1881.] b— O [Brinton. 



vation is not at once apparent. Can it have reference to tlie seed covered 

 by the soil, the chiki buried in the womb, the egg hidden in tlie nest, etc., 

 and tlius typify one of the principles or phases of reproduction ? For there 

 is no doubt, but that it is in the category of divinities presiding over re- 

 production this deity belongs. 



Both names may be interpreted w^ith appropriateness to the sphere and 

 functions of their supposed powers, from radicals common to the Maya 

 and Kiche dialects. Xmucane may be composed of the feminine prefix x 

 (the same in sound and meaning as the English pronominal adjective she 

 in such terms as s7ie hear, she cat) : and mukaiiil, vigor, force, power, 

 (fortalcQi, fuerza, poder, Brasseur, Vocahulaire Maya, Francuis ct Espanol, 

 on the authority of Ruz and Beltran). 



Xpiyacoc is not so easy of solution, but I believe it to be a derivative 

 from the root xib, the male, whence xipbil, masculinity, and especially the 

 membrum mrile (Pio Perez, Diccionario Maya) ; and oc or ococ, to enter, to 

 accouple in the act of generation (entrar, juntarse el macho con la hem- 

 bra, Brasseur, Vocahulaire Maya, s. v. oc).* 



We can readily see with these meanings hidden in them, the subtler 

 sense of which the natives had probably lost, that they would be difficult 

 of satisfactory explanation to the missionaries, and that they Avould be 

 left by them as proper names of undetermined origin. 



The second fragment of Kiche mythology which I shall analyze is one 

 that relates to the gods of the storm. These are introduced as the three 

 manifestations of Qux-cha, the Soul of the Sky, and collectively "their, 

 name is Hurakan : ' ' 



" Cakullia Hurakan is tlie first ; Cliipi-cakullia is tlie Fecond ; 

 " the third is Raxa-cakulha ; and these three are the Soul of 



"theSkj"(p. 8). 



Elsewhere we read : 



"Speak therefore our name, honor jowr mother, 3-our 

 " father ; call ye upon Hurakan, Ohipi-cakulha, Eaxa-cakulha, 

 " Soul of the Earth, Soul of the Sky, Creator, Maker, Her who 

 "brings forth, Him who begets; speak, call upon us, salute 

 " us." (p. 14). 



Cakulha (Cakchiquel, cokolahay) is the ordinary- word for the lightning ; 



*This Vocabulary collected by the Abb6 Brasseur (de Bourbuurg) was pub- 

 lished in the second volume of the reports of the Afisvio/i Scleitifique an Mejciqvre 

 cl dans I'Aiii&iique Ceiilralc, Paris. 1870. I regret to say that like all of his linguis- 

 tic work, it must be followed with great caution. He has inserted in it many 

 words and forms which are not Maya at all, and Ihe derivations he gives and 

 suggests are generally the merest guesses, based on the slenderest analogies of 

 sound. In fact, a careful student of the tongue should not accept any Maya 

 word on the sole authority of Brasseur's work. 



