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Today we are pleased to feature Leonide Martin’s great book,
The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik’nal of Palenque
by
Leonide Martin
WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT?
In misty tropical jungles 1500 years ago, at the height of Mayan civilization, a royal girl with visionary powers was destined to become the first woman ruler of Palenque (Lakam Ha). Last of her lineage, her accession would fulfill her father’s ambitions, but powerful forces were allied against them to overthrow the dynasty. Yohl Ik’nal (Heart of North Wind) puts aside her personal desires and the comfortable world of palace women to meet challenges as royal heir. Love for her father steels her will and sharpens her skills. Mastering her fears, she performs rituals and sacrifices required of rulers, while her visionary powers enable her to identify political opponents and predict enemy attack.
As the first Queen of Lakam Ha, she builds temples to honor her father and the Gods, protects her city and brings prosperity to her people. In the midst of betrayal and revenge, through court intrigues and regional power struggles, she confronts personal crises and finds a love relationship that sustains her. But she foresees a time of darkness and devastation coming, predicted through hidden knowledge in Mayan calendars. Can she trust her vision to reveal the will of the Triad Gods? Will her choices cause ruin or bring her city to greatness?
Centuries later Francesca, part-Mayan archeologist, and her team at Palenque excavate the royal burial of a crimson skeleton, possibly the first Mayan queen’s tomb ever discovered. She could not anticipate its impact on her life and the unraveling of ancient bonds it triggers.
The story of this remarkable woman lay buried for centuries under crumbling Mayan ruins. She was one of the most powerful women in the Americas, but few have heard of her. Her accession carved a new glyph in Mayan history, preserving her dynasty and propelling it to heights of power and creativity. She was the grandmother of K’inich Janaab Pakal, the most famous Mayan ruler. In 1952 his royal tomb was excavated, the richest Mayan burial found and the equivalent of Egypt’s King Tut.
HOW DOES THE BOOK START?
The girl hurried along forested paths toward the waterfalls, her bare feet squishing in humus. A colorful shawl covered her head and she drew it closer around her shoulders against the morning chill. Mist draped the mountains and clung to the canopy of the tropical forest. Vaporous fingers reached into the trees forming ephemeral lianas. Branches heavy with moisture gathered mist into brief droplets before releasing them to the wet soil below. Wetness was upon the mountains, the forests, the uneven earth. All was wetness, silence, stillness. Only the mist moved stealthily among the trees and crept toward the city of stones.
She peered anxiously toward the east, as the dawn sun ignited the mist into a shimmered golden glow. Birdcalls broke the misty silence: twitters, soft hoots, squawks, shrill cries. A steamy halo heralded the sunrise. Downward she plunged, following a path twisting in tight turns over roots and rocky outcroppings. The steep descent brought her past waterfalls that roared into foaming pools, past stone structures grouped around open plazas, and into denser forests.
Soon she found the place, a short way off the path marked by a small cascade. Again she glanced skyward into the luminous mist. Pushing aside ferns and bushes that splattered her with droplets, she came to the small clearing with a cluster of rocks in the center. The natural outcropping reached to her shoulders, an irregular tumbled group with one remarkable feature. She had discovered it several moons ago, and kept it secret. This was her special place. She folded her shawl on a smooth rock and sat cross-legged, as was her people’s custom. Eyes closed, she focused on the dawn chorus of birds greeting the day.
The girl waited for the sun’s signal. With luck, the mist would thin enough for the sunrays to strike her face. She loved the sudden heat and light that launched hundreds of red sparks behind her eyelids. Body still, breath bated, mind alert she waited. Only the birds with their raucous celebration, the steady fall of droplets, and the distant roar of waterfalls broke the hovering silence.
The sun burst suddenly through the mist, stunning her face and igniting red sparks in her closed eyes. It was the moment. Heart pounding, she took one deep breath and focused her entire attention behind the eyelids. Her eyes flew open. The clear quartz prominence situated on top of the highest rock blazed with light, bursting into radiant sun-flames. Partially blinded by the brilliance, she shot her consciousness into the quartz and was projected along scintillating pathways into another world.
