mouth; its arms were crossed on its chest, with the fingers extended. A cord was sculpted around its waist, to which was attached the image of an inverted severed human head. It stood approximately 1 metre (3.3 ft) high. An observer in the 1950s noted that the figure appeared to have been buried sometime in the past.[4]

Traditional Maya shamans regularly perform ceremonies at the shrine, by day and night.[3] The statue is set upon a small altar surrounded by offerings, which include pine branches, crosses, flowers, copal resin, and items crafted from stone.[3] The shrine has now become a popular tourist attraction where visitors witness traditional Maya ceremonies.[7]

Location

The shrine is located upon a wooded ridge overlooking the Chichicastenango valley,[8] approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the town.[9] The statue is set on a small plateau amongst pine forest.[4]

Etymology

Abaj means "stone" in several contemporary highland Maya languages, including Kʼicheʼ and Kaqchikel,[10] while Pascual means "Easter" in Spanish.[11] "King Pascual" has been recorded as the subject of veneration since at least the 19th century.[10] Turcaj (spelled Turk'aj in modern Maya orthography) is the Kʼicheʼ name for the hill upon which the shrine is located.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ventura Peliz 2007, p. 64.
  2. ^ a b Hart 2008, p. 81.
  3. ^ a b c d Carmack 2001, p. 445.
  4. ^ a b c Rodríguez Rouanet et al 1993, p. 18.
  5. ^ Früsorge 2015, p. 178.
  6. ^ Hart 2008, p. 82.
  7. ^ Hart 2008, pp. 81–82.
  8. ^ Chládek 2011, p. 98.
  9. ^ Ventura Peliz 2007, p. 64. Cook, Offit, and Taube 2013, p. 145.
  10. ^ a b McDougall 1946, 2011, p. 248.
  11. ^ Span¡shD!ct.

References

External links

14°56′13″N 91°06′53″W / 14.936858°N 91.114675°W / 14.936858; -91.114675