Chajoma

Mixco Viejo, capital of the Chajoma Maya.[1]

The Chajoma (Mayan pronunciation: [/tʃäχoˈmä/]) were a Kaqchikel-speaking Maya people of the Late Postclassic period, with a large kingdom in the highlands of Guatemala.[2] According to the indigenous chronicles of the K'iche' and the Kaqchikel, there were three principal Postclassic highland kingdoms; the K'iche', the Kaqchikel and the Chajoma.[3] In the Annals of the Cakchiquels the Chajoma of Jilotepeque were always referred to as the akajal vinak, in the Popul Vuh these can probably be identified with the akul vinak.[4] Both akajal vinak and akul vinak mean "the bee people" or "the hive people".[5]

Chajoma means "people of ocote" (a type of pine).[6] In colonial times this was rendered into Nahuatl as sacatepēc "Grass mountain" which led to its current Hispanicized name Sacatepéquez.[6] Early records, for example, record the placename San Juan Sacatepéquez as San Juan Chajoma.[6] The Chajoma separated into six divisions, equivalent to the various colonial villages bearing Sacatepéquez in the name.[7]

  1. ^ Love 2007, p.305. Sharer 2006, pp.621, 625.
  2. ^ Hill 1998, p.229.
  3. ^ Hill 1998, p.233.
  4. ^ Hill 1998, p.229. Carmack 2001, p.152.
  5. ^ Carmack 2001, p.152. Hill 1996, p.64.
  6. ^ a b c Carmack 2001, p.151.
  7. ^ Carmack 2001, p.152.