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Los Pueblos Mayas Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes Dirección General del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural Sub Dirección de Investigación y Registro Departamento de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Arqueológicas e Históricas Parque Nacional Tikal LOS PUEBLOS MAYAS Patricia del Aguila Flores Guatemala, 2008 Derechos Reservados ® LOS PUEBLOS MAYAS Primera Edición, 2008 Patricia del Águila Flores Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes Dirección General del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural Departamento de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Arqueológicas e Históricas Hugo Fidel Sacor Q. Cuidado de la Edición Portada Vendedora de Artesanías Í N D I C E Introducción..........................................................................................7 El Pueblo Achí ..........................................................................................9 El Pueblo Akateco ...................................................................................13 El Pueblo Awakateko...............................................................................16 El Pueblo Chalchiteko ..............................................................................19 El Pueblo Chortí.....................................................................................22 El Pueblo Chuj ........................................................................................25 El Pueblo Itza ........................................................................................28 El Pueblo Ixil ..........................................................................................30 El Pueblo Kaqchikel .................................................................................35 El Pueblo Kiche .....................................................................................39 El Pueblo Mam........................................................................................44 El Pueblo Mopan.....................................................................................48 El Pueblo Poptí o Jakalteco .....................................................................51 El Pueblo Poqomchí................................................................................54 El Pueblo Poqomam ................................................................................57 El Pueblo Qanjobal ................................................................................59 El Pueblo Qeqchi ...................................................................................63 El Pueblo Sakapulteko .............................................................................66 El Pueblo Sipakapense ............................................................................70 El Pueblo Tetiteko ...................................................................................73 El Pueblo Tzutujil....................................................................................76 El Pueblo Uspanteko ...............................................................................81 Bibliografía .............................................................................................82 Mapas No. 1 Idiomas Mayas...............................................................................89 Cuadros No. 1 Tronco Protomaya*, Idiomas Mayas de Guatemala.............................8 ILUSTRACIONES Nos. 1 y 2 Tocados de la Región Achí .......................................................11 Nos. 3 y 4 Pareja Achí ..........................................................................12 Nos. 5 y 6 Pareja Akateca.......................................................................15 No. 7 Mujeres Awakatekas ...................................................................18 No. 8 Mujer Chalchiteka .......................................................................21 Nos. 9 y 10 Pareja Chorti .....................................................................24 Nos. 11 y 12 Traje de Hombre Chuj.........................................................27 Nos. 13 y 14 Traje de Mujer Chuj............................................................27 Nos. 15 y 16 Hombre y Mujeres Itzaes ...................................................30 No. 17 Mujer de Cotzal..........................................................................34 No. 18 Mujer de Nebaj ..........................................................................34 No. 19 Hombre Ixil ...............................................................................34 No. 20 Mujer de Chajul .........................................................................34 Nos. 21 y 22 Pareja con vestimenta Kaqchikel..........................................38 Nos. 23 y 24 Hombre y Mujer de Chichicastenango ..................................43 Nos. 25 y 26 Pareja de Todos Santos Cuchumatán ...................................47 Nos. 27 y 28 Niños Mopan .....................................................................50 Nos. 29 y 30 Niños Popti o Jakaltecos.....................................................53 Nos. 31 y 32 Pareja Poqomchi................................................................56 No. 33 Niña Poqomchi .........................................................................56 Nos. 34 y 35 Hombre y Mujer Poqomam..................................................59 No. 36 Pareja Qanjobal.......................................................................62 Nos. 37 y 38 Mujer y Niña Qeqchi..........................................................66 No. 39 Mujer de Sacapulas ...................................................................69 No. 40 Mujer Sipakapense....................................................................72 Nos. 41 y 42 Pareja Tetiteka...................................................................75 Nos. 43 y 44 Niña y Hombre Tzutujil.......................................................80 Nos. 45 y 46 Anciano y Señorita Uspantekos............................................83 LOS PUEBLOS MAYAS INTRODUCCIÓN Los primeros pobladores que habitaron estas tierras hace aproximadamente 1,800 a. C. nunca se imaginaron que todo el conocimiento astronómico, escultórico, epigráfico etc., fuera a trascender después de 3,000 años; ya que en la actualidad gente moderna reclama sus raíces de los antiguos mayas, y que a la fecha se han ido dividiendo en 22 ramas lingüísticas pero todos con un tronco común lingüístico que se identificó como Maya. Este trabajo hace un resumen de cada uno de los idiomas mayas declarados oficiales por el Congreso de la República de Guatemala, por medio del decreto 19- 2003 de fecha 7 de mayo del 2003, por lo que se hace una introducción del origen de cada uno de los pueblos mayas existentes; se localiza su capital histórica; se plasma una evolución de la época prehispánica y colonial, continuando con el grupo lingüístico de cada pueblo; la localización geográfico de los departamentos y municipios que hablan cada idioma, así como la población actual que lo habla, por último se desarrollo un sub tema titulado los Trajes y Símbolos de cada comunidad donde se describen los que aún se utilizan en la actualidad con sus respectivas fotografías. Se espera que el trabajo, sirva de referencia para la población en general y tener un resumen de cada uno de los 22 pueblos mayas que hoy por hoy están floreciendo más que nunca. 7 Mapa No. 1 Idiomas Mayas 8 El Pueblo ACHÍ El Origen del Pueblo Achí La comunidad Achí se llamó en tiempos antiguos rabinaleb; formó parte de los qeqchies del tronco lingüístico poqom. Según el Rabinal Achí, el mismo Rabinal Achí se casó con una princesa de Carchá. Cuando se asentaron en Tzamaneb ocuparon una unidad importante dentro de la agrupación kiche de la que después fueron independientes, ya que los rabinaleb tenían su deidad principal conocida como Tohil, de herencia tolteca (nahuatl). Su idioma particular era conocido como kiche-achí. Su Capital Histórica Poseían tierras propias que se encontraban dispersas en los alrededores de Tzamaneb, conquistada a los Poqom. Evolución en la Época Prehispánica y Colonial Los Rabinaleb integraban una unidad dentro de la confederación quiché. Tenían su propio dios (Tohil), sus propios antepasados fundadores y su propia lengua (el quiché-achí). Esta autonomía se hacía sentir frente a los otros señoríos: kiches, cakchiqueles (kaqchikeles), tzutujiles (tz'utujiles), así como frente a las etnias rivales pokomam (poqomam) y kekchí. Aproximadamente entre 1350 y 1400, los Rabinaleb, hasta entonces aislados en las tierras que rodeaban Tzamaneb, conquistaron, a expensas de los poqomchies, la región de Rabinal y se instalaron allí definitivamente. Durante el período hispánico Rabinaleb fue sede de Bartolomé de las Casas para la conquista de la Verapaz, más conocida como el valle de Urram. Don Gaspar, cacique de Rabinaleb, ayudó a Bartolomé de las Casas a la penetración de la tierra de guerra en 1537. 9 Se menciona al actual Cubulco como Santiago Cubulco, por haber sido puesto bajo la advocación del Apóstol Mayor. El idioma predominante es el Kiche Achí. Grupo Lingüístico Tronco: Proto-Maya: División: Maya Oriental; Rama: Kiche Mayor; Grupo: Kiche; Idioma: Achí. Localización Geográfica del Idioma En el Departamento de Baja Verapaz se habla el Achí en los municipios de: Cubulco, Rabinal, San Miguel Chicaj, Salamá, San Jerónimo y una parte de El Chol. En el Departamento de Alta Verapaz en una parte de los municipios de Chisec y Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. Población Actual: 105,992 habitantes (Censo del INE año 2002). Trajes y Símbolos La indumentaria del hombre Achí consiste en
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