An Annotated Translation of a Colonial Yucatec Manuscript:
On Religious and Cosmological Topics by a Native Author

(About the Creation of Adam)
ms. p.195-198

Several features distinguish this description of God’s creation of Adam. First is the role of tzicbal, conversation. In the beginning, the three persons of God speak among Themselves as They contemplate making man. At the end, Adam addresses his maker(s) as he gives thanks for his own being and the perfection of the created world. A second notable feature is the sense of movement through space involved in this creation. The author describes the persons of God as they stand conversing in the center of the Earthly Paradise; then "they went farther along to the back of Earthly Paradise," to bring forth from the depths, twelve arm lengths deep, the "boxed in" earth from which Adam is formed. tamil the depths, that which lies below, contrasts with yokol, above in the passage describing the growing of Adam’s hair and skin. The verb bin, to go, contrasts with the verb tal, to come, when after bringing forth the earth, God comes back from the edge of paradise to form the body of first man. Finally, the sense of time and process conveyed by the author deserves notice. The use of Dzocan, Dzoclukan, meaning completion, perfection contrasts with the repetition of hoppi, began, which gives a feeling of immediacy to the action. A story which begins in Genesis merges with New Testament miracles, when God spits in His hand and anoints the eyes and ears of Adam to give him sight and hearing.

Features which seem unusual in Christian narrative context, conform to other Maya tellings of creation stories. In the "Creation of the Uinal" passage from the Chilam Balam of Chumayel, before the creation of people, before the earth had awakened, there exists a group of beings who walk and talk together: cu thanob tamuk u ximbalob cuchie, they spoke as they walked back then. Time comes to exist as these beings converse and walk as they measure and count the footsteps of the deity on earth.

In the Popol Vuh also, creation begins when the deities Tepeu and Gucumatz converse: "They talked then, discussing and deliberating; they agreed, they united their words and their thoughts" (Goetz and Morley 1950:82). Tepeu and Gucumatz first create and then destroy a series of beings whom they judge inadequate for lacking the ability to converse, to communicate with their makers, giving the thanks which nourishes and sustains the gods. Finally they create humans from maize, and address them, saying "Do you not see? Do you not hear? Contemplate the world . . ." (Goetz and Morley 1950:168). And these first four men see the sky and the earth and give thanks, as first man Adam gives thanks for everything that has been created.

Helel tun a Uuyic - christianos = U yanumal =
Now then, Christians, you hear the news,

yt. Uabic patcij =U uincil = yax Uinic. aDan -              [p.196]
and how it was that the body of first man Adam was made.

caytac Ualhiob - tan chumuc - parayso = terenal -
Then when They stood in the middle of Earthly Paradise,

cilich oxtul personas = santissima.trinidad -
the blessed three persons, the most holy trinity,

ti lic yalicob. tu batanbaob = Dios yumbil = Dios mehenbil. Dios espiritu Santo =
while They speak among themselves, God the father, God the son, God the holy spirit,²²⁹

cu thanob. C utzcinte.yt. c mentee = Uinic - tac²³⁰ hochbilan = tac Uinbail=
They say, "Let us create and let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness,

pachic= yt. tialtic =.yt.U yumilteyx =yn sihsah babalil. yanob yokol cab = ti luum =
that he may take, and own, and master My creations that are in the world, on earth,

yetelix xan = U pachic. yetel U tialtic. U yabal kanche. yetel U yabal sillas =
and also so that he may take and own the many seats and the many chairs,

ti sati -yt. ppatij - tumen = U tzicbayl U lobol angelobe. cu than Dios =
lost and abandoned because of the arrogance of the bad angels,"²³¹ so God speaks.

ti Dzocan tun. yalic U thanob = lae.
Then when they had finished saying these words,

Ca binob = citannil = tu pach parayso. terenal =
they went farther along to the back of Earthly Paradise,

Utial U chaob .yt. U hokesob. U hach Dzu Luum. tamil =
in order to take and to bring forth from the very center of the earth, the depths,

