1881.] • 0-* [Brinton. 



was tlie one who often appeared to the Indian in his "medicine dreams." 

 This was apparently, from the expression of Fatlier Goto, also the opinion 

 of the Guatemalan tribes, and to this mythical giant specimen of the race 

 they applied the term 7iM-?'«^^«-?"<:<A;a?i, "the one exceeding great in size." 

 This idea of strength and might is of course very appropriate to the deity 

 Avho presides over the appalling forces of the tropical thunder storm, who 

 flashes the lightning and hurls the thunderbolt. 



It is also germane to the conceiDtion of the earthquake god. The first 

 syllable, cub, means twice or two or second ; and apparently has reference 

 to hun, one or first, in huralMn. As the thunderstorm was the most 

 terrifying display of power, so next in order came the earthquake. Were 



it allowable to alter the initial c into the guttural , giving us ^ ab rakan, 

 then the name Avould mean "the mighty hand." 



The name CMrakan as applied to Xmucane may have many meanings ; 

 cM in all these dialects means primarily mouth ; but it has a vast number 

 of secondary meanings, as in all languages. Thus, according to Goto, it 

 is currently used to designate the mouth of a jar, the crater of a volcano, 

 the eye of a needle, the door of a house, a window, a gate to a field, in 

 fact, almost any opening whatever. I suspect that as here used as part of 

 the name of the mythical mother of the race and the representation of the 

 female principle, it is to be vmderstood as referring to the vaginal cleft, the 

 ostmrn vagince, from Avhich, as from an immeasurable vagina gentium, all 

 animate life was believed to have drawn its existence. 



The same syllable occurs as a prefix in another female name, Chimcdmat, 

 the mother of Gabrakan (p. 34). This name maj^ with an effort, be 

 derived from Gakchiquel roots, but as it is absolutely identical with one 

 of a goddess well known in Aztec mythology, I shall consider it later. 

 Suffice it to say here that the verb malmot, according to Varea, means to 

 enter suddenly', to appear unexpectedly. 



If the derivation of Hurakau here presented is correct, we can hardly 

 refuse to explain the word as it occurs elsewhere with the same meaning 

 as an evidence of the early influence of the Maya race on other tribes. It 

 Avould appear to have been through the Caribs that it was carried to the 

 "West India islands where it was first heard of by the European naviga- 

 tors. Thus the JDictionaire Galibi (Paris, 1743) gives for "diable," iroucan, 

 jeroucan, hyorokan, precisely as Goto gives the Gakchiquel equivalent of 

 "diablo " as Imrakan. This god was said by the Caribs to have torn the 

 islands of the West Indian archipelago from the mainland and to have 

 heaped up the sand hills and blufts along the shores.* As an associate or 

 "captain" of the hurricane, they spoke of a huge bird who makes the 

 winds, by name Savacon, in the middle syllable of which it is possible we 

 may recognize the bird vaku, which, as we shall shortlj'^ see, the Kiches 

 spoke of as the messenger of Hurakan. 



* De la Borde, Relation de Vorigine, etc., des Caraibes, p. 7. (Paris, 167J). 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XIX. 109. 4a. PRINTED DEC. 29. 1881. 



