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Tekum was the heir to the K’iche’ throne and, following K’iche’ tradition, was also the captain general of the K’iche’ army. Tekum carries the royal sceptre until he receives the flag from the Rey K’iche’ as a sign of his military authority. In the late 17th century, the Guatemalan historian Fuentes y Guzmán decided to give him a surname in the Spanish fashion. Since then he has been known as Tekum Umam.
Tekum’s mask is noted for its fierce expression as well as the two carved quetzal birds. Tekum also wears a stuffed quetzal effigy on his crown, with the tail hanging down his back. This association of Tekum with the quetzal bird has developed gradually: originally his animal counterpart was the eagle. By the 1870s, it was believed that the quetzal is represented the struggle for liberty, as it cannot survive in captivity. Tekum was understood at this time to be a patriot who fought and died for the freedom of his fatherland.
Huitzitzil Zunun is Tekum’s second-in-command. His emblem (and name) is the hummingbird, which appears as an emblem on his headband. The hummingbird is associated with the sun, so he has an aureole of feathers surrounding his face. At times Huitzitzil Tzunun carries the bladed club called macana or macahuitl.
3. Ajitz and Ajitz Chiquito: The Priest-Diviners
Ajitz and Chiquito serve Tekum as his priest-diviners, so they carry a morral or shoulder bag for divination equipment. In Ajitz’s morral he carries the vara, a small bag with red beans and rock crystal used for divination. He also carries a small idol of the storm deity Tohil, the main K’iche’ deity, and he carries a chain that he will use to bind the Spanish emissaries. Ajitz and Chiquito also carry an axe, representing lightning as an attribute of Tohil.
The character of Chiquito does not appear in the original text for the dance. Furthermore, the character of Ajitz is written in part as a clown and a coward: both aspects that Maya performers over the centuries have altered greatly. But the clown role has led to another function. The clown character of Spanish plays, the gracejo, has the ability to interact with the audience, and Ajitz uses this ability as a means of controlling the crowd. He thus acts as a kind of policeman, and appropriately wears a military costume (jacket with epaulettes and shako hat) rather than the cape worn by the members of the court and the caciques.
The mask and costume of Ajitz and Chiquito are red. Though the original author, a franciscan missionary, may have intended this to represent the devil, the Maya-K’iche’ recognize the red colour and priestly function as identifying K’aq K’oxol, a powerful entity who inhabits the mountains around the valley of Los Altos.
The dance step used by Ajitz and Chiquito is different from that of other characters. The form appears to arise from a mention in the text that he jumps and prances like a goat, referring to the European concept of the devil who has the horns, tail and hooves of a goat. (In the text, the Spanish emissaries threaten to cut off his tail).
4. Pedro de Alvarado and the Spanish Captains
The Spanish officers are led by Pedro de Alvarado. Following him the two most important officers, who will also serve as emissaries to Tekum’s court, are Carrillo and Cardona. Next is Portocarrero who was named to carry the standard, a lance with the Spanish Flag. The last member of the Spanish force is Don Quirijol who has the part of a gracejo or buffoon. In the text of the dance, he is lower class, cowardly, randy, and a glutton.
As noted above, the Spaniards are distinguished by military uniform and helmet or naval hat, and all carry a sword with scabbard except Portocarrero. Although of the Spanish invaders, only Alvarado is known to have been blond haired, all of the Spanish characters in the dance have masks of light skin and blue eyes with blond hair, mustache, and beard, emphasizing a racial distinction from the Maya. The masks of the different Spaniards are not distinguished, except that in some cases Alvarado, like Tekum, may have a fiercer expression and mo