MEET SOME OF THE CAST
Yohl Ik’nal: The daughter and only surviving child of Kan Bahlam I, the seventh ruler in the Bahlam Dynasty of B’aakal. Form early childhood she has visionary abilities and learns to time travel, meeting a blue-eyed foreign girl whose life becomes intertwined with the Mayas. When her father names her heir, Yohl Ik’nal undergoes rigorous training and expands her shamanic skills. She assumes the throne when her father dies, and becomes an accomplished and respected leader. Her visionary abilities allow her to detect traitors and anticipate enemy attack, saving her city from defeat. Although her life is dedicated to rulership, her arranged marriage provides a loving and supportive royal consort and they have two children.
Kan Bahlam I: A powerful and ambitious royal man who assumes the throne when his brother, the current ruler, dies without an heir. Determined to keep succession in his immediate family, he designates his daughter Yohl Ik’nal as heir, although this departs from common male inheritance patterns. Astute political maneuvering overcomes opposition from elite nobles who want another family in the throne, but in the process he earns lifelong enmity from a defeated and banished warrior, Ek Chuuah. This bold move places the first woman to rule in her own right upon a Mayan throne.
Ek Chuuah: A distant cousin of Yohl Ik’nal who is envious of her succession, as he covets the throne. He and other nobles plot to displace the Bahlam dynasty, so Kan Bahlam I arranges a serious wound in ritual battle (flower war), resulting in banishment to another city. Ek Chuuah becomes influential in his adopted city and forms alliances with other regional cities to attack Lakam Ha, but they are repelled by forces that were prepared due to Yohl Ik’nal’s visions. Hatred continues to simmer in his heart and he vows to avenge his mistreatment.
Hun Pakal: Husband of Yohl Ik’nal, from a leading elite family, he falls in love with her as she is being trained for rulership. His prowess in the ritual battles brings him to her father’s attention as a prime candidate. Throughout their relationship, he is consistently supportive and accepts his position as royal consort without further ambitions. He becomes her main counselor and assists her to handle difficulties. Their love blossoms in mutual respect and deep commitment.
Aj Ne Ohl Mat: Son of Yohl Ik’nal, her oldest child who is designated as heir. He is a timid and sensitive boy, overshadowed by his strong-willed younger sister Sak K’uk. Although he undergoes rulership training, his parents are worried about his capabilities, realizing that Sak K’uk is better equipped to rule but reluctant to further disrupt succession protocols. Aj Ne Ohl Mat has an artistic bent, writes poetry and composes music.
WHO SAYS WHAT:
Yohl Ik’nal: “Much am I troubled by these recent events. I made vision quest by means of the Jeweled Tree to the Upperworld to seek understanding. It was shown to me that our lineage will continue intact, but not without difficulties. One will come, a ruler who will bring Lakam Ha to great creative heights and leave a legacy the world will admire for untold times. We will face adversity but the B’aakal lineage will continue. Details were not revealed but the vision showed that I will indeed be the bearer of royal blood to continue the Bahlam dynasty.”
Kan Bahlam I: “Now comes a request that may be difficult. This I ask of you because we have long been close, and my trust is total. My purpose is to remove the sting of the scorpion, that perpetrator of sedition, from Lakam Ha. Speak to the Nakom of Usihwitz and request that he set his most ferocious and skilled warrior against Ek Chuuah on the final day of the flower war, the contest with knives. This warrior must seek to wound Ek Chuuah significantly, such that he requires time to recover. There will be anger toward Usihwitz but the warrior will claim it was accidental. Ek Chuuah will then be required to reside and recover in Usihwitz and perhaps he will find life there more hospitable.”
Hun Pakal: “Seeking a vision will tax your strength, it may harm your health. Did not your healer priestess admonish you to rest, to guard your heart?”
Ek Chuuah: “I will find a way. Lineage succession is not indelibly set. Sacred blood courses through my veins, and it is hotter and stronger than hers. . . Now is coming the time for another part of the lineage to take over. My part.”
Sak K’uk: “Aj Ne! Some day you will need to take responsibility for Lakam Ha, when you become ruler. Does not this concern you? There is much to learn, you need experience. . . training. .”
Aj Ne Ohl Mat: “Perhaps so, but Mother has not yet ordered the hoof-binding ceremony to designate an heir. . . She might choose you. She has always favored you, and you certainly attend enough councils. Even if she designated me, we have a hoard of experienced nobles and advisors to keep managing the city’s affairs.”
