Existing comment:
Stela C (east and north sides):
The elaborate sculpture that appears on many monuments in the Plaza designed by the Great 8th century ruler K'ak'Tiliw contains portraits of him in ceremonial dress. An exception if the profile view of the patron god of the month Pax in which the stela was dedicated, depicted here on the north side of Stela C. The god is shown with toe down and heel up, dancing in sacred ceremony and holding in his hands the twisted cords of heaven, which connect mankind to the gods. These cords also represent the pathway in the sky through which the sun, moon, and planets travel. A canopy of heaven extends over his head. He stands on a stone platform with an inscription of a sacred date that mentions the Hero Twins of mythology, sons of the Maize God. The imagery that surrounds the god refers to the Maya belief in sacrifice, rebirth, and the regeneration of life.
The Creation Myth (east side):
When the ruler K'ak'Tiliw dedicated this stela in ritual ceremony on December 29, AD 775, he added a unique contribution to his ambitious building program. The hieroglyphic text on the east side of the stela contains the most extensive account of the Creation myth of the universe written during the Maya Classic Period.
The hieroglyphic text begins with the date for the Creation of this fourth cycle of time on August 13, 3114 BC using the Maya units for past calendar time expressed in five glyph blocks. It is followed by the month and day name for this date, 4 Ajaw 8 Kumk'u. On that day, Six Sky Lord commanded ancient gods to set up three stones to create the Cosmic Hearth, seen by the Maya as a triangle of stars in the constellation of Orion. The first was called the Jaguar Throne Stone, the second, the Serpent Throne Stone; and the third, the Water Throne Stone. Then Six Sky Lord raised up the lying-down sky to create the universe. |