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According to Landa (1928:192), prophecy played an important part in the lives of the Maya and occupied a prominent position in their literature. The Maya prophet was without honor in his own country. Foretelling the future was the profession of a special branch of the priesthood, the members of which were called chilans. The word means mouthpiece, spokesperson or interpreter, and it was the chilans, who delivered to the people the responses of the gods. They were held in such high esteem that they were carried on men’s shoulders when they went abroad. Strictly talking, Maya prophecies fall into four categories: day-prophecies, year-prophecies, katun-prophecies and special prophecies of the return of Quetzalcoatl, or Kukulcan (as he was referred to the Maya). However, it has been termed that the day-prophecy is more likely to be properly a prognostic, perhaps the business of the ah-kinyah, or diviner, rather than that of the chilan. Definitely, one of the 260 days of the tzolkin (tonalamatl) seems to be specified as being lucky or unlucky, and mostly they are likely to be followed by further prognostications advising whether this day is fitting for certain undertakings, lucky for professions and trades, even auspicious for sowing certain crops. Although these almanacs are perhaps the most constant feature of the various Books of Chilam Balam, no series of this sort occurs in the Chumayel.

Now let me talk about prophecies at great length. However, the predictions fall certainly in the field of genuine prophecy. Two versions of the series of prophecies for the twenty years of a certain Katun 5 Ahau have come down to us in the books of Tizimin and Mani. It is known that the minor Hebrew prophets found that a surprisingly large proportion of the predictions appeared to be unfavorable. Drought, famine, pestilence are freely foretold, to say nothing of war, political upheavals, the sacking of towns and the captivity of the inhabitants. Definitely, many misfortunes are associated with the name of the deity that brought them, and there are valuable references to religious ceremonies. From the big variety of prophecies, those of the Katun’s possess the greatest historical interest. The Maya commentator tells us that they are essentially historical in character (Chumayel: pg 78). It must to be mentioned that a Katun of the same name recurred after approximately 256 years. Therefore, at the end of that time history, it was expected to repeat itself. The prophecies in the Chilam Balam Book are well explained by Avendaño’s: These are painted on both sides with a variety of figures and characters, which shows not only the count of the said days, months and years, but also the ages and prophecies which their idols and images announced to them, or the devil by means of the worship, which they pay to him in the form of some stones. These ages are thirteen in number; each age has its separate idol and its priest, with a separate prophecy of its events. These thirteen ages are divided into thirteen parts, which divide this kingdom of Yucathan and each age, with its idol, priest and prophecy, rules in one of these thirteen parts of this land, according as they have divided it (Landa, 1928: pg 192).
You can find two different series of katun-prophecies in the Chilam Balam Books (Katun 11 Ahau, Katun 13 Ahau). This period of thirteen katuns is the least common denominator of the 260-day tzol-kin and the katun that consists of 7200 days. Katun 11 Ahau is set upon the mat, set upon the throne, when their ruler is set up. It is said that the heavenly fan, the heavenly wreath and the heavenly bouquet shall descend. The drum and rattle of the lord of 11 Ahau shall resound, when flint knives are set into his mantle. They shall find their food among the trees; they shall find their food among the rocks, those who have lost their “usual” food in katun 11 Ahau. Next Christianity also began. It was found that a seventh prophecy, also ascribed to Chilam Balam, is thoroughly pagan in character, but confines its statements to predicting misfortunes of a general character in Katun 13 Ahau (Chumayel p. 64; Tizimin p. 14; Mani p. 109 of B.L.C. No. 43.). Only in an eighth prophecy, ascribed to Ah Xupan Nauat, do we find a statement obviously inspired by the event itself. Chilam Balam predicted in Katun 2 Ahau that in the Katun 13 Ahau following, bearded men would come from the east and introduce a new religion. He had in mind the return of Quetzalcoatl and his white-robed priests, shortly after the Spaniards landed in Yucatan in Katun 13 Ahau. Chilam Balam never ceased to be regarded as the most known of the Maya prophets, anyway.
It is definitely clear that Maya’s prophecies played an important role in the life of humanity. In the Katun 11 Ahau, the ruler will know everything in the prophecy including how to explain these things when he read what was there. When he saw it, then he would explain the adjustment of the intricacy of the katun by their priest, Ah Kin Xuluc. When Christianity was introduced as the true religion, with the true God, came the beginning of their misery. It was the start of tribute, the beginning of church dues, and a beginning of robbery with violence. It was the Antichrist on earth. In the end of the prophecy, the hope and even belief in the justice of people’s Lord God descending upon every part of the world is pictured. Was Chilam right or mistaken? I am not sure yet. But the thing I can definitely say is that the prophecy exists until people believe in it. It is hard to live in the cruelness and unfaith, but who is a victim and who is a guilty? Both are human, anyway. So let god in you to be free, but not the devil, then all tears will be dried and work will be regarded.
In conclusion, subjects of the book are Maya’s antiquities, history, religion, language, and manuscripts. It becomes clear that the Chumayel manuscript was written in the European script that was adapted to the Maya language of Yucatan by the Sixteenth Century Spanish missionaries. However, in Katun 2 Ahau he predicted that in the Katun 13 Ahau following, bearded men would come from the east and introduce a new religion. It is obvious that his prophecy was something more accurate than those of his predecessors’ prophecies were. Consequently, these prophecies influenced on people minds and played a great role in the life of society, but I believe they should not be placed on the top when making decisions. All have problems in human beings. It is both god and devil’s parts in us. The problem is what part will set us free? The choice is rather your own, not prophecies.

References

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