ion. 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 more aggressive features, as noted by Matthew Krystal.