Tierra Maya - Stela 1 Ixkun

Stela 1. Ixkun
(in Guatemala by the river Mopan)

In the Late Classic period of the Maya a king had to do more than inherit the throne to become a legitimate ruler. He also had to be a warrior who had proven himself in battle. In this relief these two warrior kings are commemorated for their capture of two very important people (at bottom). We know they are important for they are named in the glyphs adjacent to the figures. The highly ritualized warfare of the Classic Maya often had the capture of rival kings as its goal, such capture often ending the battle. For detailed translations of the glyph texts please read Linda Schele’s or Michael Coe’s groundbreaking books.