Pauahtun image,
believed to have fallen from cornice of Temple 11
===> See text at bottom of page <===
The Pauahtun are explained in several sources such as Coe (1966),
Hunter (1986), and Schele & Freidel (1990).
With counterparts in
Greek and Roman mythology, the Pauahtun or
God N stand at the four corners of Xibalba and hold up the earth.
Schele & Freidel (p. 414) describe them as "aged in feature with
snaggleteeth, small human eyes, and a wrinkled visage.
They often wear headbands in combination with cauac or 'stone'
markings on their
bodies as spellings of their name, paua ('net') plus tun ('stone')."
The Pauahtun and God N also are gods of the four directions, and for
unknown reasons have been depicted (e.g., on funerary ceramics) as
receiving enemas at the hands of beautiful young consorts. They
are considered the patron gods of the
scribe-historians, and are personified by the number five (Coe, 1966;
Schele & Freidel, 1990).
Temple 11 was constructed during Yax-Pac's reign (763-820), and was
dedicated
in 773. Schele and Freidel
describe it as 'the greatest work of Yax-Pac's life' with a sky-roof
held aloft by the four Pauahtunob at the corners of the world (pp. 325-328).
If you have comments or think this
information is wrong, send me an email by clicking here:
janthony
Coe MD. The maya. New York: Thames & Hudson, Inc. 1966.
Hunter CB. A guide to ancient maya ruins. Second edition. Norman,
Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press. 1986.
Schele L & Freidel D. A forest of kinds: The untold story of the
ancient maya. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc. 1990.
Credit: Copyright © Aug 1996, J. Anthony, All rights reserved.
