Kan Ekʼ facts for kids

Kan Ekʼ (also spelled Canek) was a special name or title. It was used by the Itza kings. These kings ruled from their island capital, Nojpetén. This city was located on Lake Petén Itzá in what is now Guatemala.

The full title was Aj Kan Ekʼ or Ajaw Kan Ekʼ . An Ajaw was a powerful ruler or lord in Maya society. The name Kan Ekʼ also referred to the entire Itza kingdom. This kingdom existed during the Late Postclassic period (from about 1200 to 1697 AD).

The name Kan Ekʼ was first seen on a Maya stone monument (stela) at Yaxchilan. This was around the mid-8th century AD. The name appears in writings at many Maya cities. These include Seibal, Motul de San José, and Chichen Itza.

In 1525, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés met an Itza king named Kan Ekʼ. This was during his journey through the Petén region. The Spanish did not contact the Itza again for a long time. In the early 1600s, some Franciscan friars visited. The Kan Ekʼ at that time welcomed them at first. Later, the friars were asked to leave. More attempts to interact with the Itza followed. These often ended with conflict. Finally, in the late 1600s, the last Kan Ekʼ was captured. He lived the rest of his life under arrest in the Spanish colonial capital.

What Does Kan Ekʼ Mean?

The name Kan Ekʼ has two parts. These parts came from the mother's and father's family names. In the Postclassic period, people belonged to two family groups. Your chʼibal group came from your father's side. Your tzʼakab group came from your mother's side.

People inherited their last name and property from their father's family. They also got a name, titles, and religious ideas from their mother's family. Maya kings were part of royal family groups. The kan part of the king's name came from the royal tzʼakab (mother's side). The Ekʼ' part came from the royal chʼibal (father's side). Because of this, all Itza kings in Petén had the name Kan Ekʼ.

Among the Itza, kan ekʼ meant "serpent star." It might also have meant "sky star" (kaʼan ekʼ ).

The Kan Ekʼ Kingdom

When the Spanish conquered Petén in 1697, the Kan Ekʼ kingdom was very powerful. It was one of the three main kingdoms in the central Petén Basin.

History of the Kan Ekʼ Kings

The name Kan Ekʼ was used by a king of Motul de San José. This city was just north of Lake Petén Itzá. This use dates back to the Late Classic period (about 600-900 AD).

The name Kan Ekʼ is written in a hieroglyphic text. This text is on Stela 10 at Yaxchilan. It dates to 766 AD. At Seibal, Stela 10 (from 849 AD) names Kan Ekʼ as the ruler of Motul de San José. Motul de San José was one of the four most important kingdoms in the mid-9th century. The others were Calakmul, Tikal, and Seibal. The name also appears on Seibal Stela 11. It is also found in writings at the Great Ballcourt of Chichen Itza in Yucatán. These writings are from the Late Classic period.

First Meeting with the Spanish (Early 1500s)

In 1525, Hernán Cortés led an expedition to Honduras. He traveled through the Itza kingdom. Cortés arrived at Lake Petén Itzá on March 13, 1525. The Aj Kan Ekʼ met him there.

Catholic priests with Cortés held a religious service. Kan Ekʼ was said to be very impressed. He promised to respect the Cross and destroy his own religious statues. Kan Ekʼ invited Cortés to visit Nojpetén. Cortés went to the city with a few Spanish soldiers. The rest of his army went around the lake.

Cortés left behind a lame horse. The Itza treated the horse like a god. They tried to feed it birds, meat, and flowers. But the animal soon died.

Early Spanish Visits (Early 1600s)

After Cortés' visit, the Spanish did not try to contact the Itza for almost 100 years. In 1618, two Franciscan friars, Bartolomé de Fuensalida and Juan de Orbita, traveled from Mérida. They wanted to peacefully convert the Itza to Christianity.

After a difficult six-month journey, the friars were welcomed by the Kan Ekʼ. They stayed in Nojpetén for several days. They tried to teach the Itza about Christianity. But the Aj Kan Ekʼ did not want to give up his Maya religion. He said that an old Itza prophecy meant it was not yet time to convert.

The Itza had made a statue of the horse Cortés left behind. Juan de Orbita was upset when he saw it. He immediately broke it into pieces. The Itza people became very angry. Fuensalida gave a powerful speech. This saved the visitors' lives. The friars left Nojpetén on friendly terms with Kan Ekʼ.

