"Very well. We shall go on, we shall go in search of the forests," all answered.
Immediately after, they took up their gods and put them on their backs. In this way they carried Avilix to the ravine called Euabal-Ziván,[296] so named by them, to the large ravine of the forest. now called Pavilix,[297] and there they left him. In this ravine he was left by Balam-Acab.
They were left one by one. The first one left was Hacavitz, he was left on a large red pyramid,[298] on the mountain now called Hacavitz. There they founded their town, there in the place where the god called Hacavitz, was.
In the same way, Mahucutah left his god, who was the second one hidden by them.
Hacavitz was not in the forest, but on a hill cleared of trees, Hacavitz was hidden.
Then Balam-Quitzé came, he came there to the large forest; Balam-Quitzé came to hide Tohil at the hill which is today called Patohil. Then they celebrated the hiding of Tohil in the ravine, in his refuge. A great quantity of snakes, jaguars, vipers, and cantiles[299] were in the forest where they were hidden by the priests and sacrificers.
Balam-Quitzé, Balam-Acab, Mahucutah. and Iqui-Balam were together; together they awaited the dawn, there on the mountain, called Hacavitz.
And a short distance away, was the god of the people of Tamub and of the people of Ilocab. Amac-Tan,[300] the place is called, where the god of the Tamub [people] was, and there dawn came to the tribes. The place where those from Ilocab awaited the dawn was called Amac-Uquincat;[301] there was the god of those of Ilocab, a short distance from the mountain.
[295] Huhun ta cut y ya vi. The verb ya, yac, is used here in the sense of guarding, to have custody, to insure, Diccionario Cakchiquel.
[296] Ravine of the hiding place.
[297] In Avilix.
[298] Hun nima caq ha, a large mound, painted red, an artificial pyramid such as the Indians constructed as a base for their temples. On some of these the red paint is still preserved. They lived for many years in Hacavitz-Chipal, says the Título de Totonicapán. According to Brasseur de Bourbourg, the mountain Hacavitz is one of those which rises to the north of Rabinal three leagues from the Chixoy River. In the Cuchumatan Mountains, to the cast of the Chixoy River, and at an altitude of 5,900 feet, there is the archaeological site of Chipal which might be the ancient Hacavitz-Chipal.
[299] Canti, a variety of poisonous serpent, Trigonocephalus specialis. The ancient Indians thought that these serpents were minor gods of their mythology.
[300] The tribe of Tan, Amagtán in the Título de Totonicapán.
[301] The name Uquincat might mean "net of gourds," from uqui, a tree which produces a fruit resembling the gourd, and cat, "net." The Título de los Señores de Totonicapán mentions this place under the name of Uquín, and adds that together with the tribes of Tamub and Ilocab there were the thirteen tribes called Vucamag-Tecpán.
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