[Aztlan] lak'

[Hoopes, John W]

New Age writer Aluna Joy Yaxkin claims: 

"In Mayan tradition, there is a greeting that many people working with
Mayan wisdom know of. It is the law of In Lak'ech Ala K'in, which means
I am another yourself (A modern day interpretation). It also means I am
you, and you are me (A traditional Mayan interpretation). We have come
to understand that this Mayan greeting is an honoring for each other. It
is a statement of unity and oneness. In Lak'ech Ala K'in mirrors the
same sediment of other beautiful greetings such as Namaste for East
India, Wiracocha for the Inca, and Mitakuye Oyasin for the Lakota. It
doesn't matter which culture you come from. But when one of these sacred
greetings is given, there is always an action of placing the hands over
the heart."
http://spiritlibrary.com/center-of-the-sun/in-lakech-ala-kin-the-living-
code-of-the-heart

What I'm curious to know is whether this interpretation has a basis in
traditional usage or whether it's a modern invention.

The New Age usage sounds a lot like the first line of the Beatles' song
"I Am the Walrus" (1967).  Coincidence?

John Hoopes

-----Original Message-----
From: aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org
[mailto:aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org] On Behalf Of Nick Hopkins
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 1:39 PM
To: randa at armory.com; Aztlan
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] lak'


Randa is right to question my restricted gloss of lak' as (only)
"companion." Let me defend (and then abandon) that position.  Again with
reference to the Cordemex (Barrera V. et al. 1980:436), there are two
entries for lak'.  The first set gives "companion" as the first
definition in sources from the late 16th to the 18th centuries, with a
lot of sample phrases referring to spouses, concubines, brothers, and
neighbors.  In 20th century entries, the terms "friend" and "colleague"
are added to the meanings.  The second entry for lak' defines it as
"otro, el otro de los dos, el otro que falta (other, the other of two,
the other one that is lacking)."  Again, this usage is cited for sources
from the 16th-18th centuries, but there is only one sample usage.  So, I
would say that the primary meaning of lak' is "companion" (in its
various senses), and "other" is secondary.  That said, one of the facts
of life is that "words mean what they are used to mean."  If speakers of
the lang!
 uage choose to emphasize the secondary meaning, it becomes the primary
meaning.  So I am perfectly happy to accept that this expression can be
taken in its most romantic sense, in lak'ech,  "you are my other, the
other of two, the one that is lacking (for completion)."  
Thanks, Randa, for keeping us honest, as usual.Nick

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