U hach mabenil²³² lum = tamil = U hach Utzil luum = ti hun lukul=
from the very "boxed in" earth, the depths, the best earth anywhere,

ti laah ca sab²³³ = u tamil hokcij - tumen Dios - luum lae =
from twelve armlengths, the depths from which it came forth, because of God, this earth;

damaseno U kaba = hokcij lum. tumen Dios lae =              [p.197]
Damascene²³⁴ is the name of this earth that came forth because of God.

ti Dzocan tun U hoksabal luum lae =
Then when the bringing forth of this earth was completed,

ca tali = cayx U cici pataah = U uinicil = huntul xiblal = uinic =
then He came, and then He carefully made the body of a male person,

tancelem = ti hach cichcelem = U koohbilan = chauac U uaan =
a youth, very handsome, to be in His image - large his stature:

yan u pool = yan u xicin = yan u uich = yan u chij = yan u kab = yan yoc =
there is his head, there are his ears, his eyes, his mouth, his hands, his feet,

ti chelic²³⁵ = ti mayto = thannac = ti mayto - othaac = yokol =
there he lies, before he could speak, before he had skin above,

ti mayto - pacatnaac = y. mayto pecnaac =
before he could see, and before he could move.²³⁶

Dzocan tun u patal = u uinbail lae = ca ustabi. yikal cuxtal ti. tumen ca yumil ti Dios
Finished molding this image, the breath of life was blown into him by our lord God;

ca cuxlahij = mayto pacaatnac = ca tun yalah. ca yumil ti Dios - than lae =
then he lived, before he could see, so then our lord God said this word:

HEpheTah²³⁷ = pacatnen = cayx pacatnahij =
"Hephetah, See," and then he saw,

ti hach cichcelem ti hukul - hach ah miatz =
most handsome forever, a very wise man,

ca tun hoppi -u hokol -u tzotzel u pool = cayx hoppi yothhal = yokol -
so then the hair of his head began to come forth, and then his skin began to grow above;

ca hoppi. u hokol u beel nohol = yokol - ca u pecsahuba =
then his veins began to come forth above; then he moved himself;

ca Dzabij tub = Cayx u tubah. u tan u kab Ca yumil ti dios lae.              [p.198]
then spittle was placed on him, and then our lord God spat in the palm of His hand,

ca Dzabi tub tu chij = ca hechahi²³⁸ u chije=
and saliva was placed on his mouth, and his mouth became open;

cayx Dzabi yetel nabsabi tub. tu xicin. tu cahma tile
and then saliva was placed and was anointed upon his ears, both of them,

cayx hepahi u xicin = ca hechahi u chij =
and then his ears became open, and his mouth became open;

Ca hoppi u than - tilic u nibtic u pixan Dios V yah sihsahhule-
then he began to speak, while he gives thanks to God his creator,²³⁹

tilic u nacsic u pacat canale =
while he raises his sight on high,

tamuk yilic caan = yt.kin = yt.V.e = yt.ekobe =
while sees the heavens, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars,

hach lembanac = U pacatobe = ti hach ciotzilitac yilabal =
really their countenances shone forth;²⁴⁰ really they are wondrous to be seen;

ca yilahe = ca hoppi. u nib pixantic = ca yumil ti Dios = ti lic yalic lae =
when he saw them, he began to give thanks to our lord God, while he says this:

bee yumile Diose = hahal Dzoclukan miatze = hahal Dzockan²⁴¹ Uchucile =
"O lord God, truly perfected wisdom, truly perfected power,

yn yumile = Uahsihsahule =
my lord, my Creator;

mabalen cachi = ca ta patcunnahen = ta uocsahen ti uinicil =
I was nothing before, then you formed me; you made me enter into my body;

cha kaax than. yn caah tulacal. hij bahun sihan tamenel = uay yokol cabe =
I am marvelling at everything, all that has been born because of you, here on earth,

hach mactzilitac yilabal.yt. U pactabal = ti hunkul =
really miraculous to be seen and viewed forever,"

cijx U nib pixan = ca yax yum ti aDan =              [p.199]
so he gave thanks, our first father Adam.²⁴²

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