Hunac Ceel
Encyclopedia
Hunac Ceel Cauich was a Mayan
general from Telchaquillo who conquered Chichen Itzá
and founded the Cocom
dynasty. While the rulers of Chichen Itzá were in part descendants of Toltec
outsiders who might have been disliked for being foreign oppressors or the war a simple one of conquest, the Mayan legendary history attributes the cause of the war to the theft of a wife of a powerful ruler by a power lord. (On the other hand, rulers of both the attackers and the attacked are labeled Itzá.)
According to the history, Hunac Ceel, also known as Cauich, unsuccessfully fought the Itzás, having been taken captive. Ah Mex Cuc threw him into the sacred cenote
of Chichén Itzá as a sacrifice to the gods. However, he survived an entire night in the water and told a prophecy of the rain god Chac
about the year's coming harvest and went on, under the sponsorship of Ah Mex Cuc, to become lord of Mayapan
, a city which, along with Chichen Itzá and Uxmal
, ruled northern Yucatan
(Chapter II, "The Rise of Hunac Ceel" in CHILAM BALAM OF CHUMAYEL, see translation here). With the assistance of highland forces, he attacked Chichen Itzá, overthrowing the local ruling elite and establishing Mayapan as the sole ruler of the region. Ralph L. Roys, in his commentary to the Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel posits the interpretation that someone from Chichen Itzá stole away with the bride Ah Ulil, the ruler of Izamal
. Hunac Ceel and his Mexican allies used this as pretext or reason to sack the city in Izamal's name and to go on to profoundly re-order the entire political landscape (Appendix C: "The Hunac Ceel Episode").
The feature film Kings of the Sun
begins with Hunac Ceel's forces attacking Chichen Itzá.
In the year 2000, the Mexican folk dance and music group Hunac-Ceel was founded in San Luis Potosí
.
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
general from Telchaquillo who conquered Chichen Itzá
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán state, present-day Mexico....
and founded the Cocom
Cocom
COCOM A/S was a cable modem company founded by Henrik Hvidtfeldt. It was based in Copenhagen, Denmark, prior to its acquisition by Cisco Systems on September 15, 1999. It is currently organized as Cisco Cable Products and Solutions A/S.-References:...
dynasty. While the rulers of Chichen Itzá were in part descendants of Toltec
Toltec
The Toltec culture is an archaeological Mesoamerican culture that dominated a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology...
outsiders who might have been disliked for being foreign oppressors or the war a simple one of conquest, the Mayan legendary history attributes the cause of the war to the theft of a wife of a powerful ruler by a power lord. (On the other hand, rulers of both the attackers and the attacked are labeled Itzá.)
According to the history, Hunac Ceel, also known as Cauich, unsuccessfully fought the Itzás, having been taken captive. Ah Mex Cuc threw him into the sacred cenote
Cenote
A cenote is a deep natural pit, or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico and Central America, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath...
of Chichén Itzá as a sacrifice to the gods. However, he survived an entire night in the water and told a prophecy of the rain god Chac
Chac
Chac can refer to:* Chaac the Maya civilization rain god* Chac: Dios de la lluvia, a 1975 film in the Maya language* Chac * Red in the Yucatec Maya language* Clonliffe Harriers* CHAC, Chicago Housing Choice Voucher program...
about the year's coming harvest and went on, under the sponsorship of Ah Mex Cuc, to become lord of Mayapan
Mayapan
Mayapan , is a Pre-Columbian Maya site a couple of kilometers south of the town of Telchaquillo in Municipality of Tecoh, approximately 40 km south-east of Mérida and 100 km west of Chichen Itza; in the state of Yucatán, Mexico...
, a city which, along with Chichen Itzá and Uxmal
Uxmal
Uxmal was dominant from 875 to 900 CE. The site appears to have been the capital of a regional state in the Puuc region from 850-950 CE. The Maya dynasty expanded their dominion over their neighbors. This prominence didn't last long...
, ruled northern Yucatan
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
(Chapter II, "The Rise of Hunac Ceel" in CHILAM BALAM OF CHUMAYEL, see translation here). With the assistance of highland forces, he attacked Chichen Itzá, overthrowing the local ruling elite and establishing Mayapan as the sole ruler of the region. Ralph L. Roys, in his commentary to the Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel posits the interpretation that someone from Chichen Itzá stole away with the bride Ah Ulil, the ruler of Izamal
Izamal
Izamal is a small city in the Mexican state of Yucatán, 72 km east of state capital Mérida. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology; in 2000, the city's estimated population was 15,000 people...
. Hunac Ceel and his Mexican allies used this as pretext or reason to sack the city in Izamal's name and to go on to profoundly re-order the entire political landscape (Appendix C: "The Hunac Ceel Episode").
Legacy
Hunac Ceel's actions upset not only the political balance of power in north Yucatan but the demographics of Chichen Itzá and the Peten Lake area, where the Itzá were still living at the time of European contact.The feature film Kings of the Sun
Kings of the Sun
Kings of the Sun is a 1963 movie directed by J. Lee Thompson set in Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest of Chichen Itza by Hunac Ceel. The story is about Mayan refugees who sail to the Mississippi River Valley and lay the foundation for the Mississippian culture complex...
begins with Hunac Ceel's forces attacking Chichen Itzá.
In the year 2000, the Mexican folk dance and music group Hunac-Ceel was founded in San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
.