Temple of the Cross
From left: Photograph of the Central Tablet from the Temple of the
Cross (magnify),
illustration of the tablet (magnify).
The Central Tablet of the Temple of the Cross records the birth of the deity Muwaan Mat, recounts the beginning of the present creation, records a dynastic list beginning with the legendary ruler U K'ix Kan, and concludes with the accession of the first Kan B'ahlam on 10 Eb' 0 Wo' (April 572).
The following transcription and translation correspond to the glyph blocks between A16-F17 and P1-U17 from the Central Tablet of the Temple of the Cross. Addition analysis and a transliteration will be available in the Spring of 2005.
Transcription
1 ajaw 18 sotz' sihyaj Jem[nal] Ix[ik]? muwaan mat mi' [k'in] 5 winikjiiy 8 haab' sihyajiiy i uk'almay 4 ajaw 8 kumk'u tzutzuy 13 pih 2 [k'in] 8 winikjiiy 1haab' jehljiiy k'o'b' ti' chan yax simnal och ta chan ju'n ye nal chaahk 13 ik' ti' haab' mol joy/t'ab'ay waka' chan nahnal waxak chaahk naah u k'ab'a' yotoot xaman pehtjiiy wak chanik ju'n ye nal chaahk ‘i hul matwiil 9 Ik' 15 keh u ? kab' matwiil ub'aah uch'ab'-ak'ab'il muwaan mat 3 yalel? ix? 2 [k'in] 11 winikjiiy 7 haab'iiy 1 winikhaab' 2 pihiiy sihyaj i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah muwaan mat 9 ik' chum sak 2 [k'in] 12 winikjiiy 10 haab'iiy 6 winikhaab' 3 pihiiy utiiy 9 ik' i sihyaj uk'ix? kan uk'ab'a' ?-ye mat k'uhul mat ajaw 8 [k'in] 7 winikjiiy 6 haab'iiy 1 winikhaab' sihyjiiy uk'ix? kan i k'al sakhu'n tu ub'aah uk'ix kan 11 kab'an chum pohp k'uhul b'aak ajawaj 5 kimi 14 k'ayab' sihyaj k'uk' b'ahlam 14 [k'in] 5 winikjiiy 2 haab' 1 winikhaab' sihyjiiy i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah 1 kan 2 k'ayab' k'uhul toktan 11 lamat 6 xul sihyajiiy ch'aak? 9 [k'in] 3 winikjiiy 13 haab' sihyajiiy ch'aak 2 kab'an 10 xul 3 [k'in] 6 winikjiiy k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah ch'aak i ut 8 ajaw 13 keh utz'akwa 9 pih toktan 18 [k'in] 1 winikjiiy 8 haab'iiy 1 winikhaab' sihyajiiy b'utz'aj sak chi'k i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah 3 etz'nab' 11 xul 17 [k'in] 7 winikjiiy 16 haab'iiy 1 winikhaab' sihyajiiy 5 ajaw 3 sek a'kal mo' naab' i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah 5 kab'an chum sotz' 16 [k'in] 6 winikjiiy 19 haab'iiy 1 winikhaab' sihjiiy k'an joy chitam i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah 5 k'an 12 k'ayab' 17 [k'in] 4 winikjiiy 2 haab'iiy 2 winikhaab' sihjiiy i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah sak ? ? a'kal mo' naab' 1 imix 4 sip 1 [k'in] 1 winikjiiy 1 haab'iiy sihajiiy ? umam a'akal mo' naab' i sihjiiy kan b'ahlam 7 k'an 17 mol 7 [k'in] 4 winikjiiy 8 haab'iiy 2 winikhaab' sihjiiy kan b'ahlam 11 chikchan 13 ch'en 2 [k'in] 8 winikjiiy 15 haab'iiy sihjiiy kan b'ahlam i k'al sak hu'n tu ub'aah
Translation
Mythology
[Initial Series not translated] On 1 Ajaw 18 Sotz' born was
Jemnal Ix Muwaan Mat. 5 months and 8 years after s/he? was born,
then was the tying of the gift. On 4 Ajaw 8 Kumk'u were completed
the 13 B'ak'tuns (cycles of 400 years).
2 days, 9 months, and 1 year after the hearth, the mouth of the sky, the first heated place had been changed, Ju'n Ye Nal Chaahk entered the sky (entered upon high). On 13 Ik' the seating of Mol (13.0.1.9.2; February 5, 3112 BC) dedicated was the Waka' Chan House, the Eight Chaahk House was its name, the House of the North.
[It was] 663 years and 12 months (DN 1.18.3.12.0) after the Wak Chan had been embraced by Ju'n Ye Nal Chaahk that he then arrived [at] Matwiil (or Matawiil) [on] 9 Ik' 15 Keh, [it was] the "earth-touching" of Matwiil [by] the person of the creation of Muwaan Mat, the three offspring of the Lady?.
2 days, 11 months, and 827 years after s/he had been born then it was the tying of the White Bark-Paper onto the head of Muwaan Mat on 9 Ik' the seating of Sak.
Birth of legendary ruler U K'ix Kan and beginning of Palenque's dynastic
list:
2 days, 12 months, and 1330 years after [the day] 9 Ik' had occurred,
born then was U K'ix Kan, his name was ? Mat, the Divine Mat Lord. It was
8 days, 7 months, and 26 years after U K'ix Kan had been born then it was
the White Bark-Paper [headdress] tying onto the head of U K'ix Kan. On
11 Kab'an 0 Pohp he became the Divine Palenque Lord.
Birth of Palenque's first historic ruler K'uk' B'ahlam:
On 5 Kimi 14 K'ayab' born was K'uk' B'ahlam. It was 14 days, 5 months,
and 22 years after he had been born that then it was the White Bark-Paper
[headdress] tying onto his head. On 1 K'an 2 K'ayab' he [became] the Divine
Toktan Lord.
On 11 Lamat 6 Xul born was Ch'aak. It was 9 days, 3 months, and 13 years after Ch'aak had been born [when] on 2 Kab'an 10 Xul, 3 days and 6 months after the of the White Bark-Paper tying onto the head of Ch'aak it then happened 8 Ajaw 13 Keh, the accumulation of the 9 B'atuns [at/of] Toktan.
18 days, 1 month, and 28 years after B'utz'aj Sak Chi'k was born (on 9.1.4.5.0 12 Ajaw 13 Sak, November 14, 459) then it was the White Bark-Paper tying onto his head on 3 Etz'nab' 11 Xul.
17 days, 7 months, and 36 years after A'kal Mo' Naab' had been born on 5 Ajaw 3 Sek [Kasew] it was the White Bark-Paper tying onto his head on 5 Kab'an the seating of Sotz' (9.3.6.7.17 June 3, 501).
16 days, 6 months, and 39 years after K'an Joy Chitam was born then it was the White Bark-Paper tying onto his head on 5 K'an 12 K'ayab' (9.4.14.10.4, February 23, 529).
17 days, 42 years after he was born then it was the White Bark-Paper tying onto the head of A'kal Mo' Naab' (II) on 1 Imix 4 Sip (9.6.11.5.1, May 2, 565).
1 day, 1 month, and 1 year after [A'kal Mo' Naab' (II)], the grandson of A'kal Mo' Naab' (I), was born on 7 K'an 17 Mol (9.4.9.0.4, September 3, 523), Kan B'ahlam was then born.
7 days, 4 months, and 48 years after Kan B'ahlam had been born on 11 Chikchan 13 Ch'en (9.4.10.1.5 September 18, 524). 2 days, 8 months, and 15 years after Kan B'ahlam was born then it was the White Bark-Paper tying onto his head.