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During the 6th and 7th centuries inMesoamerica, there was an evident shift in the roleswomen played in ancientMaya society as compared with the previous two centuries. It was during this time that there was a great deal of political complexity seen both in Maya royal houses as well as in the Maya area. Warfare was a significant factor in political competition and marriage was one of the ways that alliances were made between the different polities. This was accompanied by a shift in women's roles from wife and mother to playing integral parts in courtly life, such as participating in rituals involving the supernatural world and at times ruling individual polities.
A handful of women are described and depicted on monuments taking on roles and titles that were usually reserved for men.[1] High-ranking titles that both men and women could hold includedAjaw andKaloomteʼ. The title ofAjaw was seen as "the most general title" that persons of nobility could have if they were born into the right social ranking; meanwhile, the titleKaloomte' has an unclear meaning but it is at the site ofTikal where the title is used as the highest rank.[2]
Among the high-ranking women in ancient Maya society during theClassic Period were several who rose to the position of ruler.Some ruled in their own right, asmonarch, due to the lack of a male heir. These women included:
Others ruled asregent until their sons were old enough to rule. These women included:
Unen Bahlam (fl. c. 317) was aqueen regnant of theMaya city-state ofTikal in circa 317. Although the sex of this ruler has been contested and is not fully confirmed, she is generally assumed to be female.[5]
"Lady of Tikal" assumed a leadership role at the age of six but did not rule on her own. She co-ruled with an individual namedKaloomteʼ Bahlam in 511-527.[6] The daughter ofChak Tok Ichʼaak II, Lady of Tikal was depicted on Stela 23, which was broken and later re-erected incomplete. Her relationship toBird Claw, who may have been her successor is unknown due to problems deciphering the text of Stela 8, but it is important to note that Bird Claw does not carry the Tikal emblem.[7]
Monuments that refer to the Lady of Tikal are: Stelae 6, 12, and 23.
LadyYohl Ikʼnal took the throne atPalenque in 583 whenKan Bahlam I, the 7th ruler, died and left no heir. The relationship between her and the previous king remains undetermined, though she appears to have been either his daughter or sister. She ruled for more than 20 years. She also carried full royal titles, an uncommon occurrence for women.[8] According to thesarcophagus ofKʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal, Yohl Ikʼnal was the mother of Lady Sak Kʼukʼ, making Lady Yohl Ikʼnal the grandmother of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal.[9]
Lady Yohl Ikʼnal appears on the side of the sarcophagus of Kʼinich Janaab Pakal.
Muwaan Mat (also known as LadySak Kʼukʼ or "Lady Beastie") ruled for a short time after the death ofAj Neʼ Yohl Mat in 612 beforeKʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal took the throne in 615.
It was probably Sak Kʼukʼ and her consortKʼan Moʼ Hix who held most of the power during the childhood of Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal.[10] There is an image of Lady Sak K'uk handing him what had been termed the "drum major" crown at his accession.[10]
| Lady Six Sky | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reign | 682 – 741 | ||||
| Predecessor | Kʼahk Skull Chan Chaak | ||||
| Successor | Kʼahk Tiliw Chan Chaak | ||||
| Born | Dos Pilas? | ||||
| Died | February 10 or 11, 741 | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Bajlaj Chan Kʼawiil of Dos Pilas | ||||
| Mother | Lady Buluʼ | ||||
Of the female monarchs, Lady Six Sky's reign was the most impressive. She was the daughter ofBajlaj Chan Kʼawiil ofDos Pilas and arrived atNaranjo in the position of ruling queen and established a "new dynasty."Lady Six Sky commissioned monuments that note she performed important calendric rituals, some shortly after her arrival.[11] Additionally, she is shown on monuments taking on the role of a warrior-king by standing over a trampled captive, an unusual representation for a woman. Naranjo Stela 24 is one such depiction.[12] Scholars suspect thatKʼahkʼ Tiliw Chan Chaak, the king who succeeded her, was the son of Lady Six Sky. He was born five years after her arrival at Naranjo.
Monuments that refer to Lady Six Sky are: Stelae 3, 18, 24, 29, and 31.She died on February 10 or 11, 741.
| Lady of Ikʼ Skull | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Ix Ajaw' | |||||
| Reign | as possible regent | ||||
| Predecessor | Itzamnaaj Bahlam III | ||||
| Successor | Bird Jaguar IV | ||||
| Born | September 1, 704 Calakmul | ||||
| Died | 751 | ||||
| Spouse | Itzamnaaj Bahlam III | ||||
| |||||
Lady Ikʼ Skull, also known asLady Eveningstar, came toYaxchilan fromCalakmul. She was a secondary wife toItzamnaaj Bahlam III (also referred to as Shield Jaguar II, Shield Jaguar the Great or Itzamnaaj Bʼalam II).[13] Although a secondary wife, Lady Ikʼ Skull may have ruled for a short time in Yaxchilan's history until her sonBird Jaguar IV was old enough to take the throne.[14] A review of the dynastic history ofYaxchilan during Itzamnaaj Bahlam III's reign indicates that he had three wives:Lady Kʼabʼal Xook (also written as Lady Xoc or Lady Xok), LadySak Bʼiyaan and Lady Ikʼ Skull ofCalakmul, with Lady Kʼabʼal Xook as the primary wife.[15] Upon the death of Itzamnaaj Bahlam, the right to the throne would traditionally have gone to his heir through the Lady Kʼabʼal Xook; however, this was not what happened, and nearly ten years after his death, his son Bird Jaguar IV by Lady Ikʼ Skull took the throne.[16]
There is a great deal of speculation as to why the son of a secondary wife took the throne and did so after the king had been dead for ten years. Current thinking is that the rightful heir through Lady Kʼabʼal Xook's lineage may have been her son, or perhaps a nephew or brother,[17] but that this individual was captured during a conflict withDos Pilas in 745.[18] Information regarding this "interregnum" period tends to be conflicting. In their second revised edition Martin and Grube note that atPiedras Negras there is mention of a new king atYaxchilan, Yopaat Bahlam II, who may have ruled for part or all of this period.[19] However, supporting evidence for this is unknown from Yaxchilan. On the other hand, Josserand notes that Lady Ikʼ Skull ruled as regent during this time and that it was not until her death thatBird Jaguar IV took the throne.[14]
A monument which refers to Lady Ikʼ Skull is stela 35.
Information regarding monuments in which the above individuals are noted was obtained from Martin and Grube 2008: 38, 74, 129, 160, and 161.
