When the time was near for the rising of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, once again the Creators and Shapers came together, now with great decision. They spoke them, Alom, K’ajolom, Tz’aqol, Bitol, Tepew, Q’ukumatz. It is time, they said, dawn approaches, let the work be finished, let the faithful appear, for the sons and daughters born in the light, humanity, people across the face of the Earth.
The Creators and Shapers came together in council, sought, and debated, reflected and meditated, until the idea came clear and diaphanous. They knew what was needed to make the human flesh.
The sun was soon to rise, the moon, the stars above, Tz’aqol, Bitol. Four animals brought the yellow ears and the white ears of corn from the place called Paxil; these four were the fox, the coyote, the parrot and the crow, and they led the Creators and Shapers back to that lovely, wonderful place. The Creators and Shapers were overjoyed to find this fragrant place of abundance flowing with yellow and white ears of corn, white and dark cacao, sapodillas, annonas, mombins, nances, sleep-sapotes, and honey.
So the yellow ears and the white ears of corn were ground together by Ixmukane the Grandmother of the Dawn and the Dusk, ground nine times to a paste, and then together with the water from the paste they shaped the arms and legs, the strength of humans; and they set the word upon them, their creation, and sent them out into the world.
The first four humans created were men. Their names, Balam Ki’tze’, Balam Aq’ab, Majuk’utaj, and Ik’i Balam. They were not begotten by men nor conceived by women, only molded, formed by the Creators and the Shapers. When the work was done, the humans appeared: they spoke, and saw, and heard; they walked and they touched things. They were very good people, and their manly faces were beautiful. They could breathe and they could see, they could suddenly see so far as to take in all that was under Heaven. When they looked, they saw instantly the vault of the Heavens and the face of the Earth.
Nothing obstructed their view, and they did not need to move in order to see things, they could see all from where they stood. And great was their knowledge; they saw through the trees, the stones, the lakes, the sea, the mountains, the valleys. They were, indeed, truly gifted. And the Creators and the Shapers asked them: What do you feel? do you not see? do you not hear? is your speech not good, and your way of walking? Are the mountains not clear, that you see, and the valleys? Look again!
So they looked again, the four men, and then they said: Truly, twice and three times we thank you! because we have been created and we have been given our mouths and our faces. We speak, we hear, we meditate, we move. We feel very good, we have seen what is far and what is near; we have seen what is great and what is small, under Heaven and on the Earth. Thanks to you, we have been created, we have been built, we have been shaped, we have come to be: you, our Grandmother, you, our Grandfather.
They quickly knew all there was, they saw the four corners and the four sides; the vault of Heaven, the face of the Earth.
But this did not sit well with the Creators and the Shapers. This is not right, what our creatures, our creations have said: we understand all, what is great and what is small. This they have said.
And the Creators and Shapers went again into council, and debated what to do with their creation, so powerful they could themselves be gods. Before they multiply and become many, we will limit their vision, so they see only a little of the face of the Earth. Let the seating be done and the dawn.
Instantly the nature of their creation was changed, the far vision of the first four men was fogged over by Uk’u’x Kaj as a breath upon a mirror, and they could see clearly only what was close by. And so all their wisdom was lost, their knowledge, and this was the beginning, the origin, the creation of our first fathers.
And then the gods made in their thoughts the wives of the four men, and these women came to their husbands as in a dream. Kaqa Palo Ja’ was the wife of Balam Ki’tze’, Chomi Ja’ was the wife of Balam Aq’ab, Tz’ununi Ja’ was the wife of Majuk’utaj, and Kak’ixa Ja’ was the wife of Iq’i Balam. They were very beautiful, and their husbands’ hearts were happy because of them. Thus the first men and women, together, awakened truly to life, and became mothers and fathers of all the k’iche’ people, great and small.
