How Our Mother Beloved Maiden was Saved from an Untimely Death:  A christianized version of the Xkik’ tale of the Popol Wuj

Tz’onoj or Petitioning

The FAMSI grant was for the transcription, translation and commentary on the Beloved Maiden text. Still, it is instructive to know a little about the occasion in which the text is recited. As said, the Beloved Maiden text is narrated by a Maya priest during a wedding ceremony called Tz’onoj, meaning "Petitioning". What is petitioned, is the hand of the girl by the family of the boy. Traditional hand petitioning is rapidly losing ground in the town of Rab’inal itself. It is generally only practiced in the more remote hamlets. I was able to participate in a Tz’onoj ceremony.

The Tz’onoj is the residue of what in pre-Columbian times must have been the official Maya wedding ceremony. Roughly until the fifties of the last century weddings were still arranged. Parents determined when a boy was ready to marry and selected a suitable partner for him. When they found one, they contacted a Maya priest (in Rab’inal called tiniente or abogado) and with him, they began a series of seven visits with the girl’s parents. The visits were meant to get to know each other, and for the parents of the boy to honor their future relatives with presents. On the last visit they set the date for the Tz’onoj.

The Tz’onoj, or Petitioning, takes place at the house of the girl. Both parties are represented by a Maya priest and his assistant, who are present with their wives. On the very day of the Tz’onoj the priest who represents the boy, pays three visits to the house of the girl. The first blessing is at six in the morning, when he performs a blessing at the entrance of the courtyard (tzam ja or tzam aq’es, "at the exit of the house", "at the edge of the weeds/bushes"). The second takes place at noon, in the middle of the courtyard (unik’ajal uwaja). The third is planned at six in the evening; this is when the entire family accompanies the priest. The priest first carries out the third blessing just before the door, under the drainage (ub’e tz’uj). Then the party moves to the door where they are awaited by the other party who sits inside (Figure 1). There are benches both inside and outside because the ritual prayers of both parties last three to four hours. It is only after these prayers are finished, that the party of the boy is allowed to enter the house (Figure 2). This prayer is called Lajuj Tz’ij, "Ten Words", (after the Ten Commandments) and mentions the entire pantheon, geography and administrative distribution of Rab’inal, and all its deceased ancestors. The priest of the girl’s party recites the same prayer, but in his own words and interpretation.

Inside is an altar where the entering party pays its homage. Once entered, each party sits down on either side of the altar. They seem to follow the pattern practiced in church during holidays where the images of the male saints stand on the left and the female saints on the right (as seen when looking towards the altar) (Figure 3, Figure 4 & Figure 5). Here too, the party of the boy sits on the left, and that of the girl on the right. When they have taken their seats, the priest of the boy’s party begins his version of the Beloved Maiden text (Figure 6). On average, it lasts an hour and a half. He recites the text in a chanting way as catholic priests used to do. The other priest who sits opposite of him answers him occasionally, on the narrator’s utterance keje k’u compadre?, "is it not like that, compadre?". Later, the priest of the girl’s party recounts his version of the Beloved Maiden text (Figure 7). It all depends on the performance skills of the narrator, as to how interested people are in listening to him. But even the greatest performer will not be able to keep the attention of an audience after hours of prayers, alcohol and sleepy cosiness. Like in many rituals, the importance is that the prayers are completed. All kinds of activities go on while the priest is chanting. People walk in and out, they chat with each other, liquor and cigarettes are imparted, if the priest has to go to bathroom his place is taken by his assistant etc.

After each account of the Beloved Maiden text, there is a very specific action which, in my opinion, epitomizes the very meaning of the Tz’onoj ceremony. The action is called empás, difficult to deduce, but is probably derived from Spanish dance terminology. Both parties rise from their benches and pray in front of the altar. They then sink on their knees forming two half circles that move alongside each other (Figure 8). After the first Beloved Maiden text, the party of the boy, headed by the priest, moves along the inside, and the party of the girl along the outside. After the reciting by the priest of the girl’s party, positions are reversed. While on their knees both priests hold each other and bow, saying a little salute. In these words they formally acknowledge that, now their son and daughter are to be married, they will become family and are bound to greet each other accordingly in public places. Then the priests move to the second in line and do the same. Each one gets to meet one another, accepting them as family. If there is one thing that is clear about the Tz’onoj as a whole, and here we must include all earlier visits, it is that the ceremony is much more about the joining of two formerly entirely different social groups, than about the uniting of a boy and a girl. The bride and groom are hardly present during the rituals, only at the end do they play a central role. The empás is like a choreographic expression of the integration of two social groups.

After sweet bread and coffee we see the wedding couple for the first time, some six to seven hours after the boy’s party has arrived. They do walk in occasionally, but do not take part in the ceremony, rather they socialize with their peers outside. This time, they kneel in front of the altar and are blessed with incense by both priests (Figure 9 & Figure 10). First the boy is presented by his priest to the party of the girl, starting with their priest, assistant, father, other compadres, and then to all the females: the wives of the priest, assistant, father (that is, the mother of the girl) etc. (Figure 11). Everyone blesses him by laying a hand on his head while the priest utters his ritual words. Next, the girl is presented by the priest of the boy to her own family. Then the action is reversed; this time the priest of the girl has the lead and presents the boy to his own family (Figure 12). After him, the girl is introduced to her new family.

When this is finished, bride and groom are put in front of the altar anew and tested about their knowledge of catholic prayers. After all, they are asked to reproduce these texts by the catholic priest when they are officially prepared for the wedding in the church (información). Advice may be given as to study a little more on one or two of the prayers. Next, the wives of the party of the girl (comadres) formally accept her wedding clothes brought by the party of the boy (Figure 13). Finally there is a last communal prayer in front of the altar. As the party of the boy leaves, they do a last prayer outside the door (Figure 14).

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