PROPHECY OF CHILAM BALAM - TOZZER

Because of the importance of this Mayan prophecy, and in an effort to leave no stone unturned, I offer here other translations of this important document. My source is Alfred M. Tozzer, A MAYA GRAMMAR, with Bibliography and Appraisement of the Works Noted, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Peabody Museum, 1921. A transcript of his book may be obtained from http://www.archive.org/details/mayagrammar09tozzrich as well as other internet sources.

Tozzer offers descriptions of sixteen manuscripts of the Chilam Balam on page 182 to 191. He also offers three partial portions of the Mayan text on page 120. In Tozzer's words:

• The text is given of the Chumayel version (Chilam Balam de Chumayel, p. 105-107), the Tizimin version (Chilam Balam de Tizimin, Gates reproduction, p. 17, 18), and the Lizana version (Lizana, 1633; ed. 1893, p. 38-39). I have added a reading of the Maya text as interpreted by Martinez Hernandez. The variations in the four versions should be noted, not only in the spellings but in the words themselves. The Chumayel version has frequent interpolations by the author of the copy. The translation of Lizana which, in general, is that followed by Carrillo y Ancona and many others is given in English together with the Spanish text. I have attempted a new translation, following in the main the Martinez text. In a few cases a rendering of portions of the text into English by Martinez is given.

• It will be noted that there are several passages which still remain far from clear in spite of the different authors who have worked upon them. Lizana's translation, which is very good as a free rendering, does not follow the text at all closely in several places. He has left out many words and particles. This passage is given in order to illustrate some of the difficulties spoken of in the introduction to this section. It should be remembered that these Maya texts are transcribed into the system of writing Maya adopted in this work. The division into syllables is the work of the author.

Franciscan Friar Bernardo de Lizana (1581-1631), who wrote a Historia de Yucatan, had his work published in Valladolid, Spain in 1633. A devout Catholic, he was impressed by the visionary experiences of various Mayan beneficiaries and described these events in the pages of the Dictionary of Our Lady of Izamal and the Spiritual Conquest of Yucatán in 1623-24. Refer to my work on modern Marian Apparitions, http://www.world-destiny.org/tocmara.htm, or http://www.world-destiny.org/bbg/Marian Apparitions-PDF.aspx.

Juan Martinez Hernandez, a Mayan historian and scholar, lived and died in Merida, December 31, 1866 to March 14, 1959. Tozzer had much respect for the work of Martinez, as he was known to Mayan scholars. Martinez is famous for his contribution to the so-called GMT (Goodman-Martinez-Thompson) calendar correlation, which brought the Mayan calendar into correlation with European calendars. He also edited works by other Mayan scholars. In 1930 he published the Maya-Spanish portion of the massive Diccionario de Motul.

Tozzer shows Mayan script of the prophecy from Tizimin, Chumayel, Lizana, and Martinez. He shows English translation from himself, Lizana, and Martinez. The Mayan script text is very nearly the same for all four sources. Hence I have tried to coalesce these into one, with notes where they differ. I show the three separate translations reported by Tozzer, Lizana, and Martinez.

Tozzer produces confusion in his attempt to show the separation into syllables. His orthography differs greatly from that used by David Bolles and other recent authors. For example he uses tse instead of che, wil instead of uil, confusion of "k," "q," and "c," and so on. In fact, his notation of the Mayan script is so distorted I had to reconcile with more modern sources, which was not difficult, merely tedious.

I offer comment in a separate paper.