A Comparative Analysis of Ch’orti’ Verbal Art and the Poetic Discourse Structures of Maya Hieroglyphic Writing

Chiasmus

Christenson’s (1988) landmark article on chiasmus in Mesoamerican poetic texts showed how often large portions of oral texts were constructed in complex chiastic forms. Ch’orti’ poetic tradition does make use of chiasmus, albeit on a limited scale. The majority are no longer than the following excerpt from text from a curing rite:

Ajtamu de Estumeka
   Ajtamu Sendeyu’t
     Ajsokyan de Estumeka
       Ajsokoyan Sendeyu’t
         Ajgranillo de Estumeka
           Ajgranillo de Sendeyu’t
       Ajsokolyan de Estumeka
     Ajsokolyan de Sendeyu’t
   Ajtamu de Estumeka
Ajtamu de Sendeyu’t

This segment of the prayer shows the common ABCDD’C’B’A’ pattern of chiastic structures. The chiasm is comprised of five couplets whose order is reversed as the chiasmus declines. Within this chiasm several other poetic devices are likewise in use. For example, assonance is found in the opening syllable of each line. The axis of the chiasm focuses on the granillo or lumps that appeared on the body of the afflicted person. Their position at the center of the chiasm serves to emphasize this aspect of the illness in the healers prayer (as is the case for nearly all chiastic structures in Ch’orti’ that I have noted). Estumeka is a reference to "this world" (but it can also be used as the name of a sacred place, like an altar, where incense is burned). The term ajsokolyan means "Shaker" and refers to the shaking and chills that this evil spirit is bringing to the person. Sendeyu’t is the name of a kind of eye disease.

In this second example of chiasmus the central focus of the construction is the location of the afflicting spirit — the eaves of the house. This is also emphasized by repeating the pivotal phrase twice verbatim at the axis of the chiasm.

uyatravesir uyok
  uyatravesir uk’ab’
         uxek’onir yer uyatravesir uyok
             uxek’onir yer uyatravesir uk’ab’
                     ya’syob’ tama e gotera
                     ya’syob’ tama e gotera
             uxek’onir yer uyatravesir uyok
         uxek’onir yer uyatravesir uk’ab’
  uyatravesir uyok
takar uyatravesir uk’ab’

the inhibiting force of their legs
   the inhibiting force of their hands
           the stabbing pains of the inhibiting force of their legs
             the stabbing pains of the inhibiting force of their hands
                 there they play in the eaves
                 there they play in the eaves
             the stabbing pains of the inhibiting force of their legs
          the stabbing pains of the inhibiting force of their hands
    the inhibiting pains of their legs
with the inhibiting pains of their hands

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