As was seen in the selection "Zuyua Than yetel Naat", the use of riddles in the Mayan language has a long, and in former times, an important role in Mayan society. Today riddles are employed, as far as we know, just to pass the time at such occasions as weddings, funerals, anniversaries of the death of someone, or other such get-togethers. Two of the riddles given here can be traced to the riddles of "Zuyua Than yetel Naat". The riddle about the jicama comes forth twice in "Zuyua Than yetel Naat": once in riddle 3:18 from the first list and once in riddle 24 from the second list. The riddle about quail is to be found in riddle 40 from the second list.
For more on riddles and wordplay generally see chapter seven in Allan Burn's book "An Epoch of Miracles: Oral Literature of the Yucatec Maya".
| IF YOU ARE INTELLIGENT |
UA YAN A NAAT |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Its back is green, its center is red?
Watermelon. |
Yax u pach, chac u dzu?
Sandia. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Its back is yellow, its center is iron colored?
Nances. |
Kankan u pach, acero u dzu?
Chi. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Its back is brown, its center is red, its seed is brown?
Mamey. |
Atavacado u pach, chac u dzu, atavacado u nek?
Chacal haaz. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
You take off its slip, it laughs?
Jicama. |
Ca zilic u pic, cu cheic?
Chicam. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
You are just going, you are just going along,
when you turn your eyes skywards and you see
a white jicara which has climbed up over the road?
Moon. |
Chen ta bin, chen ta bine,
ca likz a uich caanale
ca uilic humppel zac luch nacaan ti be?
Luna. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Eat hair?
Hat, because it eats your hair. |
Hap tzotz?
Ppoc, tumen cu hapic a tzotz. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
It goes running along, then it falls?
Pila. (play on words "halal" and "tun") |
Halal tu bin, tun tu lubul?
Haltun. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
You make it, you don't touch it?
Shit. |
Tech ca betic, ma ta machic?
Ta. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
You make it, you don't see it?
Fart. |
Tech ca betic, ma ta uilic?
Ciz. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Hungry it goes, full it returns?
Pail; it's hauling water from the well. |
Uiih tu bin, naah tu zut?
Cħoy; cu paytic cħeen. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Full it goes, hungry it returns?
Rocket. |
Naah tu bin, uiih tu zut?
Volador. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
It has two necks, two hands, one body?
Hammock. |
Cappel u cal, cappel u kab, humppel u uincli?
Kaan. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
First its ribs are put in place, then its meat is put on?
House. |
Tanil u dzabal u cħalate, cu dzocole cu dzabal u bake?
Na. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
I am just going by the side of the road, it bites me?
Nettle.
Why do you say nettles?
Because if you passed next to that those nettles,
it will bite you. |
Chen cin bin tu hal be, cu chien?
Cħincħinchay.
Baaxten cħincħinchay?
Tumen ua ta man tu tzel le cħincħinchayo,
he u chiech. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Its back is a hole, its rattle is white?
Mouth.
Why then mouth?
Because that mouth, its back is yellow, inside its white. |
Hol u pach, zac u zoot?
Chi.
Baaxten tun chi?
Tumen le chio, tu pach kankan, ichil zac. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
The stones of the field?
Quail, because if it doesn't move, it looks like a stone. |
U tunichil chakan?
Becħ, tumen ua ma tu pec, chicaan bey tunich. |
| If you are very intelligent, intelligent: |
Ua hach naatech, naateche: |
Hungry in the day, full at night?
Hammock. |
Uiih yetel kin, naah yetel akab?
Kaan. |
