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

Exemplos. del Sanctissimo. Sacramento del altare              [p.316-324]
Examples Concerning the Most Sacred Sacrament of the Altar

In his Index Exemplorum, Frederic Tubach provides the following definition, "the exemplum is an attempt to discover in each narrative event, character, situation or act a paradigmatic sign that would either substantiate religious belief and Church dogma or delineate social ills and human foibles" (1969:523). All five of the following moral tales involve receiving communion. However, the first three approach the theme by describing a social ill which places individuals in an unfit state to take the sacrament. The first tale involves a man infamous in his community as a fornicator, who lies to the priest and conceals his sin. The consecrated host sticks in his mouth, and he is unable to swallow it. The second concerns a woman who was made a concubine, and who can not free herself of her rancor towards those who abused her. She is unable to open her mouth in the presence of the host, and dies in a state of sin to be carried off by devils. In the third story, a sick woman turns her face from the sacrament as she has turned her face from her enemies, unable to forgive them. She too gets taken to hell. Thus these tales condemn inchastity and emphasize the importance of complete confession and a pure heart in order to receive communion.

The final two ejemplos illustrate the miraculous nature of the host, and its transformation from bread into the living body of the Christ Child. A child at mass sees a beautiful, shining Child in the hand of the priest at the elevation of the host, a Child which the priest then devours. Later, when the priest returns to a guest house run by the watching child’s father, the son hides from the priest, fearing that he too will be bitten. This resolves all his father’s doubts about the divine nature of the sacrament. In the final tale, a Jew hides himself among Christians to watch St. Basil say mass. He too sees a Child with a radiant face in the host, and runs home to convince his people to convert to the true religion.

It seems likely that these ejemplos were translated into Yucatec from a Franciscan collection of such tales in Spanish. In this set, and in the longer set of ejemplos which follows them, it is interesting that the deeds of women figure prominently.

Huntul Uinic ah keban ah ueyuncil. hokan. U beel tu xicinob cah              [p.316]
A man, a sinner, a fornicator infamous in the community,

hach yahij. U chaphal hex ti lic u chochic U kebane.
became gravely ill, but when he confessed his sin,

ma u tohpultah yanil U uey =
he did not confess the existence of his concubine.

ca yalah padre yah chucul U kebane =
So then the priest, his confessor, said:

Ua yan a uey - bay licil yabale = bax matan a tohpulte keban loe
"If you have a concubine, as it is said, why are you not confessing that sin?

bicx yolil y chaalbail
What will be the intention and the preparation,

bin a kamic U cilich sacramento y U cucutil ca yumil.
with which you will receive the blessed sacrament and the body of our lord?"

Ca u nucah Uinic ti lic u tabçah ti yole.              [p.317]
Then the man answered, while he dissembled,

yumile. Ua yan yn Uey lic yalabal bee:
"Lord, if I have a concubine, as it is said,

yolte Dios ah tepal U hunkul mahal. U yuchuchal =
may it be the will of God the ruler, that it never become possible,

yocol U cilich cucutil. yumilbil ychil yn cucutil
that the blessed body of the Lord enter within my body."

ca yocsah ti yol saserdote U than.
Then the priest believed his word,

cayx yalah U binsabal. U cilich cucutil yumilbil ti
and said for the blessed body of the Lord to be taken to him.

Ca hoppi U Dzabal comunnion ti = cuchi =
Then communion began to be given to him, back then,

heuac hunkul ma uchuchij U mançic ostia. consagrada =
but it was completely impossible that he make the consecrated host pass;

ti yanhij tijx pakbani ti yaak =
there it was, and there it stuck on his tongue.

tu chij ca yilah. U xot kin = yetel. U Dza naat Dios loe =
Then when he saw the judgment and mystery of God,

ca hach okomhi yol = tu keban.
then he really felt remorse for his sin,

Cayx U tohpultah u keban ti mahancenil. tu uichil Uinicob =
and then he confessed his sin there publicly, before the eyes of men,

cayx U katah U satsabal U sipil ti Uinicob tulacal =
and then he asked that his error be forgiven by all men,

tumen yix ma tiil = y. U lobol Dzilib. U Dzaah tu lobil U beel =              [p.318]
because of his shamelessness and the bad example he gave with his evil deed,

ca tun U kamah U cucutil yumilbil ti manan U yaile
and then he received the body of the Lord without difficulty.

He te tu cahal. monte Calvarioe yan huntul chuplal. lokbay cuchi
So there in the town of Mount Calvary, there was a girl, a maiden back then;

ma yoltah. tal ti yol. U sates U sipil hijmac cocinti =
she did not wish in her heart to forgive the sin of he who made a concubine of her.

ca chaphi = hex ca u chochah U kebane =
Then she became sick, but even when she confessed her sin,

tu bayilhij yanil U kuxil. cuchi loe. matan U lukul ti yol:
still there persisted her hatred back then; it never left her heart.

