The Cross Group and the Palenque Triad

Site Library Library of The Americas

The Cross Group and the Palenque Triad

Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > The Americas > Meso America > The Lowlands > Palenque > articles -- by * ChanChan Tupac (13 Articles), Historical Article ₁ Featured November 8 , 2004

Probably never ending page about the so-called Cross Group at Palenque.

The three temples of the so-called Cross Group are located northwest of the Palace and are built in a triangle. They are believed to be representations of the birthplaces of the three patron gods of Palenque, known as the Palenque Triad. Each temple is dedicated to one of the Triad Gods.

Although the hieroglyphs are identified, its still remains unclear which Triad God is connected to which Deity, so they are simply referred to as: GI, GII and GIII.
They are the gods who are believed to have been born in a place called Matawil as the children of the First Mother, Muwaan Mat also called Lady Beastie and the First Father.

The temples which were built during the reign of Chan Bahlam II (23-05-635 - 20-02-702) bear a great wealth of information that reaches us through the interpretations of the hieroglyphic panels found inside.

The Temple of the Cross

The Temple of the Cross is the most northern temple within the Cross Group. The hieroglyphs inside the temple show us the birthdates of the Triad Gods, their parents and the birth and accession dates of the previous Palenque rulers.
We can learn that the birth of the First Father was on the day 1 Ahau 16 Muan 12.19.11.13.0.1 (June 16, 3122 BC). Note that this date falls before the new Sun and the beginning of the present day Loncount (on 4 Ahau 8 Kumku 0.0.0.0.0). This also applies to the birthdate of the First Mother which was 8 Ahau 4 Xul 12.19.13.4.0 (December 7, 3122 BC).

Interesting to tell here is that the birth of Lord Shield Pakal also fell on a 8 Ahau day.

The birthdates for the Triad Gods are:

GI: 9 Ik 15 Ceb 1.18.5.3.2 (21-10-2360 BC)
GII: 1 Ahau 13 Mac 1.8.5.4.0 (8 november 2360 BC)
GIII: orn 13 Cimi, 19 Ceb1.8.5.3.6 (25 october 2360 BC)

detail panel Temple of the Cross

GI patron of the Temple of the Cross

God GI is depicted with fish-barbed shell earplug (or ear-flame as it is usually called). He is associated with Venus. It is probably Hun Hunahpu, the father of the Hero Twins who is seen as Venus the morningstar and when he dies in Xibalba as Venus the eveningstar
(notes of the Popol Vuh translation by Dennis Tedlock - online)

We can read on the hieroglyphs in the temple:

'542 days after the lying down sky was manifested, Hun-Nal-Ye [Maize God], the First Father, entered the sky at the First Three Stone- Place. ...'

The Temple of the Foliated Cross

The Temple of the Foliated Cross is the Eastern temple of the Cross group. The hieroglyphs inside the temple relate the cycles of life and death in the middle world (Earth).

Central Panel of the Temple of the Foliated Cross

GII patron of the Temple of the Foliated Cross

GII or God K is depicted as a serpent-footed god, who wears smoking axe and sees through an obsidian mirror. God K (Kawiil) is associated with royal lineages and with the blood sacrifices that were performed by the royalty. This God might be the same as the Fire God Tohil from the Popol Vuh, who showed the first humans how to create fire with the use of an obsidian mirror, but demanded sacrifices to those who also wanted to receive the gift of fire. Note that the Chol word for obsidian mirror is Tahil.

The Temple of the Sun

The Temple of the Sun is the western temple of the Cross Group.

Photograph by ChanChan Tupac 2003

GIII patron of the Temple of the Sun

GIII is also known as Kinich Ahau, Mah K'ina Tah Bahlam Ahau and Waterlily Jaguar. He is associated with the Underworld. Not surprising therefor that god GIII is also referred to as the Jaguar God of the Underworld. But there is also a possibility that this God might be the 'incarnation' of Xbalanque, who's name might be translated as "Little Jaguar Sun" which is a designation of the full moon.

Note:

For those of you who are interested in the end of the Maya longcount cycle: The next 12.19.13.4.0 - 8 Ahau will fall on approx. the 19th of April 2006 A.D. It may be worth it to note this date down. On this date there seems to be an alignement between Venus and Uranus in the constellation of Aquarius!