Photo by Edward H. Thompson 



OVER THESE A FLYING BUTTRESS WAS THROWN AS STAIRWAY TO THE NEWER STRUC- 

 TURE above (see page 597) 



descendant of the last king of Mayapan. 

 was taken, baptized, and educated by 

 Monte jo, the conqueror of Yucatan and 

 its first governor. 



THE ANCIENT MAYAS HAD THEIR BARDS 

 AND STORY-TELLERS 



The ancient Mayas, like most other 

 races, had their bards and story-tellers, 

 who interwove into their songs and tales 

 the history of their people. 



Thus, I repeat, it is not strange if 

 some educated native filled, like the 

 gifted Tescucan Ixtlilxochitl, prince and 

 writer, with the desire to perpetuate the 

 fading history of his people, had recourse 

 to the device of writing out, as his mem- 

 ory served, their early wanderings and 

 ancient history, and then, with native sub- 

 tlety, to hide the documents under those 



longest filed away and in archives likely 

 to be safe and undisturbed until times 

 far later. 



There is a legend of Chichen Itza that 

 has seemingly more of the material of 

 true history in its making than legends 

 are usually thought to have. At all 

 events, it is genuinely romantic and 

 worth repeating. 



THE LEGEND OE CANEK 



Canek, the impetuous young ruler of 

 Chichen Itza, was deeply in love with a 

 beautiful maiden, daughter of the ruler 

 of a distant province. No longer were 

 his thoughts on the coming hunt of the 

 jaguar; the wild boar passed grunting 

 and unharmed, even unnoticed, as the 

 young ruler sat musing on a fallen log. 

 A fawn, chased by the hunters, became 



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