Parallel Worlds: Genre, Discourse, and Poetics in Contemporary, Colonial, and Classic Maya Literature

16. The Lights Dim but Don’t Go Out on the Stars of Yucatec Maya Oral Literature

449 The Lights Dim but Don’t Go Out on the Stars of Yucatec Maya Oral Literature Mary H. Preuss 16 The purpose of this study is to become more familiar with the most popular characters in contemporary Yucatec Maya oral literature and the symbols and motifs that help them accomplish their objectives. Focus will highlight the types of actors and actresses in this literature, the symbols and motifs that associate them with the past, purposes they serve in contemporary society, changes in their roles over the years, and a glimpse into the future. The characters presented are ones I have gotten to know in my field project of taping, translating, and studying present-day stories in the Yucatec communities of Becal, Hoctun, Kopoma, Seye, and Tekax, among others. One hundred six stories were analyzed for this study. Before presenting these actors, I should mention that similar to the literature of other areas, the events that occur frequently reflect real-life situations while others appear to be fantasized . Nevertheless, daily life and the responsibility of being an integral part of the community are interpreted differently 16 450 Mary H. Preuss among diverse groups and can greatly contrast philosophically, religiously, and economically with village life in a traditional Yucatec Maya community. What non-Indians consider to be superstitions or fantasies are often realities for the Maya. Also, because their relationship with nature tends to be much more personal than it is for other segments of society, their actions and characters take on another meaning. For the traditional Maya, objects are not inanimate but may have life, a soul. For example, if a non-Maya or one of his children finds a potsherd in his garden, he might be excited if it had been placed there by someone who lived in that region centuries ago, or, on the contrary, he might throw it in the trash. If a Yucatec Maya finds a potsherd, he would probably caution his children not to touch it or destroy it because they could become ill or die. Potsherds are associated with the protectors of the milpa (field), who were called balams many years ago but today are called aluxes1 (see figure 16.1). They are short, little clay men the farmer places at the four corners of the milpa or on an altar in the middle. Offerings of saka’ (a drink made from corn and water), tortillas with beans, balché (a drink made from the bark of the balché tree fermented in honey water), and the incense copal are made to these little men so they will protect the produce from thieves and animals who eat the crops. If the farmer does not comply with these obligations, he can become ill. After the harvest, the farmer must break the clay figures to prevent their rebirth. Some individuals believe an alux will come back to life if the owner of the milpa burns Figure 16.1. Image of an alux. Photo by the author. 451 The Lights Dim but Don’t Go Out on the Stars of Yucatec Maya Oral Literature copal for nine days and nine nights or if he rubs the potsherd with honey, saka’, or his blood. Types of Characters One way to categorize the dramatis personae in the narratives is to divide them into four basic groups: animals, human beings, political figures, and supernatural beings, with some overlap among fauna, people, and political entities. For the Yucatec Maya, the characters in the stories provide role models of appropriate behavior and show the consequences of failing to observe traditional beliefs and traditions; they also serve as authenticators of previous actions. Of the numerous species of fauna that act in these accounts, the most popular ones are cats, dogs, deer, horses, goats, serpents, vultures, and eagles. Although cats and dogs appear often in stories about witches that transform into animals to put a spell on somebody, they also play roles in other types of accounts. In various towns, cats are associated with the maintenance of health or cures for sick children. An illustration comes from Hoctun, where many believe black cats in a house protect the health of their sons and daughters. One woman explained that her nine-year-old son was seriously ill, and neither the curandero (traditional healer) nor the medical doctor could cure him. Every day the boy became worse, and he did not even have the strength to get...