Deicide in Ch’orti’ Maya Myth and Ritual

Among the Ch’orti’ Maya, turkeys are associated with ritual sacrifice and deicide. In this study, I discuss the intimate links between the turkey and the God of Agriculture and the Sun God (known as Katata’ in Ch’orti’) among the Ch’orti’ Maya concerning the death of this supreme god in their pantheon. Distant mythological narratives among the Ch’orti’ recount how Katata’ battled the “Black Giant” in an epic sword fight, only to lose and be chopped into pieces. The blood and bones of Katata’ were buried, and by so doing, the earth was first fertilized, and plants grew. In Ch’orti’ thought, therefore, the sacrifice of their principal deity brought fecundity to the earth. As I show, this mythic event is reenacted yearly by the Ch’orti’ in their milpa rites before planting corn in April. By digging holes in their cornfield and placing the blood and bones of a turkey into those holes, the Ch’orti’ annually reenact the death of their god and “impregnate” and “animate” their fields with life-giving substances. The role of Katata’ as the God of Agriculture is shrouded in fertilizing symbolism, a part of which relates to this grand mythic act of god sacrifice that took place soon after Creation in Ch’orti’ mythic history. Furthermore, I argue that a number of Maya deities and the Central Mexican god Tezcatlipoca shared numerous characteristics with the Ch’orti’ Black Giant and the god Katata’, which suggests cultural overlap.