Ca talsabi. Santissima sacramento ti = U kamab. cuchi =
Then the most holy sacrament was brought to her for her to receive it, back then;

tuchij tali - U Dzabal tie = ca hach canmi u coo = y. U boxel U chi =
then when it came to be given to her, then it really stuck to her teeth and her lips;

hunkul ma Uchuchij = u ppaic U chij = Uchebal u kamice =
it was not at all possible that her mouth open in order to receive it,

hex tu nachhal saserdote yetun cuchie = maytac xan U ppachal u chi =
but when the priest departed from her then, before long her mouth became open,

Utzix U than = Utzix U caan cuchi xan =
and her words and her speech were good then also.

oxten U Dzaicuba saserdote u Dzab ti cuchi =
Three times the priest presented himself to give it to her back then;

tuchijx tu neDzanhal kuyen ostia. U Dzabal tu chie
then when the divine host approached, to be placed in her mouth,

maytac xan U canma u chi = cuchi maytac Uchuc u ppaic U chi ti hunlukul              [p.319]
before long her mouth had closed back then, nor could she open her mouth at all.

Ca yoktahuba saserdote ti = ca u lah chochob U keban tulacal.
Then the priest pleaded with her that she entirely confess her sin, all of it.

cayx U nucah chuplal ti lic U chochic U kebane = heuac he kuxil yan ti =
Then the girl replied, while she confessed her sin, but retaining this hatred,

lic yoltic U chab U toh ti Uinic - cocintie
for which she wished to take vengeance on the man who made a concubine of her,

lay matan U lukul ti yol loe.
this never leaves her heart,

yoklal hach ya = uchi ti =
because it was really painful, what happened to her,

ca cocintabi = ca pahij U subtal tumenel Uinic loe -
when she was made a concubine, when she was shamed by that man.

hach bay nolnolcil = yol - ca cimi = tu netzil loe -
Really thus with hardened heart, then she died in her ruin,

cayx multabi cayx chabi tumen cisinob = U pixan -
and then she was surrounded, and then her soul was seized by devils.

ca u binsahob mitnal = ti hun lukul - ti ma xulumte numya loe ========
Then they took her to hell for eternal, endless suffering there.

Ca chapahi huntul chuplal ti hach ya u cimil hach yab U kuxil tu lep olal =
When a woman became deathly sick, really great was her rancor, her anger;

ca u chochah U keban ti matan U tanle u lep olal⁶⁸
then she confessed her sin without taking into account her anger,

mayx yalah tu choch kebani =
nor did she say it in her confession.

Ca binsabi U cilich sacrantoil tal ti - hex ca yetsah saserdote tie =              [p.320]
Then the blessed sacrament was brought to her, but when the priest showed it to her,

ca u sutbesah U uich chuplal. tu nak pake
then the woman turned her face to the side of the wall,

ca yalah baci yn sutbesici = yn uich ti mac lepsicob Uol = cuchi lae =
and she said, "Since I turned my face from those who angered me formerly,

hunkul mayx yn satsah U sipilob = tin pucsikal. cuchi.
never did I forgive their wrongs in my heart before,

mayx tan yn sates U sipilob helela xane =
nor am I forgiving their faults now either,

mayi Uchuchom yn cutal ti caan =
so it will not be possible that I dwell in heaven,

ti yan U hach yabil y u hach yail lepolal. y. kuxil ten loe =
when I have that great and really severe anger and hatred.

Lukeseex nach.cunnex. U nohol yumil. tin tan loe =
Take away, remove the greatest Lord from before me;

ma samac huncetac. U noh yacunah = y. yn noh leppolal = ti hun lukul
never will His great love equal my great anger, forever."

u tanix u siyc U pixan ti cisinob ti hach okomoltzil
Meanwhile she gave her soul to the devils, lamentably,

Cayx mucij U pixan mitnal y lob lae
and then her soul was buried in hell with them.

