Tecun Uman

Lore & Background

The true existence of a historical Tecun Uman is a subject of ongoing debate. One piece of evidence that suggests he actually lived comes from a letter written by Alvarado to Hernán Cortés. However, the letter is quite sparing in details, with Alvarado only mentioning of the battle that ensued: 'in this affair one of the four chiefs of the city of Utatlán was killed, who was the captain general of all this country.' Alvarado did not provide a name for the K'iche' general; nor did he mention how or by whose hand the man was killed. Several other indigenous documents describe the arrival of Alvarado in what would become Guatemala, including the Título C'oyoi which describes the battle in terms similar to the modern legend. This document also contains the earliest known reference to the K'iche' leader, as Tecum Umam. The Popol Vuh confirms the observations of Bartolomé de las Casas and the Título de Totonicapán, which record that four lords ruled the K'iche' at the time of the Spanish conquest. The first-born son of the Keeper of the Mat (the most powerful of the lords) was expected to prove himself by leading the K'iche' army and was given the title 'nima rajpop achij', the same title given to Tecun Uman in the Título K'oyoi. This is all tied together by the genealogy of the K'iche' lords that is given near the end of the Popul Vuh and in a section of the Título de Totonicapán, which both refer to the son of the Keeper of the Mat as 'Tecum' at the time of Alvarado's arrival. It is believed that 'Tecun Uman' was more than likely not the ruler's name at all but may have functioned as a sort of title. The earliest recorded appearance of the name is in the Título C'oyoi in which he is referred to as 'nima rajpop achij adelantado Tecum umam rey k'iche' don k'iq'ab'.' Translated, this phrase means: 'great captain-general Tecum, grandson of the K'iche' king Don K'iqab'.' Therefore, the word 'uman' or 'umam' simply means 'grandson of' and is not part of Tecun's name at all. It has been suggested that 'umam' may have been a reference to his genealogy, or the name may have originally been derived from another title given to the hero, q'uq'umam, meaning 'ancient one of quetzal feathers', or it might have come from the indigenous name for a prominent local volcano: 'Teyocuman.'

Reader's Guide

Tecun Uman's significance lies in his role as a symbol of K'iche' resistance against Spanish conquest and as Guatemala's national hero, officially recognized on 22 March 1960. His story, though clouded by legend and historical uncertainty, embodies the clash between indigenous Mesoamerican civilizations and European invaders. The annual commemoration on 20 February keeps his memory alive, while the Baile de la Conquista—a traditional dance borrowing its structure from the Spanish Baile de los Moros—centers on his confrontation with Alvarado, using it to represent the larger conflict of the conquest. The dance reenacts the invasion led by Alvarado and the conquest of Guatemala. To fit the traditions of the Baile de los Moros, the role of the Moorish prince is replaced with that of Tecun Uman. It has therefore been suggested that the structure of the dance forced them to create a leader for the native armies, with Tecun Uman created specifically for that purpose. This theory is generally given little credence, in light of the observation that such documents as the Título K'oyoi appeared long before the first performances of the Baile de la Conquista. The legends relate that Tecun Uman entered battle adorned with precious quetzal feathers, and that his nahual (animal spirit guide), also a quetzal bird, accompanied him during the battle. In the midst of the battle, Alvarado and Tecun Uman met face to face, each with weapon in hand. Alvarado was clad in armor and mounted on his warhorse. As horses were not native to the Americas and the peoples of Mesoamerica had no beasts of burden of their own, Tecun Uman assumed they were one being and killed Alvarado's horse. Another version says he merely attacked the horse in an attempt to knock Alvarado down, having no prior illusion that man and animal were one and the same. Tecun Uman quickly realized his error and turned for a second attack but Alvarado thrust his spear into his opponent's heart. The K'iche' prince's nahual, filled with grief, landed on the fallen hero's chest, staining its breast feathers red with blood, and thereafter died. From that day on, all male quetzals bear a scarlet breast and their song has not been heard since. Further, if one is to be placed in captivity, it would die, making the quetzal a symbol of liberty.

Did You Know?

• Tecun Uman was officially declared Guatemala's national hero on 22 March 1960.
• The earliest known reference to the K'iche' leader is as 'Tecum Umam' in the Título C'oyoi.
• The word 'uman' or 'umam' simply means 'grandson of' in K'iche' and is not part of Tecun's name at all.
• Local folklore from the area around the former K'iche' capital of Q'umarkaj preserves the belief that he was buried at the small archaeological site of Atalaya, 600 metres from Q'umarkaj itself.
• A different version of the legend states Tecun Uman was slain by one of Alvarado's subordinates, a soldier known by the name of Argueta.