Chol Ritual Language
with Terrence Lee Folmar, Heidi Altman, Ausencio Cruz Guzmán, and Bernardo Pérez Martínez
©1996 J. Kathryn Josserand and Nicholas A. Hopkins
Vea este informe en Español.

Research Year:  1995
Culture:  Chol Maya
Chronology:  Classic
Location:  Southern México, Belize, and Guatemala
Site:  Tila

Table of Contents

Chols and the Chol Language
The Linguistic Affiliation of Chol
History and Cultural Relations
Chol Settlements
Economy of the Chol Region
Kinship and Family
Contemporary Chol Sociopolitical Organization
Religion and Ritual Activity

The Ritual Vocabulary of Tila Chol
The Contexts of Ritual Language Use
The Black Christ of Tila
The Tila Cargo System
The Ceremonial Calendar
Research on Chol Ritual Vocabulary, 1995
Preparations
Field Work during Summer, 1995
Additional Activities
Assessment of the Field Situation, 1995

Lexical Sets in Tila’s Ritual Vocabulary
Terms for Ceremonial Office
Cargoholders and Related Statuses
Other Named Statuses and Titles
The Lexicon of the Sacred
Towards a Theory of Chol Religion
Offering-focussed Behavior
Curing
Concluding Remarks

Sources Cited

Appendices
Appendix I. The Lexicon of Ritual Activity in Tila Chol
Chol-Spanish-English Lexicon
Appendix II. Tila Chol Text
Santa Cruz, The Feast of the Holy Cross
Appendix III. Chol Bird Names
Preliminary Ethno-Classification of Chol Birds

The material presented in this monograph is based in part on research supported by the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (Project 1994.018), the Council for Faculty Research Support, Florida State University, the National Endowment for the Humanities (Grant RT-20643-86), and the National Science Foundation (Grant BNS 8520749). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAMSI, COFRS, FSU, NEH, or NSF.

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Submitted 02/01/1996 by:
J. Kathryn Josserand
Florida State University
(Please direct any questions to )

With Great Sadness We Mourn the Passing of Dr. Kathryn Josserand.