He ti lic U susu kuchul. ti hunppel cah huntul U padreil sanct fran^co cuchie
So a priest of Saint Francis used to frequently visit a town, back then,

ti lic U kuchul ti otochcabil ti na hunppel =
where he arrived at a guest house, at some house,

hex ah otohnale = hach yab U ppisil U muk =
but, as for the householder, really greatly his resolve was tested;

U tumtabal yol. ti caye olal tu cilich Sacramentoyl. altar cuchi =              [p.321]
he was tempted by doubt in the blessed sacrament of the altar, back then.

tu chij ca yalah missa ti hunppel U kinil. Sabado ti yotoch ku ti caah lae = padre loe
So when that priest said mass one day, Saturday, at the church in this town,

ti yan huntul paal. U mehen yotoch cabil cuchi yum - ti u yah missa cuchi lae
there was a child, the boy whose father had the guest house, attending mass back then.

hex ti Dzocan U cicithantabal. cilich. Hostia = padree =
So when the priest had completed the blessing of the host,

ca yilah huntul. yx chichan paal. hach mactzil cichcelmil = tu kab.
then (the boy) saw a little child, really wondrously handsome, in (the priest’s) hand,⁶⁹

tu chijx ca u kamah padre = cilich sacramentoe.
and when the priest received the blessed sacrament,

ca yilah licil U chiyc padre yx chan chan paal. hach cichcelem = tu Dzi yol cuchie =
then he saw the priest bite the really handsome little child, so it seemed to him, back then.

ca bini paal - ti yotoch u yume.
Then the child went to the house of his father,

tu chijx ca yilah yulel padre ca u tacaahuba. yalan chac che =
and when he saw the return of the priest, then he hid himself under the bed,

ti çahac tu chibil tumen padre
frightened of being bitten by the priest.

ca culhiob ti hanal yokol messa = U yum paale y. padre
When the father of the child and the priest sat down to eat at the table,

ca xachetabi paale = tijx yan yalan chac che - ti tacunba
then the child was sought, and there he was under the bed, hiding himself.

ca chictahi ti lic yalic mail u kat binel yanil padre. lic u chiyc palalob loe              [p.322]
When he was found, he said he never wished to go near that priest who bit children:

Uilahix. U chiyc hach cichcelem DzeDzec paal. tamuk yalic missa
"I saw him bite the really handsome little child, while he was saying mass,

sahacennix tu chicen = bay u chiyc paal loe = cu than.
and I am afraid that he might bite me, as he bites that child," he said.

lic u cici thantabal. y. u cici payal tumenel u yum.
Then he is sweet talked and sweetly called by his father,

ca u hoksah yalan chac che = yanil cuchie
so he came forth from under the bed where he was before,

tijx u hach natah uinic - tumtahan yol. cuchi.
and then he really understood, the man who had been tempted before,

u hahil yokolalil.⁷⁰  u hach caanalil. sacramento loe.
the true belief in that really heavenly sacrament,

u tanix u tohcabtic = u tumtabal = y. u pecolal vinic loe.
and when the man confessed being tempted and his doubt,

ca chichi yol. ti yokolal u hach talanil. y. u hach canalil. sacramento -
then he became resolute in his belief in the really miraculous and heavenly sacrament.

Lay u men yalab missa. noh Uasilio = sancto - u hach nonohil - ah kulem miatz:⁷¹
It was while he was saying mass, great Saint Basil, a really zealous, holy wise man,

ca u lapahuba Judio. huntul ychil christianosob - tu mucul mucilil. cuchi =              [p.323]
that a Jew hid himself among the Christians, secretly back then,

Uchebal yilic. U nucul. u kuil thanob.⁷²
in order to see the form of their ceremonies,

hex tamuk. yubicob u missa bolon u pixan. santo cuchie
but while they heard the mass of the blessed saint back then,

ca yilah Judio - tijl yan huntul. chichan paal
then the Jew saw there a little child,

hach sasil. u pacat =hach cichcelem = tu kab. cuchi =
really radiant his face, really beautiful, in the hand (of the saint) back then.

ca u chaah u kaax u thani - ca bini ti yotoch =
Then he became amazed and he went to his house,

cayx u cantah tu chuplil - hijbal yilahe =
and then he told his woman what he saw,

ti licix yalic hach sahbentzilil - yetel uchucil tumen tusinil = u kuul christianosob =
while saying that the god of the Christians is really fearsome and all powerful.

ca bini. yicnal. sancto - Basilio: ca u katah ti =
Then he went to Saint Basil and he asked him,

yocçic haa tu pol y. u chuplil y. u balnailob - tulacal -
that he baptise him and his woman and the members of his household, all of them,

yoklal - yocsah ti yol. u hahal. mehenil Dios = ca yumil ti Jesu christoe
because he believed in the true son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ,

ti hahal ocanix ti yolob. ca cambesabiob tu belil christianoil
and they truly believed, when they were taught in the ways of Christianity,

y. u chuplil. y u mehenob = y = u balnailob =
both his woman, and his children, and the members of his household,

ca tun u caput sihsahob = sancto basilio =              [p.324]
so then Saint Basil baptised them,

cayx u Dzaah. u cilich sacramentoil = u cucutil yumilbil tiob -
and then he gave the blessed sacrament, the body of the Lord to them,

tulacal - kuchan ti yabil.⁷³  uchebal u kamicob cuchie =
all (those) having arrived at the age (of discretion), in order to receive it back then.

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