Sak K’uk: “You are hopeless. The Bahlam blood in your body is feeble. . . There is internal treachery. . . Mother and her advisors are developing a plan to protect us. If you want to know more, you must speak to her. Deities forbid that you would care to do anything.”
WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE?
The main plaza of Lakam Ha was lined with people, leaving the brilliant white center bare. Large buildings framed two sides, and the others were lined with residences of the ahauob, situated close to the Bisik River. The south building had wide stairs descending to the plaza. Ascending the stairs were two columns of Ah K’inob (priests) and Ix K’inob (priestesses), attired brightly in feathered capes and headdresses, adorned with jade and shells. Rows of censers poured out spirals of copal smoke. The buildings shone red-orange in the sun, their roof-combs painted white, yellow and blue. From the main plaza, complexes of stone buildings clustered on level areas of the narrow mountain ridge, while wood and thatch huts clung among trees on the slopes.
The city of Lakam Ha, Place of Big Water (called Palenque by Spaniards) was situated on a plateau of K’uk Lakam Witz, “fiery water mountain” hovering over fertile plains that stretched north to the Great Waters. It was a city beloved of the B’aakal Triad Gods, for they had thought to place it on this Holy Mountain long ago, when the Bacabs, Lords of the Four Directions, raised the sky and parted it from the waters. In that ancient time the Land of the Mayas arose from the waters like the back of a huge turtle shell, for they had willed it.
The day was hot and clear. Smells of jungle humus mingled with pungent copal incense made from dried tree resin. Flocks of squawking parrots flew overhead and the roars of howler monkeys reverberated in the distance. Clay flutes, drums of hollow logs and turtle shells, wooden sticks, pod and shell rattles created plaintive and rhythmic melodies. Dancers performed in the plaza, enacting the coming of age story that was the purpose of the ceremony. It was a rite of transformation, when someone moved into a different phase of life, never to return to the previous status.
TELL US ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Leonide (Lennie) Martin: Retired California State University professor, former Family Nurse Practitioner, currently author and Maya researcher. My books bring ancient Maya culture and civilization to life in stories about both real historical Mayas and fictional characters. For historical accuracy, I researched Maya archeology, anthropology and history from the scientific perspective. For indigenous viewpoints, I studied with Maya teachers including Aum Rak Sapper, Guatemalan Priestess-Daykeeper and Hunbatz Men, Itza Maya Elder-Daykeeper. I lived in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico for five years to apprentice with Hunbatz Men, becoming a Solar Initiate and Maya Fire Woman in the Itza Maya tradition. The ancient Mayas created the most highly advanced civilization in the Western hemisphere, and my work is dedicated to their wisdom, spirituality, scientific and cultural accomplishments through compelling historical novels. For more information about my writing and the Mayas, visit:
Website: www.mistsofpalenque.com
Blog: http://leonidemartinblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonide.martin
WHAT DO READERS THINK?
Absolutely captivating book. . . From page one, the author reeled me into the forest and then into the story. I could feel the sun on my face as the character did. This story was rich with detail and really well written. — Beverly Clark
I loved this book! I have been to a number of Mayan ruins and this book brought them to life. I connected to Yohl Ik’nal and enjoyed every phase of her life in Palenque. Ms. Martin does so much more than entertain; the extensive research she has done is woven into the stories, and it is a great education for the reader. — Gail Weaver
What stood out to me was the amazing amount of description that the author gave to every scene. This kept me engaged throughout and never wanting to put the book down. Each and every paragraph was well-developed as the story moved along without a hitch. This book has a writing style all its own. . . I would not be surprised if this book became a bestseller. Highly recommend! — Ricky M. Hansen
(This book is) magically written. The novel achieves three things, first, the story takes the reader through a fascinatingly entertaining tale, second through the world of the Maya and lastly the scenery description allows the reader to become an eye witness to the story. — Yvonne Perez
The story is centered around a woman and her personal challenges, fueled by political intrigues and conflicts, it’s easy to slip into it and enjoy it as a women’s fiction novel with a historical edge to it. It’s very important. . . to create realistic, believable characters that readers can feel for, and the author has done a great job. . . creating a very clear picture. . . (making it easy) to follow the story and imagine the scenery and understand the meaning of every element. . . recommend to everyone who’s into historical fiction! — Alexandra Engellmann
The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik’nal of Palenque is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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