To embody the characters of the drama, dancers wear masks of painted pine wood in the style of the European baroque, they wear costumes of velvet embroidered with sequins, mirrors, braids, and tin foil ornaments; they use ostrich plumes dyed in various colours; and they hold attributes appropriate to their status and function.
The two ethnic groups, Maya and Spanish, are distinguished by the costume they wear and the attributes they hold. Most Maya characters wear short pants, a shirt that is tied in back, and a long cape of two levels. They wear a tin crown with decorated velvet panels at front and back. They hold a “plato” in the left hand which resembles a shield but serves as a rattle.
Spanish characters may wear the same pants as the Maya characters, or plain long red or white pants, depending on the community. In San Cristóbal, they wear the short pants. They wear a military jacket with epaulletes on the shoulders. They wear a brass helmet or a pointed admiralty hat, and they carry a sword with the scabbord attached to their belt. They may also wear white gloves.
The Maya priest-diviners represent a third category with a red military garb and distinctive acessories.
For much of the action in the dance, different groups of characters occupy different parts of the dance area. The head of the dance area represents the royal palace of the Rey K’iche’ in his capital at Q’umarcaaj (also known as Utatlán). There he appears with his court, represented by two princes and two princesses, the latter called Malinches. At the right side is the palace of the royal heir, Tekum, in the secondary capital of Xelajuj Noj (Xela or Quetzaltenango). There he is joined by the Caciques, leaders of different Maya-K’iche’ communities. At the far end of the right side is the temple on the Santa María volcano used by the priest-diviner Ajitz and his son and apprentice, Ajitz Chiquito. These diviners do not spend much time in their temple but instead circulate freely throughout the centre of the dance area. On the left is the Spanish field camp occupied by the commander, Pedro de Alvarado, and his captains.
Four group diagram
Combining elements of costume, masks, and staging, the personages fall into four groups:
- The Rey K’iche’ (K’iche’ king) and his court in their palace at Q’umarcaaj
- The caciques led by Tekum in his palace at Xelajuj Noj
- The Maya priest-diviners in their temple on the volcano
- The Spaniards in their field camp
Continue reading for further information on the mask, costume, attributes and staging for each of these four groups.
1. The Royal Court at Q'umarcaaj
The Rey K’iche’ (K’iche’ king) resides in his palace at the head of the dance area, flanked by two young princes and two princesses, called Malinches, all of whom carry the royal sceptre. However, the Rey K’iche’ begins and ends the drama dancing with the blue-and-white Guatemalan flag which represents the sovereignty of the K’iche’ nation before the Spanish invasion.
The Rey K’iche’s mask is partially bald to show his advanced age, and his brow is furrowed with worry about the fate of his kingdom. His mask has light skin and golden hair, like those of the Spaniards, but with dark eyes like those of the caciques. The combination of Maya clothing and “European” masks underlines/expresses his transitional function, as the first to renounce Maya religion and adopt Christianity.
The princes are danced by boys. Their masks are likewise light-skinned and blond-haired, with a mustache that represents their gender, not their age. The princesses or Malinches are danced by girls wearing their finest hand-made clothing. (In some communities, they also wear a veil over their face.) The Malinches are the only persons in this dance who sing.
2. Tekum and the Caciiques at Xelajuj Noj
The caciques are K’iche’ leaders of high political authority and social rank who also serve as military officers in defending K’iche’ sovereignty. They are shown to be ethnically Maya by their dark skin, black hair and mustache, and brown eyes. The caciques carry an attribute that represents a bow a