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Pascual Abaj

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Pascual Abaj
The statue in 1948, before it was defaced

Pascual Abaj (alternatively written Pascual Ab'aj)[1], also known as Turcaj or Turk'aj,[2] is a pre-Columbian Maya statue at Chichicastenango that survived the Spanish conquest of Guatemala and which is still venerated by the local community. It is the best-known example of such an image.[3] The image was badly damaged in the 1950s by members of Catholic Action.[4] The shrine is located upon a wooded ridge overlooking the Chichicastenango valley.[5]

After the Spanish conquest, the stone figure is said to have been carried away from a site in the village of Chichicastenango and reset upon the hill so offerings could be made away from the vigilance of the Catholic Church and the Spanish colonists.[6] Traditional Maya shamans regularly perform ceremonies at the shrine, by day and night.[7] The statue is set upon a small altar surrounded by offerings, which include pine branches, crosses, flowers, copal resin, and items crafted from stone.[7] The shrine has now become a popular tourist attraction where visitors witness traditional Maya ceremonies.[8]

Etymology

Abaj means "stone" in several contemporary highland Maya languages, including K'iche' and Kaqchikel,[9] while Pascual means "Easter" in Spanish.[10] "King Pascual" has been recorded as the subject of veneration since at least the 19th century.[9] Turcaj (spelled Turk'aj in modern Maya orthography) is the K'iche' name for the hill upon which the shrine is located.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Ventura Peliz 2007, p. 64.
  2. ^ Haert 2008, p. 81. Carmack 2001, p. 445.
  3. ^ Früsorge 2015, p. 178.
  4. ^ Hart 2008, p. 82.
  5. ^ Chládek 2011, p. 98.
  6. ^ Hart 2008, p. 81.
  7. ^ a b c Carmack 2001, p. 445.
  8. ^ Hart 2008, pp. 81-82.
  9. ^ a b McDougall 1946, 2011, p. 248.
  10. ^ Span¡shD!ct.

References

Carmack, Robert M. (2001). Kik'ulmatajem le K'iche'aab': Evolución del Reino K'iche' (in Spanish). Guatemala: Iximulew. ISBN 99922-56-22-2. OCLC 253481949.
Chládek, Stanislav (2011) Exploring Maya Ritual Caves: Dark Secrets from the Maya Underworld Lanham, Maryland, US: Rowman Altamira. ISBN 9780759119871. OCLC 741455505.
Früsorge, Lars (2015) "Sowing the stone: sacred geography and cultural continuity. Economy among the Highland Maya of Guatemala." Estudios de cultura maya 45: 171-189. Mexico City, Mexico: Instituto de Investigaciones Filólogicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. ISSN 2448-5179.
Hart, Thomas (2008) The Ancient Spirituality of the Modern Maya. Albuquerque, New Mexico, US: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 9780826343505. OCLC 609225980.
McDougall, Elsie (2011) [1946] "Observations on Altar Sites in the Quiche Region, Guatemala" Notes on Middle American Archaeology and Ethnology 62: 243-249. Boulder, Colorado, US: University Press of Colorado.  – via Project MUSE (subscription required)
Span¡shD!ct. www.spanishdict.com. Curiosity Media. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
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