Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-11-19
HE second city in point of size and
Importance in ancient Yucafan was

I ! E ! ! : J: :
n Tutul Xiu family. who ruled there
l1A almost down to the time of the
IL Spanish conquest. This city is To-
IN 1N Gated in the midst of a low range
OF hills. which crosses the state of
y4 Yucatan from east to west, and is
about 100 miles from Chichen Itza
writes Sylvanus G. Morley in Pan American
Union. The derivation of the name Uxmal or
Oxmal. some of the early historians wrote it.
ID rather obscure. "Ox" is the Maya word for
three and NAL in the same language means to
pass;"to pass thrice" therefore, would seem to
be the meaning of the word, though why the
Tutul xiu should have applied this name to their
capital II unknown.
Concerning the foundation of Uxmal the fol.
lowing tradition Is related by Diego de Landa
the second bishop of Yucatan. who wrote in the
nrst generation after the conquest and who
claims to have gathered his information from ma.
uves well versed in the former history of their
country: After the discovery and occupation of
Cnichen ltza. which seems to have been the first
place Of any importance to be settled in Yucatan
cities sprang up everywhere, and there followed
IN era OF great prosperity How long these DIFF.
ferent cities lived at peace with one another we
are not told. but in time dissensions arose. and
quarreis became SO frequent that the different
lords Of the country found It necessary to take
some concerted action in order to suppress vio-
fence and to restore order and peace II was
then decided to build a joint capital where all
those In authority should reside. and from which
eacn one agreed to admins. .r the affairs of via
own particular domain. Without loss of time
tnese plans were carried out. A Joint capital
was ouilt IN new and unoccupied region. and
was called "Mayapan." meaning the standard of
the Mayas." Thither all the lords assembled
and as the fnal step in the formation of the new
confederacy. an overload. one Cocoon was elected
and duly installed in the new capital as the
supreme ruler. These cucuts laid the foundation
Tor an era OF prosperity. which endured for many
years. Later. after an interval not specified by
Landa In his history. there entered the country
from the south an alien people under the leader.
ship OF their chief. Tutul Xiu The newcomers.
previous to their arrival, had wandered for 40
years in the wilderness without water other than
that which had fallen from the skies. This CO.
incidence OF "40years' wandering in the wilder.
ness 10 sufnciently striking to arouse the suspi-
cfon that the worthy bishop. in this part of his
narrative. has been at some pains to force a
pious coincidence with a similar episode in the
Old Testament. Immediately after their arrival
the wanderers began building in the mountains
not 30 miles distant from the capital new home
for themselves which they called Uxmal Far
from being angered. however. by this appropria.
tion OF his territory 80 near at hand. Cocom the
ruler OF the Mayapan. welcomed Tutul Xiu and
his people. and entered into an alliance with
them. Landa thus describes the event:
+, The people of Mayapan formed q great friend
ship with the Tutul Xiu. rejoicing to see that
they cultivated the land like themselves In
this manner the Tutul Xiu became subject TO
the laws OF Mayapan. and allied themselves with
the older inhabitants Of the country, and their
lord was highly esteemed by ALL"
Judging from its size and magniicence the Xiu
capital must have played a very important role
In the history of Yucatan before the Spanish con.
quest Indeed. Landa says as much
After q time. told. the supreme power
held by the Cocoon family seems to have turned
their heads. They became successfully more and
more oppressive. each striving to outdo his prede
cessors in acts OF tyranny and violence. How
ever there came day at last when the other
chiefs Of the confederacy could no longer endure
this despotic rule. and a conspiracy was hatched
to overthrow the oppressor. With one accord
the conspirators turned to the then lord of Ux
NAL a decendent of the original Tutul Xiu who
had founded the city. as the natural leader in this
movement for liberty. in spite Of the fact that
he was OF foreign descent. He is described as
having been q true friend Of the public veal as
his ancestors before him. all of whom had held
resolutely aloof from the tyrannies Of the Cocoon
family. On appointed day the consprators
led by the lord of Cxmal. met at Mayapan. and
entering the palace Of Cocoon slew him and all
his progeny. save one son only. who happened
70 be absent from the city at the time on a mis-
sion to o distant province. After this sangun.
ary reprisal. which avenged at one blow the op-
pressions OF many years. the property of the dead
ruler was seized and divided among his murder.
ers, ami the capital was destroyed. Whereupon
each chief departed into his own country once
more and the confederacy was dissolved. After
the destruction of Mayapan. the Tutu xiu aban-
doned Uxmal and founded a new capital some 30
miles distant which they called Mani" meaning
IN Maya 1T 10 passed" emphasizing by this name
that the old order was over. These events oc-
Cured about the middle Of the fifteenth century.