The friars returned in 1619. Kan Ekʼ welcomed them again. However, the Maya priesthood did not like the missionaries. They convinced Kan Ekʼ's wife to make him send the friars away. Armed warriors surrounded the friars' lodging. The friars and their servants were put in a canoe. They were told to leave and never come back. Juan de Orbita tried to resist. An Itza warrior knocked him unconscious. The missionaries were sent away without food or water. But they managed to return to Mérida.

A Time of Conflict

In 1622, Captain Francisco de Mirones planned an attack on the Itza. A Franciscan friar named Diego Delgado joined his army. On the way to Nojpetén, Delgado thought the army was too cruel to the Maya. He left the army. He went to Nojpetén with 80 Christianized Maya from Tipu. When they arrived, they were all captured. They were then offered to the Maya gods.

Soon after, the Itza surprised Mirones and his soldiers. They were unarmed in a church at Sacalum. All of them were killed. These events stopped all Spanish attempts to contact the Itza until 1695.

Final Attempts and Capture (Late 1600s)

In 1695, the governor of Yucatán, Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi, began building a road. It went from Campeche south towards Petén. Franciscan Andrés de Avendaño followed the road. He then continued to Nojpetén with local Maya guides. The local Itza welcomed them warmly.

The next day, the Aj Kan Ekʼ came across the lake with 80 canoes to greet the visitors. The Franciscans went to Nojpetén with Kan Ekʼ. They baptized over 300 Itza children in four days. Avendaño tried to convince Kan Ekʼ to convert to Christianity. He also asked him to surrender to the Spanish king. But he was not successful. The Itza king, like his ancestor, spoke of Itza prophecy. He said the time was not yet right. He asked the Spanish to return in four months. Then, the Itza would convert and promise loyalty to the King of Spain.

Kan Ekʼ learned of a plan by a rival Itza group to attack the Franciscans. The Itza king advised them to return to Mérida. The Spanish friars got lost and faced many difficulties. But they eventually made it back to Mérida after a month.

In December 1695, Kan Ekʼ sent messengers to Mérida. They told Martín de Ursúa that the Itza would peacefully accept Spanish rule. A Spanish group led by Captain Pedro de Zubiaur arrived at Lake Petén Itza. They had 60 soldiers, a friar, and allied Yucatec Maya warriors. They expected a peaceful welcome. Instead, about 2000 Maya warriors immediately attacked them. The friar, a Spanish soldier, and some Yucatec Maya warriors were captured. Spanish reinforcements arrived the next day. But they were forced back. This made Martín de Ursúa believe that Kan Ekʼ would not surrender peacefully. He began to plan a full attack on Nojpetén.

Martín de Ursúa arrived at the lake with a Spanish army on March 1, 1697. He built a strong camp and an attack boat. On March 10, Kan Ekʼ sent a canoe with a white flag. It carried messengers, including the Itza high priest. They offered to surrender peacefully. Ursúa welcomed them and invited Kan Ekʼ to visit his camp three days later.

On the planned day, Kan Ekʼ did not arrive. Instead, Maya warriors gathered along the shore and in canoes on the lake. Ursúa decided that more peaceful attempts were useless. A water attack was launched on Kan Ekʼ's capital on March 13. The city fell after a short but fierce battle. Many Itza warriors died. The Spanish had only a few injuries.

The surviving Itza left their capital. They swam to the mainland, and many died in the water. Martín de Ursúa placed his flag on the highest point of the island. He renamed Nojpetén Nuestra Señora de los Remedios y San Pablo, Laguna del Itza. This means "Our Lady of Remedy and Saint Paul, Lake of the Itza."

Kan Ekʼ was soon captured with help from the Yalain Maya ruler. Ursúa returned to Mérida. He left Kan Ekʼ and other high-ranking family members as prisoners. They stayed with the Spanish soldiers at Nuestra Señora de los Remedios y San Pablo. More Spanish soldiers arrived in 1699. But they did not stay long because of a disease outbreak. When they returned to the Guatemalan capital, they took Kan Ekʼ, his son, and two of his cousins with them. The cousins died on the way. But the last Kan Ekʼ and his son lived the rest of their lives under house arrest in the colonial capital.

Images for kids

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  The Kan Ekʼ name is recorded in the hieroglyphic text on Seibal Stela 11

See also

In Spanish: Canek para niños